(BIVN) – Three organizations on Hawaiʻi island are among 8 grant recipients across the State of Hawaiʻi to be awarded $1.8 million for wildfire mitigation projects.
The Kailapa Community Association, Wailea Property Owners Association, and West Kohala Wildfire Alliance are receiving the funds through the 2026 Hawaiʻi Urban Interface (HUI) Wildfire Grant Program. The Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization, in partnership with the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife, awards the grants to reduce hazardous fuels, improve evacuation planning, strengthen preparedness and increase wildfire resilience.
This year’s $1.8 million is an increase from the $1.5 million awarded through the program in 2025.
“Wildfire risk looks different in every community and these projects reflect that,” said Nani Barretto, co-executive director of Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization. “This funding allows organizations to address the specific risks facing their landscapes while protecting residents, homes, cultural resources and critical evacuation routes.”
A DLNR news release provided this additional information on the three Hawaiʻi Island wildfire mitigation projects:
Kailapa Community Association: $300,000
Kailapa will establish a managed grazing system across approximately 320 acres. New fencing and paddocks will support livestock grazing to reduce hazardous vegetation and create defensible space for Kailapa and nearby communities.
Wailea Property Owners Association: $25,000
The association will reduce tall, dry grass and remove lower growth and ladder fuels from kiawe trees near the community. The work is intended to reduce wildfire intensity and protect residents, homes and first responders.
West Kohala Wildfire Alliance: $300,000
Representing six Firewise USA® communities, the alliance will reduce hazardous fuels and improve emergency access across West Kohala. The project will use manual clearing, mechanical vegetation management and managed grazing along community boundaries, roadways and evacuation routes.
The other 2026 awardees are:
- ʻĀina Alliance on Kauaʻi: $300,000
- Mālama Learning Center on Oʻahu: $298,828
- Waialae Iki Ridge and Waialae Iki V on Oʻahu: $47,588
- ʻĀina Momona on Molokaiʻi: $228,584
- Waiohuli Hawaiian Homesteaders Association on Maui: $300,000
“These organizations understand their landscapes and the challenges their communities face,” said DLNR DOFAW State Protection Forester Michael Walker. “These grants help move high-impact, shovel-ready mitigation projects from planning into action.”
