A conservation easement for a 1.2-acre property in Kapalua that includes a trail in the area has been donated to the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust by the Sue D. Cooley Trust.

The easement will ensure that the land will remain in open space, said Bob Gilliom, representing the Cooley Trust. The land will be owned and managed by Kapalua Resort Association, which will work closely with the trust to maintain and enhance the land as permanent open space, a trust news release Monday said.

“Our family is very pleased to work with the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust to protect and preserve this land as an open space along the Kapalua Coastal Trail and to support HILT’s conservation efforts on Maui,” he said.

“The Hawaiian Islands Land Trust is very thankful to the Sue D. Cooley Trust for their efforts to preserve this land in West Maui and for their incredible generosity and support for our work to protect and steward the most special places here on Maui,” said trust CEO Kawika Burges.

The trust is a nonprofit organization formed in 2011 out of the merger of four local land trusts and is the first and only nationally accredited local land trust in Hawaii. The trust has conserved almost 18,000 acres to date via perpetual conservation easements and fee simple ownership.

The lands are preserved for scenic views, agricultural resources, wildlife habitats, water resources, cultural and historical sites, and outdoor recreational opportunities.