The National Park Service is inviting the public to workshops on Molokai, Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii in April and May to discuss the future of Kalaupapa. The 12 workshops are the first steps in the creation of a plan to guide the park’s preservation and use over the next 15 to 20 years.

The meetings give the public an opportunity to raise issues, offer suggestions, and help define the park’s future. Anyone interested is welcome.

Kalaupapa National Historical Park on Molokai was established in 1980 to preserve the past and present Hansen’s disease community there.

Today the national park conserves the isolated peninsula’s cultural and natural resources and supports and protects the well-being and privacy of the residents who live there.

As the patient population declines, the State Department of Health is turning more and more of the operation of the settlement to the park service.

The National Park Service is also committed to preserving Kalaupapa’s significant resources. Native Hawaiian communities thrived there and in the adjacent valleys for hundreds of years before to the establishment of the leprosy settlement in 1866. The park is one of the richest archeological preserves in Hawaii.

The natural resources of the dramatic sea cliffs, narrow valleys, varied coastlines and flat leaf-shaped peninsula include rare and endangered plant, animal and marine species, some of which are found nowhere else in the world.

“The National Park Service is dedicated to preserving the memories and experiences of the past so we may continue to learn valuable lessons from them long into the future,” said Steve Prokop, superintendent of Kalaupapa National Historical Park, in a news release.

“We are especially fortunate to have the invaluable insight and inspiration of these residents at Kalaupapa to help guide us in the planning process,” he said.

He also sees the participation of the broader community as vital to the planning effort.

“Your input in planning for the future of this sacred place is essential for the continued well-being of the patient community along with the protection, preservation, and interpretation of cultural, historical, and natural resources,” Prokop said.

Here is the schedule, by island, of the 12 public workshops hosted by the National Park Service:

Molokai

n Monday, April 20

• 6-8 p.m.
• McVeigh Social Hall
• Kalaupapa

n Tuesday, April 21

• 9-11 a.m.
• McVeigh Social Hall
• Kalaupapa

n Wednesday, April 29

• 1-3 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.
• Mitchell Pauole Center
• Kaunakakai

Maui

n Wednesday, April 22

• 9-11 a.m. and 6-8 p.m.
• Maui Arts and Cultural Center
• Alexa Higashi Room
• 1 Cameron Way, Kahului

Oahu

n Thursday, April 23

• 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Bishop Museum, Atherton Halau
• 1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu

n Friday, April 24

• 9 a.m.-11 a.m.
• Bishop Museum, Atherton Halau
• 1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu

Kauai

n Monday, April 27

• 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Kapaa Public Library
• 1464 Kuhio Highway, Kapaa

n Tuesday, April 28

• 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
• West Kauai Technology and Visitor Center
• 9565 Kaumualii Highway, Waimea

Big Island

n Tuesday, May 26

• 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Kona Outdoor Circle
• 76-6280 Kuakini Highway, Kailua-Kona

n Wednesday, May 27

• 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Mokupapapa Discovery Center, S. Hata Bldg.
• 308 Kamehameha Avenue, Suite 109, Hilo

To learn more about the Kalaupapa National Historical Park visit www.nps.gov/kala and to submit comments visit the National Park Service Planning website http://parkplanning .nps.gov/kala.