Community • Events

*ATTENTION HAWAIIAN HOMESTEAD BENEFICIARIES! PLEASE ATTEND BENEFICIARY CONSULTATION MEETING*

Kainoa Lei MacDonald

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: August 17, 2025

Beneficiary Consultation Scheduled on Waiohuli Wells Agreement

Waiohuli Homestead Community Calls on Beneficiaries to Participate

Waiohuli, Maui – The Hawaiian Homes Commission has scheduled a Beneficiary Consultation on the proposed Waiohuli Wells Agreement for:

📍 Waiohuli Association Community Center
📅 Thursday, August 21, 2025
🕕 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

The consultation follows the Commission’s decision in May 2025 to defer Agenda Item E-5, after strong testimony from beneficiaries highlighted serious concerns about the proposal. The Commission agreed to hear the matter again in October 2025 on Maui, ensuring beneficiaries have the opportunity to review and respond before any decision is made.

Key Concerns Raised by Beneficiaries:

  • Ka Paʻakai Analysis: Required by Hawaiʻi law to assess cultural and customary practices and identify protections before approval.

  • Incomplete Information: Beneficiaries have not been provided the full Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) or exhibits.

  • Water Allocation: The proposal removes 2.59 million gallons per day from DHHL lands while allocating only 1.36 million gallons for DHHL use, leaving 1.2 million gallons unaccounted for.

  • Community Plan Compliance: Maui County’s Makawao-Pukalani-Kula Community Plan prohibits diverting Upcountry water until homestead needs are met.

  • Future Homestead Development: The agreement may jeopardize water supply for the planned 1,450 farm lots in Upcountry/Pūlehunui.

Call to Action

Pāʻupena CDC and The Association of Hawaiians for Homestead Lands (AHHL) along with the Waiohuli Hawaiian Homestead Association (WHHA) strongly encourage all Maui beneficiaries to attend the consultation, voice their concerns, and ensure DHHL upholds its trust responsibilities under the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act.

“This is about protecting our water, our homesteads, and our future generations,” said representatives of AHHL. “Beneficiary voices are critical to making sure policies are followed, trust obligations are honored, and no decisions are rushed without transparency.”

Event Details:

  • What: Waiohuli Wells Beneficiary Consultation (review testimony template below)

  • When: Thursday, August 21, 2025 – 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

  • Where: Waiohuli Association Community Center, 881 Lauie Drive, Kula, Maui

 

For more information, please contact:

https://dhhl.hawaii.gov/po/maui/waiohuli-water-agreement-beneficiary-consultation/

Noelle Kaanana,DHHL Planning Office

📧 cherie-noelle.k.kaanana@hawaii.gov
📞 (808) 730-0355