The Mauna Kahālāwai Partnership was established in 1998 through a voluntary alliance of state, county, and private landowners in a concerted effort to reverse the negative trend of forest degradation caused by threats like invasive species, human impacts, and wildfire.  Their goal is to protect forested watersheds, native ecosystems, and freshwater supply through collaborative forest management.

The team build fences, controls invasive species, monitors watershed health, and conducts public education to protect the native forests and watersheds of Mauna Kahalawai, the West Maui Mountains.

Rare, threatened, and endangered flora and fauna have a better chance at survival in these protected areas.

Healthy watersheds are blanketed by healthy native forests. In a pristine native forest, trees, shrubs, ferns, and mosses are intimately intertwined.  The many layers of vegetation capture moisture from fog and passing clouds and soak up falling rain. While some of this water gently flows over the surface of the land to be filtered into streams, the underground network of roots helps water percolate down through the soil and recharge our aquifers.

Maui’s forests are home to natural and cultural treasures found nowhere else in the world. While protecting these resources, Mauna Kahālāwai Partnership’s work helps to ensure a clean and continuous supply of freshwater for Maui.