Maui County council members heard on Oct. 9 that federal funding for climate projects has dropped substantially and that local initiatives — from native‑plant nurseries to mobile biochar units and agroforestry pilots — will be needed to help the islands adapt.

Jennifer Vandeveer, a grants specialist with the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, told the Agriculture, Diversification, Environment and Public Transportation Committee that federal grant opportunities have been curtailed and that the commission’s staff was largely supported by a now‑reduced federal program. "Over $38,000,000,000 have been cut from EPA, NOAA, and Department of Interior climate projects," Vandeveer said, and she urged counties and nonprofits to use the commission’s Grants to Project Bridge portal to catalog projects and find partners and funding sources.

Why this matters: Presenters and council members said the combination of fewer federal grant opportunities and the urgency of climate impacts means Maui County will need to identify high‑value, multi‑benefit projects and remove local barriers such as permitting delays in order to implement resilience measures at scale.

Details on local proposals and capacity: Vandeveer and Darla Palmer Ellingson (360 Green Living) described a range of locality‑focused projects that county government could support: expanding native plant seed production and propagation, funding a mobile biochar unit to convert green waste and invasive vegetation into soil amendments, and investing in agroforestry to reduce runoff and improve soil water retention and carbon sequestration. Palmer Ellingson said some existing seed producers on Maui occupy parcels "probably less than an acre," and recommended creating cohorts or hubs to scale production. Vandeveer said the state’s Grants to Project Bridge portal already houses more than 40 submitted projects and invited the county to promote submissions.

Permitting and tax‑policy timing: Committee members pressed county staff about accelerating permitting for renewable energy projects after a council member said companies face narrow tax‑credit windows. Deputy Director Michael Peterson and a managing‑director’s office representative, Noah Jackson, said the administration would follow up and that staff would examine expediting options; Jackson offered to coordinate a written response and meetings with directors to identify workable changes.

Budget and staffing implications: Presenters noted that implementation depends on county capacity. Darla Palmer Ellingson and GEOS representatives recommended reestablishing or staffing a county resilience office and strengthening partnerships with nonprofits, universities and neighboring counties. County environmental staff said DEM has recently hired additional staff and will work with a consultant to update the CARP, build a public dashboard, and prioritize action items for municipal implementation and grant pursuit.

Ending: Committee members asked departments to provide follow‑up details on permitting and on the categories DEM developed from CARP for prioritized actions. The item was informational and deferred for follow‑up; presenters and staff said they will continue to share project lists and funding leads with the county.