HUI MAUNAWILI-KAWAINUI
The people of Kailua have come together to restore the health of Maunawili
so that the valley can resume its vital and traditional role in the Kailua ahupua‘a
as a place of free-flowing fresh water, abundant agriculture, and rich natural, cultural, and historic resources.
A Community Vision for Maunawili
We support the purchase, preservation and restoration of agricultural and conservation lands in Maunawili Valley and the protection and preservation of wetlands, fresh water resources, important ancient and historic sites, and historic trails and roads.
We support the State in fulfilling its obligation “to conserve and protect agricultural lands, promote diversified agriculture, increase agricultural self-sufficiency, and assure the availability of agriculturally suitable lands.” (Hawaiʻi State Constitution, Article XI, Section 3.)
We oppose development of Kailua’s prime agricultural and conservation land in Maunawili.
We stand in support of landowner HRT/Weinberg's partnership with Trust for Public Land (TPL), State Department of Land and Natural Resources – Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DLNR-DOFAW), Ho‘okua‘āina, Kauluakalana, and Hawai‘i Land Trust (HILT) in their effort to purchase and protect approximately 1,085 acres of land in Maunawili. This is a rare opportunity to put these important lands in public ownership to secure Maunawili’s irreplaceable resources for the health and welfare of the people of Hawaiʻi today and for future generations.
We call upon you to Kū Kailua, to stand with us for our beloved ahupua‘a and its abundant natural and cultural resources.
The Maunawili-Kawainui Critical Watershed extends from the summit of the Koʻolau to Kailua Bay. More than 1,000 acres of the watershed is privately owned by HRT Realty LLC/Weinberg Foundation. Our vision is to protect this complex wetland ecosystem and restore portions of it to agriculture.
(© Piliāmo‘o)
and is the organization accepting donations for the Hui. All of your donations come directly to the Hui.
Your donations are tax deductible.
Governor Calls for State Acquisition of Maunawili Ag and Preservation Lands
“Special Lands In Public Hands”
In his 2019 State of the State Address, Governor David Ige specifically called out Maunawili as an area that the State should acquire and preserve to protect Kailua’s watershed, rich agricultural lands and irreplaceable natural and cultural resources.
Noting that the private landowner (HRT/Weinberg) has proposed to subdivide and develop Maunawili, the Governor said that the State wishes to negotiate acquisition agreements with them to protect natural resources and recreational areas. He noted that the State, the Trust for Public Land and other partners have recently accomplished similar acquisitions, saving important lands from uncontrolled development.
“Our future requires that over time – we, as a state, acquire and preserve more and more land – either as state land or in the hands of partners like the Trust for Public Lands and the Nature Conservancy. If we want green spaces, if we want to grow our own food, if we want places for recreation, if we want clean, fresh water, if we want the environmental that has been so central to Hawa‘i’s life, we need to have special lands in public hands. ….
…Kane‘ohe and Maunawili both include areas that the landowners have proposed for housing development.
But they also contain the mauka source of freshwater streams that feed ancient lo‘i and flow into vital coastal waters of Kane‘ohe Bay and Kawainui Marsh.
They contain some of the richest agricultural lands on O‘ahu and have been farmed by ancient Hawaiians for centuries.
They are irreplaceable natural resources and part of the economic, ecological and cultural heritage of Ko-o-lau-poko.
These places are worth saving for us and for future generations.”
The Governor is requesting increased funding for land conservation by removing the $6.8 million cap on the 10% conveyance tax to the Legacy Land Conservation Program. He has also instructed the Department of Land and Natural Resources to prioritize coordination of the acquisition of these parcels.
Watch Governor Ige at the 2019 State of the State Address: Special Lands In Public Hands
Read the complete text of the State of the State Address here: hawaii.gov
Video — the section on planned development, including Maunawili, begins at 24:10: C-SPAN
Kumu hula Manu Boyd and master gardener Tommy Boyd visit the site of their ancestor Edward Boyd’s historic Maunawili Ranch where Queen Liliʻuokalani was inspired to write Aloha ʻOe. (© Piliāmo‘o)
Protect Maunawili from Development: A Plan for the Future
For decades public and private organizations have tried unsuccessfully to acquire and protect lands in Maunawili from the threat of development. Until recently, the private landowner HRT/Weinberg has not responded to community efforts to acquire its Maunawili properties.
In a new and positive development, HRT/Weinberg is currently working with The Trust for Public Land (TPL) whereby HRT/Weinberg would sell their Maunawili properties to TPL for eventual ownership and stewardship by the State and Kailua based nonprofit organizations.
Our community urges HRT/Weinberg to work quickly with TPL on a conservation sale to secure these important lands for their permanent protection and to promote their long-term sustainable use, and the food security goals of Hawaiʻi nei.
The 1994 Kawainui Master Plan (KMP) recommended that the State acquire the privately-owned wetland/semi-wetland and upland areas in Maunawili, noting that they are part of the economic, ecological, and cultural resources of Kawainui Marsh, separated only by the highway. Unfortunately, the State has not been able to secure these Maunawili lands, which remain owned by HRT/Weinberg.
The Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, TPL, and other non-profit organizations have sought to engage the landowner HRT/Weinberg Foundation in discussions regarding purchasing portions of their Maunawili lands. These parties are among the many agencies and community groups that now support TPL acquiring HRT/Weinberg’s Maunawili lands in a conservation sale.
This postcard shows the rich diversity of wetland and dry land agriculture in Maunawili, c. 1929. (Private Collection)
The State has an obligation to “conserve and protect agricultural lands, promote diversified agriculture, increase agricultural self-sufficiency and assure the availability of agriculturally suitable lands.” (Hawaiʻi State Constitution, Article XI, Section 3.)
The Koʻolaupoko Sustainable Communities Plan (KSCP), which was adopted by the City Council in August 2017 (Section 3.4.), identifies preventing conversion of agricultural lands to non-agricultural uses as a core priority for Koʻolaupoko. Citing the KSCP, the State Department of Agriculture (DOA) has written that “an agricultural subdivision is in violation of Section 205-4.5(a), Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes, when the primary use of the proposed subdivision is for residential purposes.” (Letter to K. Sokugawa, DPP, from S. Enright, DOA, May 25, 2017.)
The significant deposits of nutrient-rich Hanalei soil in Maunawili combined with fresh water resources are too important to squander. They confirm the potential for the valley to provide an important base for enhanced local food security through managed and thoughtfully developed food-producing farms.
A view of Maunawili shows Auloa Road in the foreground and abundant agricultural fields at the base of Olomana, on land that is now owned by HRT/Weinberg. (Roscoe C. Wriston, 1936, Lyman Museum, from the book Kailua, published by the Kailua Historical Society, 2009, p. 93.)