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Three Soil & Water Conservation Districts and the County of Maui are working with the federal Emergency Watershed Protection Program to quickly address widescale environmental damage caused by the August wildfires.

The University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization launched a publicly available, interactive housing data dashboard on Sept. 26, that allows users to customize their data reports based on location, with information such as property and rental market, demographics, zoning and housing stock. UHERO designed the dashboard to inform discussions on the way forward for housing in Hawaiʻi.

In response to the devastating impact of the recent wildfires, Haku Baldwin Center, a Makawao-based nonprofit specializing in therapeutic and educational equine-assisted services, announced the opening of a free mental health and wellness program for Maui’s first responders and their families.

“Although our clinic was spared from the fire, that wasn’t the case for three of our staff members who have been displaced. The most difficult news is that our Patient Service Coordinator Laurie Allen remains in critical condition in Straub Hospital with the burn wounds she sustained in her evacuation from her home,” said Director of Clinics Tiffany Prangnell. 

The Maui County Council’s Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee will meet on Wednesday at 9 a.m. at The Westin Maui Resort and Spa in Kāʻanapali in the Honoapi‘ilani Ballroom, to receive testimony on a resolution to develop a comprehensive recovery and resiliency plan in response to the August wildfires.

Residents in all but one of the affected homes in Zone 1C of the Maui Wildfire Disaster Area applied for and received vehicle passes to return to their properties Monday on Kaniau Road in Lahaina.

Recognizing that the road to recovery and healing on Maui will be long, the American Resort Development Association, Hawaiʻi chapter (ARDA-Hawaiʻi) has refocused its 19th Annual Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament to benefit Maui Strong. The tournament is scheduled to take place on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, at Hoakalei Country Club on Oʻahu, with a shotgun start at 12 noon. 

About 225 people showed up to a Krank Cycles event, and in a little more than two hours, all 400 donated bikes were assembled for children and adults affected by the Maui fires.

The grants, made possible through the Micro-Grants for Food Security Program, will provide support for small-scale gardening, herding, and livestock operations to increase the quantity and quality of locally-grown food in communities experiencing food insecurity.

This price freeze, which is scheduled to remain in effect until Nov. 6, 2023, unless terminated or superseded by separate emergency proclamation, does not extend beyond the Island of Maui. During this declared emergency, the price freeze now in effect for the Island of Maui means that the essential goods and services that are subject to the price freeze must be sold at pre-emergency price levels.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources, through its Legacy Land Conservation Program, seeks applications from partners for grants to acquire and preserve land that has natural, environmental, recreational, scenic, cultural, agricultural production, or historic value, including park and trail systems that provide access to such land. Approximately $6.8 million is expected to be available for award during the current grant cycle (Fiscal Year 2024 funds).

The Maui Police Department identified one more victim of the Aug. 8 Lahaina fire on Monday: Matsuyuki Osato, 83, of Lahaina.

The Dr. Bobby and Julie Baker Foundation has provided free laptop computers to seven accomplished Maui County high school students. Most of the students were directly or indirectly impacted by the Maui wildfires on Aug. 8.

Due to the Maui wildfires that occurred in Lahaina on Aug. 8, 2023, many vacation rental units in West Maui became unavailable for the rest of August, resulting in dramatic decreases in unit night supply and unit night demand in the West Maui area.

Seabird data collection began on Maui in August using a special truck-mounted radar system that will detect seabird flight paths and elevation data.

Camp Discovery is a seasonal children’s camp located in the picturesque Will Smith Imua Discovery Garden in the Historic Wailuku District. Designed for children in grades K through 3, the camp offers a unique blend of outdoor exploration, creative play, and cultural enrichment.

Starting Oct. 2, 2023 at 9 a.m. and running through Oct. 8, rental applications will be available for pickup in person at 400 Hāna Highway, Suite 3 in Kahului. The application deadline for the initial lottery is Oct. 29, 2023. A lottery for 195 residential workforce housing units will be held virtually on Nov. 20, 2023.

Today, US Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, led the Hawaiʻi Congressional delegation in a letter to Isabel Guzman, Administrator of the US Small Business Administration, urging the agency to extend the physical damage loan application deadline for people impacted by the Hawaiʻi wildfires.

As part of this relief effort, UHMC culinary students will prepare 1,800-2,500 meals daily to feed Maui residents who have transitioned from emergency shelters to hotels and other temporary housing situations. The number of meals and residents served will adjust based on changing needs. For their time, UHMC culinary students will receive $16 an hour, a $1,459 Education Award provided by AmeriCorps, and access to health care benefits. 

The free virtual webinar by nonprofit Child Life Disaster Relief will run from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 30.