Schatz secures nearly $34 million in federal funding for Hawaiʻi; Maui County projects

US Sen. Brian Schatz announced Monday that the Senate approved a bipartisan funding package including nearly $34 million in congressional directed spending for the state, with allocations designated for infrastructure and environmental protection in Maui County.

The funding comes amid nationwide federal budget cuts. Schatz, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, indicated that more funding for Hawaiʻi is expected in a subsequent package in the coming weeks.

“Despite some challenges in Washington, we secured nearly $34 million in new earmark funding for Hawaiʻi and expect more to come,” Schatz said. “These earmarks will give local nonprofits and infrastructure projects more resources to serve communities across Hawaiʻi.”

Public Safety and Infrastructure in Maui County

Several Maui County projects are set to receive federal support to address disaster resilience and utility reliability.

Maui County will receive $1 million for infrastructure upgrades to the Lahaina water system. The project is designed to increase the system’s reliability in meeting fire flow requirements and ensuring backup water supplies.

An additional $2 million was secured for the Department of Water Supply to convert the existing Kealaloa exploratory well into a fully operational production well.

To bolster emergency responses, $450,000 will be used to create backup communications for West Maui first responders. The project will use microwave radio links to ensure connectivity if physical cables are damaged during a disaster.

Maui County is also slated to receive $1 million for a new computer-aided dispatch and reporting/records management system. This upgrade aims to help emergency personnel respond to calls quicker and improve coordination with state and federal partners.

Environmental and Wildlife Preservation

Maui’s natural resources and native species facilities are also beneficiaries of the new spending package.

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance was awarded $3.1 million to continue mosquito control programs on Maui and Kauaʻi to reduce avian malaria, a primary threat to native forest birds. A separate $500,000 was allocated to the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife for similar efforts to prevent bird extinction.

Specific Maui environmental projects include:

• Rare Species Facility: $460,000 for infrastructure at a facility in Olinda. Upgrades include a fire break created through tree removal, an interior sprinkler system, solar panels with battery storage, and perimeter fence improvements.
• Predator Protection: $600,000 for the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust to install a predator-proof fence around the Pupuka wetlands. This will protect native waterbirds and support subsistence fishing.
• Wildfire Mitigation: A portion of a $400,000 grant to The Nature Conservancy Hawaiʻi and Palmyra will be used on Maui for fuel load management, firebreak improvements, and the development of a remote field communications network.

Broad Impact Across Hawaiʻi

While Maui County saw federal investment, the funding package addresses needs across the state. Other projects include $1.4 million for water treatment safety on Hawaiʻi Island, $1 million for sewer repairs in Oʻahu homesteads, and $1 million for a water storage tank in Kīlauea, Kauaʻi.

Funding was also provided for aquaculture training at Hawaiʻi Pacific University and volcano monitoring at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo.