The Maui County Planning Department is holding five public meetings across the island to gather input on redrawing the Special Management Area boundary, which hasn’t been updated since the 1970s. The review aims to balance environmental protection with reducing permitting burdens on residents and the county.
- Five community meetings are scheduled island-wide between September 23 and October 21, 2026, covering West Maui, Central Maui, East Maui, North Shore, and South Maui.
- The SMA boundary review is the first reassessment for Maui since the boundaries were originally drawn in the 1970s.
- The project’s goal is to create a science- and culture-based boundary that accounts for climate change while reducing excessive permitting requirements.
- The review will only result in boundary recommendations β it will not amend SMA rules or cover Moloka’i or LΔna’i.
- Property owners near coastal areas may be affected if the SMA boundary shifts, potentially changing permitting requirements for their properties.
Source: Mauirecovers
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