KALAUPAPA, Moloka'i — The National Park Service will convene a series of public workshops statewide to discuss the future of Kalaupapa.

The workshops will initiate development of a management plan to guide the park's preservation and use over the next 15 to 20 years, according to the park service.

The events will provide information on Kalaupapa and the planning process and gather public comments and suggestions.

Kalaupapa National Historical Park was established in 1980 to tell the story of the isolated Hansen's disease community.

The park preserves the peninsula's cultural and natural resources, and supports and protects the well-being and privacy of the two dozen residents who choose to remain at Kalaupapa.

As the patient population declines, operational responsibilities for the settlement are being turned over from the state Department of Health to the National Park Service.

Park officials note that Native Hawaiian communities thrived at Kalaupapa and the adjacent valleys for hundreds of years before the establishment of the leprosy settlement in 1866. The area is rich in archaeological resources, and is home to several 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," Steve Prokop, the National Park Service's Kalaupapa superintendent, said 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."

Prokop said community participation is vital to the planning effort.

Comments may be submitted via the National Park Service planning Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/kala.

Visit www.nps.gov/kala to learn more about the Kalaupapa National Historical Park.