BFED-112 Bill 166 (2024) BILL 166 (2024) AND BILL 167 (2024), AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET: DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT (OFFICE OF RECOVERY PROGRAM; VON TEMPSKY KULA PROPERTY ACQUISITION) (BFED-112)
I trust the county to not only purchase this parcel of land in the best interests of public use, but also to select an appropriate partner in Haleakala school to manage it. I believe the school has the shared mission of providing educational opportunities to upcountry youth in addition to their own programmatic goals, and that that they will form healthy partnerships with other organizations to steward the other portions of this land. Good job Maui County!
While I do support this land being preserved for open space, I just attended the Kula Community Association meeting tonight where it was revealed that a nearby private elementary school would be tasked with land stewardship and watershed restoration for this entire property. This school has shared first hand (in this meeting) that land stewardship is not in their “wheelhouse.”
While I understand that the County cannot buy a lot this size without plans to manage it, and the County does not have the capacity to manage it, picking a nearby school with no experience and placing the burden on their shoulders is not the answer. It is irresponsible.
I believe the community wants a broader discussion about the plans to manage the land, and a transparent, open discussion of who the new stewards might be. It’s a very big responsibility and a major fire risk if the land is purchased and not properly managed. The people of Kula do want to see this land go to the County, but we all deserve a better process.
After learning about this proposed project from Josiah Nishiki at tonight’s Kula Community Association meeting (and as a lifelong resident-farmer in Kula), I hope the County can move forward with its plans to acquire the Von Tempsky land without Hāleakala Waldorf School (HWS) as the only land partner attached and written into the Bill. While HWS may prove to be a wonderful land steward partner, stewardship of this large a parcel of land should be overseen by an entity with that specific skill set. HWS’s Board president said so herself at tonight’s meeting, indicating that they hope to partner with conservation organizations to manage the land and make it accessible for multi-purpose use. It would make more sense to move forward on amending the budget and approving this sale with an appropriate land steward partner attached (like one of Maui’s many adept conservation organizations that are already working in the area), and then move to decide on the lease to HWS after the fact.
I trust the county to not only purchase this parcel of land in the best interests of public use, but also to select an appropriate partner in Haleakala school to manage it. I believe the school has the shared mission of providing educational opportunities to upcountry youth in addition to their own programmatic goals, and that that they will form healthy partnerships with other organizations to steward the other portions of this land. Good job Maui County!
While I do support this land being preserved for open space, I just attended the Kula Community Association meeting tonight where it was revealed that a nearby private elementary school would be tasked with land stewardship and watershed restoration for this entire property. This school has shared first hand (in this meeting) that land stewardship is not in their “wheelhouse.”
While I understand that the County cannot buy a lot this size without plans to manage it, and the County does not have the capacity to manage it, picking a nearby school with no experience and placing the burden on their shoulders is not the answer. It is irresponsible.
I believe the community wants a broader discussion about the plans to manage the land, and a transparent, open discussion of who the new stewards might be. It’s a very big responsibility and a major fire risk if the land is purchased and not properly managed. The people of Kula do want to see this land go to the County, but we all deserve a better process.
After learning about this proposed project from Josiah Nishiki at tonight’s Kula Community Association meeting (and as a lifelong resident-farmer in Kula), I hope the County can move forward with its plans to acquire the Von Tempsky land without Hāleakala Waldorf School (HWS) as the only land partner attached and written into the Bill. While HWS may prove to be a wonderful land steward partner, stewardship of this large a parcel of land should be overseen by an entity with that specific skill set. HWS’s Board president said so herself at tonight’s meeting, indicating that they hope to partner with conservation organizations to manage the land and make it accessible for multi-purpose use. It would make more sense to move forward on amending the budget and approving this sale with an appropriate land steward partner attached (like one of Maui’s many adept conservation organizations that are already working in the area), and then move to decide on the lease to HWS after the fact.