Our Impact
Accomplishments
We measure our success in advancing our vision and purpose by achieving goals that serve the public good in our Upcountry community.
2025
Advocating for Safety at Ōmaʻopio Road
The intersection of Kula Highway and Ōmaʻopio Road—just below Waipuna Chapel—has long been recognized as the most dangerous traffic spot in our area, with numerous accidents over the years. Thanks to our community advocacy and persistent lobbying of the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation for traffic signals and safety upgrades, construction on long-awaited improvements officially began on December 1, 2025.
Exploring a Safer Future for Upcountry Water
For several years, we’ve been advocating for the unused State Agriculture Water Line that runs through upper Kula to be put to good use as a wildfire mitigation water source. After many discussions with the Department of Water Supply, there’s exciting progress—officials are now exploring how to activate and integrate this $10 million project into the Upcountry water system.
Urgently Requested Immediate Installation of Water Tanks for Wildfire Mitigation
In May, we sent a letter to the Governor requesting specific wildfire risk mitigation and water infrastructure for Upcountry Maui. Following a vague response citing projects and studies that may or may not ever occur, we sent a strong letter to the Governor stressing the urgent need for the installation of two 500,000-gallon gravity-fed water tanks integrated into the Upper Kula potable water system. We are continuing to press our request at all levels of the State and County governments.
Argued for Significant Community Input into DLNR Plans in Kula
Requested the immediate withdrawal of the Draft Environmental Assessment for the Kamehamenui Forest Reserve Management Plan with DLNR Chairperson Chang and advocated for broader community input into the DLNR plans for Kamehamenui Forest Reserve in upper Kula.
2024
Kula Community Center Land Acquired
We have been urging the County to acquire the land parcel of the Kula Community Center for years and have maintained this issue as one of our top County budget priorities. After decades of leasing the land from the Von Tempsky family, the County has negotiated terms to acquire the land beneath the community center and adjacent facilities for public use in perpetuity.
Stopped the Kula Ridge Proposed Water Delivery Agreement
We were a critical voice calling for timely public discussion of the proposed water delivery agreement on Kula Ridge between the County and Free Market Ventures. We analyzed the proposed agreement and helped to elicit community input. The agreement failed to get approval from the County Council after much last-minute public opposition.
Increased Safety on Kula Highway
After years of our advocacy with the State, the stoplight at the Omaʻopio and Kula Highway intersection is out for bids and expected to be completed in 2025. We have worked tirelessly with State Representative Kyle Yamashita to see that this project has remained a top priority for Upcountry safety.
2023
Advocated for Safety on Crater Road
For years we urged Maui County Council to regulate bike tours on Crater Road as our residents struggled to share the road safely. In January 2023, a new ordinance limited tours to a section of the road from Mile Marker 3.0 to Mile Marker 9.5. and required tour operators to sign a Bike Pono Pledge to safely share the road.
Worked to Create a Fire-Safe Community
We helped to collectively create a path towards a fire and water resilient Upcountry community by gathering community input and coordinating and working with upcountry groups focused on creating a fire-safe community including Mālama Kula and the Kula Community Watershed Alliance.
Supported East Maui Water Authority
We were a strong voice calling for the creation of the East Maui Water Authority in the November 2022 election. The authority’s purposes include acquiring East Maui water licenses and providing long-term, affordable surface water to the Department of Water Supply.
2022
Helped Secure Kula Park Improvements
We helped to secure County funding to install new playground equipment, resurface the playground area, and install an ADA accessible pathway connecting the upper parking lot to the restroom and playground areas at the Kula Park.
2020
2019
Supported Senior Housing Construction
Hale Mahaolu Ewalu is a senior rental housing complex for individuals aged 62 years and above in the Kulamalu Community Center in Pukalani. Phase I was completed in 2019 and Phase II in 2020.
2001
Renumbered Rural Route Mailboxes
We worked with the postal system and the County to renumber all of the Rural Route mailboxes in Kula so that they would be numbered in a logical pattern rather than the old way with illogical and inconsistent numbering that had been going on for decades. This resulted in ambulances, fire trucks, and police being able to find houses much faster when timing is very important during an emergency.
