KAHANA — The state Department of Land and Natural Resources' planned eviction of six Hawaiian families from Kahana Valley did not happen, following appeals from state legislators.

The families had been ordered out of Ahupua'a 'O Kahana State Park, a living cultural park, by 6 a.m. yesterday. They and their supporters gathered yesterday, anticipating that police and a bulldozer would enter the valley to forcibly remove them from their ancestral homes, where generations of their families have lived.

State Rep. Colleen Meyer and state Sen. Clayton Hee said they asked DLNR Director Laura H. Thielen to delay the evictions until a solution could be found.

Hee, D-23rd (Kane'ohe, Kahuku), met with Thielen yesterday afternoon, hours after hundreds of the families' supporters blocked the only road. Hee said Thielen seemed to agree that legislation that would allow more families to live in the valley might be the right solution.

Thielen, however, did not call off the evictions, and asked to meet again tomorrow to discuss a related issue, Hee said.

"As far as I'm concerned, the evictions are still on," Hee said. "She didn't tell me otherwise, and that's why I concluded that, but as far as I'm concerned, the people are not moving."

Thielen, who had to tend to a family emergency, was unable to respond yesterday to a request for comment on the eviction. Earlier in the day, when asked if the department would carry out the evictions, DLNR spokeswoman Deborah Ward said the department does not discuss enforcement operations.

The state acquired Kahana Valley in 1970 and turned it into a cultural park in 1993, granting longtime residents 65-year leases in exchange for providing 25 hours a month of cultural activities in the ahupa'a for residents and tourists. Of the 31 available leases, 28 have been issued. Several were issued but revoked for failure to meet the terms of the lease.

As families grew, no new leases were provided, but the state issued them temporary permits to stay in the valley with the expectation that leases would become available. Several of the families to be evicted were promised leases, but a new interpretation of the law in March said the state could not issue any new leases.

In June, the state notified the families that they would have to move out. On Friday, notices were posted, ordering them to leave by 6 a.m. yesterday.

Meyer, R-47th (Ha'iku, Kahalu'u, La'ie), who was supporting the residents yesterday at Kahana, said she pleaded with Thielen over the weekend to slow down and give people more time to obtain leases, which would require amending the law when the Legislature meets in January.

Meyer criticized the way the department handled the evictions, communicating only through letters and never meeting residents face to face.

Meyer and Hee introduced bills last year to increase the number of leases for the extended families, but the measures were not passed.

"These folks aren't bothering anybody," Meyer said. "For the state to just toss them out and have them set up camp over there on the beach, and the months on end of demonstrations, that certainly isn't anything you want."

Hundreds of people showed up before dawn to protest and prevent the eviction. People came from up and down the Windward Coast, a Neighbor Island, Hawai'i Kai and Wai'anae. Sovereignty groups, school groups, community leaders and kupuna were among people holding signs that said "Save Our Home," "Stop Eviction" and "Humble Hawaiians Fighting for What's Right."

Thoran Evans, who is being evicted, said several times the group got word that the state was coming, but it never did.

Kahana Valley resident Sunny Greer, who is not being evicted but was supporting the residents yesterday, said she spoke with Thielen, and she hopes something can be worked out.

Greer said she's hoping Thielen will find a holistic solution that combines human resources and natural resources.