Aloha Governor Green, Mr. Fretz, and Ms. Ansari,

We the undersigned respectfully request that the Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Kamehamenui Forest Reserve Management Plan be withdrawn until sincere and meaningful consultation has taken place with the Kula community and other affected residents.

• The current Plan would create conditions for a catastrophic wildfire that will impact the surrounding community. Wildfire is an urgent and central issue for this region. Plans for restoration of native forest are admirable, but without a huge increase in funding for management of that forest, the result will be a wildly overgrown mess of invasive trees, similar to what the adjacent Kula Forest Reserve (Polipoli) has already become. For example, black wattle trees grow 7 feet per year, and are extremely flammable.
• The current plan does not have a definite funding source – in fact it only states that DLNR hopes to obtain funding to implement the plan. If that funding does not materialize, and current plans to eliminate grazing for the bulk of the area are implemented, DLNR will be setting the stage for yet another wildfire, similar to the the 2007 Polipoli fire, 2023 Lahaina/Kula/Olinda fires, and the 2024 Crater
  Road Fire.
• Given Maui’s history of devastating fires and the continuing vulnerability of Kula and Upcountry residents, it is unacceptable for this plan to move forward without a robust, community-informed wildfire strategy. The proposed public safety and fire mitigation measures are general and preliminary, lacking detail.
• In addition, the process leading up to the EA release has undermined public trust. The community was promised opportunities for review and input on the Management Plan prior to the EA’s preparation, but that did not occur. Although people were asked what they would like to see in the Kamehamenui Forest Reserve, the community never saw the management Plan until the Draft EA was published.
• The notice for the October 15 meeting comes just days before the October 23 EA comment deadline, leaving insufficient time for meaningful engagement.

This EA is anticipating a Finding of No Significant Impact, which would obviously be incorrect, for the reasons stated above. Therefore, we urge the Department of Land and Natural Resources to withdraw the current Draft EA and work in good faith with the local community to co-develop an acceptable plan for Kamehamenui that will not put our lives at risk; a plan that prioritizes wildfire resilience, sustainable food production, transparency, and long-term stewardship of the Kamehamenui Forest Reserve.

Mahalo for your consideration and for your commitment to protecting Maui’s future.