Following Hurricane Dora on August 8, 2023, including the devastating wildfires on Maui, the Maui Soil and Water Conservation Districts began working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to identify disaster response programs that could assist landowners, especially farmers, in Upcountry Maui. The Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program was identified as the appropriate program. The EWP program offers vital recovery support for local communities to reduce hazards to life and property caused by major storms, wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters.
The EWP program required a local sponsor that is a city, county, town, conservation district, or federally recognized tribal organization. Based on the impacted areas, the Maui Soil and Water Conservation District Boards agreed that the Central Maui Soil and Water Conservation District (CMSWCD) would serve as the lead and collaborate with the Olinda-Kula Soil and Water Conservation District. Thus, CMSWCD submitted a request for assistance to USDA NRCS.
In September 2023, NRCS disaster survey response teams conducted a comprehensive assessment of Maui’s disaster damage and connected with landowners whose farms, ranches and other properties had been directly impacted by the disaster. The catastrophe left behind thousands of acres of loose and exposed soil and massive quantities of debris – conditions that present a significant risk of heavy soil erosion, flooding and infrastructure damage during a major rain event.
In November 2023, the disaster survey response teams submitted Disaster Survey Reports (DSRs) for Pulehu, Olinda, and Kula. The DSRs provide recommendations for EWP projects in each area. These DSRs were used by NRCS to secure EWP grant funds.
In February 2024, CMSWCD was notified that it was awarded about $15 million to address the DSR recommendations. The EWP funding enables CMSWCD to work with landowners to stabilize the landscape to address the burned area and protect communities and the ecosystems, including those located downslope of the burned area.
EWP Projects
For more information about the EWP projects in each of the impacted areas, visit the following webpages:
