Waihe`e Refuge:

A Project Of The Maui Coastal Land Trust

Fern Duvall: Waihe`e Coastal Wetlands

Vision

Acquisition of the 277 acre Waihe`e Dairy property between Waihe'e Park and Waihe'e Point ensured the site, once slated for development as a destination golf resort, will be forever conserved for recreation, archaeological preservation and education, as well as habitat for native plants and animals.

Habitat: The 250 acre Waihe`e Coastal Dunes and Wetlands Refuge (The Waihe`e Refuge) conserves and protects over 24 acres of coastal, spring-fed wetland, 103 acres of dune ecosystem, over 7000 feet of marine shoreline and more than 8 acres of riparian habitat for the recovery of native birds and native vegetation. In recent years, at least six endangered taxa, including the Hawaiian Stilt and Coot, two endangered plants and two endangered insects have been reported from the site.

Archaeological Preservation: Establishment of the Refuge eliminated the possibilities of development activities that could damage or destroy the rich archaeological and cultural resources that exist at the site. The old fishing village, heiau, and extensive burial sites have only been partly delineated, but appear to be one of the most productive sites remaining on Maui. Permanent protection of the site provides the opportunity for careful planning and appropriate preservation and/or restoration with the partnership of all interested cultural and community groups.

Recreation: The 27-acre shorefront property immediately adjacent to the Waihe'e Beach Park would provide an ideal site for expanding this County Park and providing exceptional camping opportunities. The Waihe`e Reef, one of the longest and widest reefs on Maui, is an extensive system that parallels the shoreline along the northeast side of the property. It is believed that this system provided an excellent fishing site in ancient Hawai'i and is still a favorite among fishermen.

Education: The Waihe`e Refuge offers an unparalleled opportunity for the children of Maui to connect with the historical and cultural roots of the island. One of the existing buildings on the Preserve (believed to be a C.W. Dickey design) will be restored as a cultural educational center providing working, display and meeting areas as well as a kitchen and restrooms for visiting groups. A working group of educators, including representatives of Kamehameha Schools, Maui Waena School, Baldwin High, Maui Community College, UH Education Extension, the Hawaii Nature Center, the National Humpback Whale Sanctuary and the Hawaii Wildlife Foundation is being convened to create a sustainable management plan by which the Preserve can be an effective site for teaching while protecting its cultural and ecological assets. We envision restoration of the inland fishpond, taro lo'i and adjacent plots as demonstration cultural agriculture areas where students can actively participate in cultivation, harvest and working of the resulting native fauna and flora.

Aerial View of Waihe'e Reguge and Recreation Area

Management Structure

The Maui Coastal Land Trust, a 501(c)(3) non-profit conservation organization, has taken the lead in identifying the vulnerability of this site to development and promoting its protection. The mission of MCLT is "to preserve and protect the coastal lands of Maui Nui for the benefit of the natural environment and of current and future generations". Part of this mission, and central to the importance of the Waihe`e Preserve, is the perpetual stewardship of protected properties. In partnership with DLNR, USFWS Coastal Program, Maui County, Ducks Unlimited, and others, funding from both public and private sources has been obtained to acquire the site, support site restoration and assure perpetual stewardship.. MCLT has established and will continue to build a permanent stewardship endowment to provide annual funds for management of the Preserve.

Maui Coastal Land Trust will hold title to the properties and manage the land for perpetual stewardship. Maui County and the State of Hawaii hold Conservation Easements on the properties to assure perpetual protection of the land.

Community Support

Members of the local Waihe`e community, as well as many other native Hawaiians and native plant enthusiasts have been supportive of this project and expressed their interest in being actively involved in planning and restoration activities. Restoration of both the wetlands and dune vegetation will be conducted with both professional help and with volunteers from the interested groups. The Native Hawaiian Plant Society has volunteered their efforts and we know from previous activities coordinated by the Maui Coastal Land Trust that there is a large pool of volunteers that will actively engage in the various restoration elements of the project. Educational and outreach activities for this portion of the project will involve community education and training workshops, on-site planting "parties", and eventually informational signage that identifies the native vegetation that is being restored.

Stewardship

Site cleanup and habitat restoration has been the focus of stewardship activities on the Refuge to date. Funding from federal resource agencies and local foundations has allowed us to clear invasive species from the wetlands, increase and enhance habitat for endangered shorebirds, reduce the number of alien predators and restore endangered native plant species.

We have initiated a Stewardship Endowment for the Refuge to ensure long term maintenance and management of the site. Our near-term goal is to build an endowment of at least $1,000,000, the interest from which will provide the basic services necessary to cover the minimum yearly maintenance costs.