#DLNR forestry

When a group of men hiked into a remote mountain valley in April, they knew it could be the last time they saw an ‘akikiki in the wild, according to an update provided by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Severe drought conditions are now impacting the southern and western coastal areas of Maui. According to the US Drought Monitor weekly reporting, this is the first time the severe drought designation has been noted in Hawaiʻi this summer.

Derek Wroe of the National Weather Service cautioned about weather complacency: “While everything is green and lush right now, we are expecting below-average rainfall, as we enter the dry season in Hawai‘i. Our long-range modeling shows that even our normally wet winter (2023-2024) will be abnormally dry.”