UH Study Confirms Axis Deer Causing Major Crop and Pasture Losses on Maui
A new University of Hawaiʻi study has quantified the damage axis deer inflict on Maui ranchland, finding forage production roughly 25% lower where deer are present. Ranchers report cutting livestock herds by up to 30%, with annual statewide costs from wild ungulates estimated at up to $7.5 million. Axis deer were detected at 19 of […]
Roots Reborn Hosts Annual Dia de los Muertos Event for Lahaina Fire Victims
Maui nonprofit Roots Reborn is holding its annual Day of the Dead celebration to honor those lost in the 2023 Lahaina wildfires. The organization also supports immigrant and undocumented communities with health, legal, and recovery services. Roots Reborn, founded after the 2023 Maui wildfires, hosts an annual Dia de los Muertos event to memorialize those […]
100 Lahaina Fire Survivor Families Approved for County Homebuyer Program
Maui County’s Ho’okumu Hou program has now issued shopping letters to 100 fire-survivor households, each eligible for up to $600,000 to purchase a home. So far, 43 homes have been bought through the federally funded program, totaling over $24 million awarded. 100 Lahaina fire-survivor families have now received home-shopping approval letters through the Ho’okumu Hou […]
Lahaina’s Fire-Displaced Elementary School Won’t Have Permanent Home Until 2029
King Kamehameha III Elementary School, burned in the 2023 Lahaina wildfire, remains in a deteriorating temporary modular campus in Kapalua. A new $162 million permanent school is planned for a Ku’ia site, with an estimated opening date of 2029. Students and staff have been operating out of a $78.8 million temporary modular campus in Kapalua […]
Atlantis Submarines Resumes Lahaina Dives at Reduced Schedule After Fire
Atlantis Submarines has relaunched tourist operations from Lahaina Harbor, running a 48-passenger submarine brought over from Oahu at reduced capacity while the operation rebuilds from fire losses. Tickets are priced at $160 per person. Atlantis restarted Maui submarine tours this summer, nearly three years after the 2023 fire destroyed its local sub, tugboat, pier slip, […]
Front Street’s First Commercial Rebuild Breaks Ground, Eyes Summer 2027 Opening
Multiple outlets reported that construction has officially begun on the first commercial rebuild along Lahaina’s Front Street since the August 2023 wildfire. Arita Poulson General Contracting will lead the six-month reconstruction of 612 Front Street, with a tenant build-out period to follow and an opening targeted for summer 2027. A traditional blessing ceremony led by […]
Maui County Creates Faster Permit Review for Lāhainā Shoreline Rebuilds
Maui County’s 10th Recovery Coordination Directive, effective Oct. 7, lets qualifying Lāhainā rebuild projects skip public hearings and receive administrative review for Special Management Area permits. The streamlined process applies to certain properties seaward of Front Street that meet specific size and setback requirements. Qualifying rebuild projects near Lāhainā’s shoreline can now receive SMA Major […]
Lahaina Land Trust Takes Stewardship of Historic Front Street Parcel
The Lahaina Community Land Trust has received stewardship of Kainehe (formerly 1050 Front Street) from the Weinberg Foundation, with plans to develop it into a public cultural gathering space. The move is part of LCLT’s broader post-fire mission to keep land in community hands and support long-term recovery beyond housing. The Weinberg Foundation transferred the […]
Nareit Foundation Awards $100K Grant to Rebuild Four Affordable Homes in Lahaina
The Nareit Foundation granted $100,000 to Habitat for Humanity Maui to complete construction of four affordable homes for fire-displaced Lahaina families. The grant is expected to house approximately 20 residents in permanent, affordable housing. Habitat for Humanity Maui will use the grant to finish four affordable homes that were under construction when the August 2023 […]
Kawela, Molokai Water Shut Off ~6 Hours for Mainline Repairs
A mainline break repair will cut water service to approximately 60 residences in the Kawela area of Molokai starting at 10 a.m. on October 3 for roughly six hours. The outage affects about 60 residences and 15 hydrants/standpipes in the Kawela, Molokai area. Water service is expected to be restored within approximately six hours of […]