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Draft Molokai Coastal Homestead Resilience Plan maps nature‑based and infrastructure projects; beneficiaries to review in January
Summary
Planning staff previewed a draft Molokai Coastal Homestead Community Resilience Plan that identifies five resilience goals and 37 strategies—ranging from mauka restoration and drainage fixes to evacuation hubs and makai rehabilitation—and will return to beneficiaries for final workshops before a February 2026 commission consideration.
The planning office presented a near‑final draft of the Molokai Coastal Homestead Community Resilience Plan, an island‑scale effort focused on coastal homestead communities in Kalama‘ula, Kapaakea and Kamilaloa. The plan integrates technical GIS analysis, traditional ecological knowledge and beneficiary consultation to identify hazards (coastal erosion, sea‑level rise, flooding, drought and wildfire) and prioritize projects that combine nature‑based solutions with critical infrastructure repairs.
Consultants and DHHL staff described five resilience goals: (1) emergency evacuation and public safety; (2) mauka restoration; (3) improved waterways and drainage; (4) retrofit or relocation of vulnerable residences; and (5) makai restoration such as fishpond and wetland repair. The plan maps 14 key challenges and a matrix of projects that lists responsible entities, preliminary cost estimates, funding pathways (NFWF, Act 96 green fees, other grants) and workforce development co‑benefits.
Staff emphasized beneficiary engagement: the draft will be returned to Molokai for workshops and one‑on‑one discussions in January, with an aim to bring a revised plan to the commission by February 2026. The plan’s implementation strategy calls for local restoration work (employing beneficiaries where feasible), road repairs to reduce gully formation, and targeted shoreline and wetland rehabilitation to reduce sediment flows to reefs and fishponds.
Why it matters: the plan attempts to pair community priorities and cultural knowledge with technical solutions and funding strategies to reduce immediate hazards and start on‑island implementation projects led by beneficiaries.
