Maui County releases new economic report outlining recovery strategies

The State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism and the County of Maui Office of Economic Development have released the final report of the Maui Economic Recovery Commission, outlining strategies for long-term recovery after the August 2023 wildfires.

The report, titled “A Community-Led Pathway Toward Maui’s Economic Recovery and Future,” presents six pathways and 34 project ideas, which evolved into 11 priority projects.

“It is our hope that the Maui ERC report will serve as a roadmap for long-term economic recovery and provide a framework to guide action, while chronicling the Maui ERC’s process to inform future disaster recovery efforts,” said DBEDT Director and ERC Co-Chair James Kunane Tokioka.

Since the commission’s last convening in September 2024, two projects have secured new funding: the Lahaina R-1 water reuse project received a $15.6 million grant from the US Bureau of Reclamation, and Imua Maui Community Healing—formerly known as Healing Journey—received $75,000 from the Hawai‘i Leadership Forum to organize a series of community gatherings for West Maui residents.

Other projects include streamlining permit processes for recovery in West Maui and Kula, rebuilding Lahaina Harbor with upgrades while preserving all existing slip holders, and developing a Lahaina Business Park to help revitalize the Lahaina town.

Many of these priorities have been integrated into the County of Maui’s Lahaina Long-Term Recovery Plan and are being advanced by cross-sector teams in collaboration with county, state and federal partners.

The commission’s work brought together leaders from Maui’s cultural, agricultural, healthcare, education and nonprofit sectors, as well as representatives from finance, business, airlines, philanthropy and all levels of government.

For more information and to read the full report, visit www.mauinuistrong.info/mauierc.