Kula Fuels Reduction Project
Removing invasive trees and plants that are known fire fuels and reoccupying spaces with native forest to bring back shade, moisture, and long-term resiliency to Kula moku and our watersheds.
Since our work began in September 2023, KCWA has successfully completed ecologically responsible fuels reduction across 58 acres of the Kula Fire burn scar and adjacent areas of Pōhakuokalā in the Waiakoa watershed.
Our organization is aware that the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and their Emergency Watershed Protection Program has approved funding to cover fuels reduction and weed removal in fire-impacted areas. With the Central Maui Soil & Water Conservation District as the sponsor of those funds, landowner agreements have been signed and professional contractors are being retained to conduct work in the burn areas starting Fall 2024.
With that tremendous resource on the way, KCWA’s fuels reduction work is now turning to Kula lands outside of the burn zone that are in dire need of fire fuels reduction, with a goal to prevent future wildfires across an additional 35 acres. We are partnered with US Forest Service to complete this work over the course of three years, beginning in late 2024.
With emphasis on Upper Kula’s Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI), this project targets some of Maui’s highest wildfire risks and largest watershed health problems. In 2024, our fire fuels reduction efforts were awarded $300,000 from the USDA U.S. Forest Service Wildland Urban Interface program to further solve these problems.
Our Fuels Reduction Program is focused on:
hazard fuel reduction in the WUI in Upper Kula moku;
re-occupying land with native forests to shade the land and reduce invasive species regrowth;
information and education;
assessment and planning; and
monitoring through community and landowner action.
The paperwork for this grant is in the subaward phase and eligible landowners will be able to request support very soon.
