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Kahoolawe updates: restoration grants, plantings and ocean surveys reported
Summary
Commission staff reported multiple grants and restoration milestones — a DOH clean‑water watershed grant supporting ~22,000 plants across 45 acres (~$816,000 total), a County Greens grant that exceeded planting targets (13,070 plants), and ocean surveys under an IMLS grant documenting unusually high jack sightings in November.
Commission staff and project representatives briefed commissioners on ongoing restoration and ocean monitoring projects, including recently awarded grants and on‑the‑ground results.
A project representative said propagation setbacks have reduced Kapalupalo stock to 15 thriving plants across partner nurseries and that 14 tissue‑culture plants are held at Lyon Arboretum. The commission reported a new Department of Health Clean Water Branch grant (award announced 12/15/2025) that will fund a three‑year resource specialist and support planting roughly 22,000 plants across a roughly 45‑acre watershed; the speaker summarized the DOH contribution at about $395,817 and KIRC’s match at about $420,000, for a total project budget near $816,000.
Ocean program staff reviewed the IMLS grant (project period July 2023–June 2026; award $99,960) used to create a monthly aerial‑survey database. Staff said the November aerial survey recorded an unusually high island‑wide sighting of jacks — about eight individuals compared with the typical pair sightings — and noted that helicopter vantage points are useful for distributional baselines but limited for subsurface observations.
The County of Maui Greens grant (award $284,470) was described as meeting its field deliverables: staff reported planting 13,070 plants in the funded area (exceeding the 8,000‑plant target in the grant) and completing invasive removal work; outstanding items include final purchases such as three UTVs and water‑catchment funding. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant ($49,500) was described as an additional coastal planting funding source, with staff still setting up reimbursable spending lines with the grantor.
Commissioners asked about honu (green sea turtle) nesting; ocean staff said there have been no confirmed onshore nests or basking since prior nesting events, though monitoring continues through coastal patrols and aerial surveys.
Staff requested continued support for upcoming large access events (March and June) tied to planting and final site setting; commissioners were asked to be available for a March access and to submit testimony supporting a new PKO commissioner nominee when the governor’s message and nomination are circulated.
