Maui wildfires one year later: Governor signs off on transition of Mokuʻula from the state to Maui County for its cultural restoration

Commitment to cultural restoration of Mokuʻula

As state, county and federal leaders gathered to reflect on the one-year mark since the devastating Maui wildfires, Gov. Josh Green announced he signed papers to “purposefully transition” Mokuʻula from the state to Maui County for its cultural restoration.

He said the action was taken, “in the spirit of honoring those that were lost.” The transition is aimed at restoring those sacred lands so that the people of Lahaina can work with the mayor to make that the piko of recovery and to honor the 102 people who were lost in the fires, according to Green, who spoke at a morning press conference at the West Maui Office of Recovery.

Mokuʻula is a former island (inland sandbar) that served as the preferred residence for high-ranking aliʻi through the mid-1800s, including use as the royal compound for the Pi‘ilani family of chiefs from the 16th century.

The island was surrounded by a 17-acre pond, Loko o Mokuhinia, that was filled in 1914 due to hygienic and development purposes when it became stagnant, according to an environmental assessment that was filed for an ecosystem restoration project in 2018. In 1918, an executive order established the site as the current Malu ʻUlu o Lele Park, with the pond and island now located approximately 2 to 3 feet below the ground, according to state documentation.

When asked about the timeline and cost of the project, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said there is a committee in place that is working with the governor and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, to bring all stakeholders together, including lineal descendants, and individuals that have worked to ensure the area’s protection for years.

He couldn’t provide an exact cost estimate but said that the county will pick up where some of the work was previously done, and will be looking for a nonprofit to oversee the area over time.

“I think as early as 1962, some of those processes began and we felt it important to make that formal first step,” said Green. “Mayor and I are signing papers together today to expedite this transfer. It’s a very critical piece of the recovery, but it’s also critical that the community own this process.”

“There has to be resources for the waterway, for removal of debris and so on,” the governor said, calling that the land transfer is a huge first step, but acknowledging the additional work involved.

What is the vision of Mokuʻula going forward?

Green called the transfer the “first phase” in establishing Moku’ula.

It sits next to the site of Kamehameha III Elementary school, which was burned beyond repair during the wildfires. “I don’t imagine that the school, as we’ve talked about with a lot of people publicly, could ever be rebuilt that close to the shoreline. It was one of the reasons that we rapidly built the temporary school with the incredible help of the President and FEMA.”

Mayor Bissen said the school is also in an inundation zone, posing concerns for rebuilding at the exact same site.

Earlier reports indicate numerous Hawaiian burials have also been found at the elementary school site.

“What we will be looking to do is to see if people would be willing to also, trade lands or allow us to, if they would, purchase them and give them a space somewhere near but not right in Mokuʻula,” said Green.

Bissen said “Everything’s on the table,” and acknowledged the many layers toward restoration.

“The folks that have worked on this project before have a lot of information to share about how ultimately—that not just Mokuʻula, but Mokuhinia—that whole area will come to be,” said Bissen.

At the legislative level, there has been discussion about honoring the area as a cultural corridor.

He pointed to areas that would have to be discussed and worked through as next steps surface.

“Water is going to be an issue as well. The waters returned there—it’s a good sign. But again, we have to find out what impacts that has if we reconfigure that area. So we’re working on it,” he said.

Nearby, the below-street-level parking lot at the former 505 Front Street Shops & Restaurants was found full of natural spring water after the wildfire. Work to remove debris and clean the area is ongoing.

Seeking designation as a National Heritage Area

“One of the things that we have been really engaging on right now is looking at designating Lahaina as a whole as a National Heritage Area,” said US Rep. Jill Tokuda.

There are 62 national heritage areas in the United States but none in Hawaiʻi. Kaʻena Point is currently being studied for designation. 

She said the designation would not impact private development rights or even public development rights. “What it does is it says: this part of an area has cultural, historical significance, ecological significance even. And to me, what better place to start in Hawaiʻi in terms of a heritage area than Lahaina, which has so much rich history even before contact,” said Tokuda.

With support from the congressional delegation, Tokuda said she was able to pass it through committee in the House.

“If it’s actually designated, this could mean easily upwards of $1 million annually for a decade. [Itʻs] matched money, of course, that can go towards really making this what the community envisions it to be. So there’s definite opportunities and partnerships, but it does start first and foremost with that conversation with community,” said Tokuda.

Reflecting on lives lost, rebuilding, continued support

In reflecting on the one year mark, Gov. Green said: “We stand here with you today. Remembering the tragedy of one year ago. Today, we’re remembering the 102 loved ones we lost, the many injured, [and] those who lost their homes. We are grieving for them still, and I want to just commend everyone on their strength, the strength that the mayor was able to give the community in this year, and all the people that are standing here today… We’ve come so far, but people have to still heal, and we know that that healing is going to take so long.”

“The world watched the heroism of the firefighters and the heroism of the people saving one another, and that was a year of survival. And now we will begin to rebuild,” he said.

“On behalf of the Biden-Harris administration, the president, the vice president, and the entire leadership team. I want to express our continued support for the recovery of Maui today and every day,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. “What happened a year ago is something we will never forget… On this road to recovery, you’ve taught us all what it means to be good neighbors about the true meaning of community. You’ve shown us what it means to be resilient. To be able to look to the future even when the moment feels insurmountable.”

US Sen. Brian Schatz continues to push for federal funding to support the Maui community. “As we mark one year since the devastating fires that burned down this beautiful, vibrant and storied town, I’m reminded of what a survivor told me in the days immediately after I asked him. ‘How are you doing?’ And he responded, ‘I lost everything, but I’m alive.’ Nothing could have prepared people for the horrors they experienced that day.”

“Twelve months ago, they lost family and friends, homes and schools, entire neighborhoods and communities. All gone in an instant,” he said. “And yet, even amid all that panic and chaos, so many people’s first instinct was to put others before themselves. Their first thought was, how can I help?”

“The displays of heroism were staggering. The kindness and generosity have continued in the months ahead, even as survivors continue to grieve losses and confront uncertainties of their own. It’s been a year of what ifs and what’s next. And people are understandably worried. They’re anxious and they are exhausted. But it’s also true that we’ve come a long way,” said Schatz, noting that debris removal is running ahead of schedule, water and wastewater services have been restored, and the first few homes are beginning to be rebuilt. “All of that progress is real, made possible only by the efforts of partners at every level federal, state and county and most importantly, community,” he said.

“Ultimately, it comes down to the people here. Bound by shared grief and common resolve. They banded together to help one another in any way they can. Their grit and their grace and their generosity are proof that for as long and difficult as the road ahead will be, we can get through this by sticking together. We’ve come a long way, but we still have a longer way to go, and our promise is that we will be there with the community for as long as it takes,” said Schatz.

US Sen. Mazie Hirono said housing, “temporary as they may be,” provides tangible progress towards the hope for permanent housing as recovery continues.

“I’m very grateful, with all of the kindnesses and the resilience that the world has seen, the people of this island of Lahaina and Upcountry have, exemplified,” she said. ” talked with the FEMA people… they said they’ve never experienced anything like this. Where there was just such a recognition of the need to listen to the cultural advisors and the sensitivities that were shown.”