The Pu`u Kukui Watershed Preserve is one of Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc.’s (ML&P) greatest initiatives. Encompassing 9,881 acres of Mauna Kahalawai, or the West Maui Mountains, it is the largest private preserve in the state of Hawai`i. ML&P is dedicated to applying the value of Malama`aina (caring for the land) at the Preserve, protecting this biologically unique and fragile area, which shelters many rare and endangered species and protects a vital source of water for the West Maui community.

The Pu`u Kukui (Hawaiian for ‘Hill of Light’) Watershed Preserve was established at the behest of ML&P’s visionary president, Colin C. Cameron, in 1988. Initially identified as the Pu`u Kukui Watershed Management Area, the designation recognized the need to effectively manage and protect the natural resources of ML&P’s conservation lands.

In 1994, ML&P entered into a conservation easement with The Nature Conservancy of Hawai`i (TNCH), furthering a cooperative relationship with TNCH and facilitating the Company’s participation in the state of Hawai`i’s Natural Area Partnership Program, which was created in 1992. ML&P’s conservation work expanded yet further in 1998, when the Company became a founding member of the West Maui Mountains Watershed Partnership, which coordinates the conservation efforts of the private and public landholding entities of the West Maui Mountains, allowing for management of natural systems regardless of property boundaries. The Partnership facilitates ML&P’s application of the value Ho`ohanohano (conducting oneself with distinction within a community) by extending the benefits of conservation activities at the Pu`u Kukui Watershed Preserve to the West Maui community.

Conservation management of the Preserve is currently accomplished by three full-time ML&P employees who work to prevent the introduction and establishment of alien species that threaten the integrity of the Preserve’s sensitive vegetation and soils. This includes striving to reduce or eliminate harmful species that degrade the diversity of habitats and species that contribute to the Preserve’s local and global biological, cultural and economic significance. The Preserve team assists visiting academics and scientists in their study of Maui’s unique ecological systems. They also oversee volunteer service trips, which offer ML&P employees and community members an opportunity to contribute to the conservation of the Preserve while learning about Pu`u Kukui’s indigenous plants and habitats. Due to the fragility of the Preserve’s health, public access is permitted only during supervised trips, which protects the area from any unintentional damage.

The Pu`u Kukui Watershed Preserve is central to ML&P’s plans for the whole of its West Maui land holdings and to the success of the Company’s efforts to create and manage holistic, sustainable communities that respect the well-being and beauty of Maui’s natural resources. Future plans call for expanding the management area, adding more employees to the Preserve team and integrating it with ML&P’s marine conservation program. The Company’s marine program, which began with the 1978 dedication of Honolua Bay and Mokule`ia Bay as marine life conservation areas, monitors the coastline and coral reef ecosystems that provide both recreation and sustenance for Maui’s visitors and residents. The expansion of the Preserve will create Hawai`i’s largest private mountain-to-the-sea nature preserve - which will speak to ML&P’s value of Po`okela (to excel) and emulate and honor the wisdom of the ancient Hawaiian ahupua`a land management system. This system incorporated all of the natural resources in one or more watersheds from the uplands to the offshore reefs, creating the foundation for a self-sustaining human-agrarian social and economic system.

All current and future Company initiatives will endeavor to integrate the conservation management of the Preserve with efforts to ensure the health of the surrounding area and its communities for current and future generations, building on our fundamental values of Ho`ohanohano, Po`okela and Malama`aina.