Multiple outlets reported that Hawaii’s Board of Land and Natural Resources voted Friday to reject a proposed 30-year water license that would have allowed agricultural company Mahi Pono to divert tens of millions of gallons per day from the East Maui Irrigation System. The decision followed nearly eight hours of public testimony and sided with Maui County and cultural advocates who opposed placing long-term control of the water system in private hands. The board also voted to appoint a hearings officer for a court-ordered contested case hearing over Mahi Pono’s existing stream diversion permits.
- The BLNR rejected a state staff recommendation to auction a 30-year water diversion license that would have allowed Mahi Pono to draw up to 87–88 million gallons per day from the East Maui Irrigation System.
- Mahi Pono, owned by Canadian pension fund PSP Investments, became sole owner of the East Maui Irrigation Co. in 2025 after acquiring the system as part of a broader purchase of 41,000 acres of former sugar plantation land.
- Maui Mayor Richard Bissen testified against the proposal, saying the county has sought control of the East Maui Irrigation System for two years.
- Other opponents included Office of Hawaiian Affairs Chair Kaiali’i Kahele, Rep. Mahina Poepoe, and state Sen. Brenton Awa. (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)
- Maui County had separately requested in April that the state set aside 6.5 million gallons per day of system water for county domestic, municipal, and agricultural use. (Alohastatedaily)
- State land managers warned that Mahi Pono’s ownership of specific parcels and infrastructure creates practical barriers to direct county operation of the water transport system. (Hawaii News Now)
- A senior environmental court judge had already reduced Mahi Pono’s current permitted diversion from 35.22 million to 31.5 million gallons per day pending a contested case hearing. (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)
- The East Maui Irrigation System can deliver up to 450 million gallons of water per day across thousands of acres of agricultural land. (Alohastatedaily)
- The BLNR also voted to authorize its chair to secure a hearings officer for the court-ordered contested case hearing on Mahi Pono’s stream diversion permits. (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)
Sources
- Honolulu Star-Advertiser: BLNR nixes long-term East Maui water license for Mahi Pono
- Alohastatedaily: Aloha State Daily | BLNR postpones East Maui water auction decision
- Hawaii News Now: Land board sides with county and cultural water advocates to deny East Maui water lease
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