Well plan halted for cultural survey

By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau

LAHAINA, Maui — A Native Hawaiian group that is challenging a plan to develop thousands of acres above Lahaina town won its first victory this week.

Kuleana Ku'ikahi, with help from Maui County Councilwoman Jo Anne Johnson, persuaded the state to issue a cease-and-desist order Tuesday preventing the Makila Land Co. from constructing a well in a culturally sensitive region of the Kaua'ula Valley.

The order from the state Commission on Water Resource Management will allow the Department of Land and Natural Resources' Historic Preservation Division to conduct a review and require the developer to do an archaeological inventory survey.

Jim Riley of Makila Land Co. declined to comment yesterday, except to say he was unaware of any requirement for an archaeological survey.

Makila Land Co. is part of a group of companies, established by the same business partnership, that is looking to develop house sites on the West Maui slopes formerly planted in sugar cane until the Pioneer Mill Co. closed in 1999. Another company in the partnership, Launiupoko Associates, already developed a subdivision above Launiupoko Beach Park.

Kuleana Ku'ikahi, a group largely made up of members of the seven families who live in Kaua'ula Valley, contends the well would not only affect their access to water but could possibly cause Lahaina's water supply to suffer.

The group said it plans to go to court to protect its water rights and force the developers to preserve and protect the area's archaeological sites and endangered species.

According to the Historic Preservation Division, Kaua'ula Valley is an important historical district known to contain house sites, wetland lo'i (taro terraces) and possible burials.

Ke'eaumoku Kapu, president of Kuleana Ku'ikahi, accused the developers of consolidating and subdividing land to establish agricultural subdivisions to avoid greater scrutiny in the county approval process.

"They're playing chess with this land, which means they're playing chess with our lives,'' Kapu said. "There's a lot of history in the valleys. Our history is at stake. At the same time, our lives and our future are at stake.''