The Central Maui Landfill will be the final disposal site for an estimated 400,000 cubic yards of toxic ash and debris left in the aftermath of the Aug. 8 wildfire that leveled Lahaina Town.

During their meeting, Kouchi and Hashimoto urged Ambassador Tai to recognize the unique situation that West Maui is in as it attempts to recover from the wildfire, and to advocate for the construction of 1,000 permanent FEMA-built housing units to house wildfire survivors.

Councilmember Yuki Lei Sugimura has announced a community meeting at the Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center in Pukalani on Thursday, Feb. 29 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The focus of the meeting will be on hazard mitigation and recovery efforts Upcountry.  

The US Army Corps of Engineers announced on Tuesday the successful installation and turnover of the newly constructed temporary campus for King Kamehameha III Elementary School students in Lahaina to the Hawai‘i State Department of Education.

A bill that seeks to establish a nine-member Lele Community District Board to facilitate rebuilding decisions for the post-wildfire Lahaina area of West Maui, is scheduled for key committee decision making on Wednesday.

The County of Maui Office of Recovery invites residents to participate in an online feedback activity on its recently launched Ola Lahaina page, a hub for online community engagement for Lahaina’s wildfire recovery efforts. The feedback activity will be available through March 15, 2024, and can be found at https://mauirecovers.org/lahaina. 

Kupu, a conservation and youth education nonprofit, is accepting applicants for its Kupu ʻĀina Corps Wildfire Recovery Initiative dedicated to wildfire recovery and resilience work on Maui and Hawaiʻi Island, until the deadline on March 1, 2024.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D. announced details surrounding the planned launch of the One ‘Ohana Fund on March 1, and provided a housing update for wildfire survivors. While earlier this month, the governor said a moratorium would “not likely” be needed during his six month update, he revisited the idea today.

A last call is going out for applicants to a program launched by the J. Walter Cameron Center last year to provide laptop computers to families that lost their belongings in the Aug. 8 Maui wildfires.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness Hawaiʻi and Mental Health America of Hawaiʻi will offer free, in-person help for people affected by the Aug. 8 Maui wildfires.

Maui Nui Marine Resource Council will host the March edition of its “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series” featuring Andrea Kealoha, assistant professor of the Department of Oceanography at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, on Wednesday, March 6 at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom.

The Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee will receive a presentation at its meeting Tuesday at 9 a.m. regarding the wildfire impacts and forecasts on Maui County’s economy from the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization.

The grassroots, community based initiative aims to recruit at least 1,000 individuals affected by the wildfires to participate in the study. Current recruitment events take place: Feb. 23 from 3-7 p.m. at the Royal Lahaina Resort, Feb. 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lahaina Civic Center, and Feb. 25 from 10 am. to 2 p.m. at the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua. 

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation advises the public of nighttime lane closures along Honoapi‘ilani Highway (Route 30) beginning Monday, Feb. 26. Lanes will be closed from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. the next day, through Friday, March 1, in the vicinity of Kaniau Road to Keawe Street.

The bank’s employees from the former Lahaina Branch on Papalaua Street that was lost in the fire will be staffing the new location. FHB will be submitting applications for permits to begin construction at the Lahaina Cannery location and hopes to expedite the development of the new location.

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai visited Maui Economic Opportunity’s Wailuku offices Wednesday, Feb. 21, for a listening session about the wildfire recovery.

Hawaiʻi’s economy has been sustained by a resilient US economy and the gradual return of international visitors. According to the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization’s first quarter forecast for 2024, with the islands’ post-pandemic recovery now largely complete, the economy will downshift this year, and growth will increasingly come from local sources, including a robust construction sector bolstered by the rebuilding of Lahaina, Maui.

A group rallying to help secondary victims of the August fires is asking Gov. Josh Green to extend protections for tenants facing evictions from landlords seeking more lucrative rental income tied to subsidized housing for wildfire survivors.

“The State needs to be better prepared for wildfires,” said Senator Donovan Dela Cruz, Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means. “Our Committee believes these forward thinking bills make sure we are not as susceptible to another catastrophic wildfire, and that we stand ready to efficiently and strategically respond if we find ourselves facing fire again.”

More than 2,700 people over a two-week period participated in County of Maui surveys on proposed Permanent Disposal Sites for Lahaina wildfire ash and debris. March 1 is the target date for selecting the Permanent Disposal Site.