East Moloka`i Watershed Partnership

Pelekunu Stream
© David Muench

The purpose of the Moloka`i partnership is to protect and enhance high quality native Hawaiian rain forest communities. The watershed preservation and restoration is critical to reviving the economy in a way that sustains the lifestyle and character of Moloka`i.

Our Approach
The partnership is using the traditional Hawaiian land division, or ahupua`a, approach to protecting those communities. Such an approach will protect watershed areas from the mountain top to the sea. Together, the two ahupua`a of Kamalo and Kapualei encompass about 5,000 acres, nearly 3,000 of which lie within the State Forest Reserve Conservation Zone.

How the Partnership Will Help the Watershed

The Kamalo/Kapualei project will help the landowners manage their sections of the watershed by:

protecting the upper forest with a contour fence,
establishing a monitoring system to help with long-range planning. Increased stream flow will directly benefit the ahupua`a landowners and tenants by having water available for cultural and economic activities, while reducing the siltation that impacts the near-shore reefs and fishponds.

Aquaculture (fishpond restoration, fin fish hatchery) and agriculture (especially taro) are critical economic activities on Moloka`i. These activities require:

sufficient water resources
reducing the rate of erosion
combating the loss of watershed due to damage from introduced feral animals such as pigs, goats, and deer. This loss of watershed has reduced stream flows and native forest resources, diminished ground water recharge, and increased siltation and flooding, which in turn destroys the island's coastal resources.

The Conservancy's Pelekunu Preserve and Kamakou Preserve are part of the East Moloka`i Watershed.

Partners

Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate, landowners
Kapualei Ranch, landowners
Ke Aupuni Lokahi Enterprise Community Governance Board*, grassroots community support, funder
EPA, erosion control experts and funder
Hawaii Department of Health, erosion control experts and funder
State Division of Forestry and Wildlife, watershed management experts and resources
Kalaupapa National Historical Park, watershed management experts and resources
Maui County, funder
Maui Board of Water Supply, hydrology experts and funder
Molokai/Lanai Soil and Water Conservation District, erosion/planning experts
USDA Natural Resource Conservation Services, Natural resource and erosion experts, funder
US Fish & Wildlife Service, Rare species/conservation planning experts and funder
US Geological Services, Hydrological experts
The Nature Conservancy, Project coordination, funder, natural resource management
Kawela Plantation

* The EZ initiative is a federal program that provides seed funding to help revitalize economically depressed rural or urban communities. The program reverses the traditional federal process by empowering communities to develop their own strategic plan for economic revival. The Nature Conservancy encourages potential partners to develop proposals for funding from the EZ Initiative.