What is the Kohala Watershed Partnership?
History
In 2001, the major private landowners and public land managers of Kohala Mountain began discussions to address watershed management and conservation on a landscape scale rather than a property-specific basis. Following the precedent of eight other watershed partnerships across the state (together forming the Hawaiʻi Association of Watershed Partnerships, see www.hawp.org), the Kohala Watershed Partnership (KWP) was formed by a Memorandum of Understanding in 2003, with nine land-owning partners and two associate partners, covering a total land area of more than 65,000 acres.
In the years following its formation, the KWP authored a watershed management plan which defined actions for addressing threats to the watershed while preserving its biological, cultural, and economic resources. The creation of this plan involved input from landowners, conservation groups like The Nature Conservancy, state land managers, and public users, including hunters and hikers. The management plan underwent an Environmental Assessment with the State of Hawai’i Department of Land and Natural Resources, with a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) published in December 2008.
Current Structure and Funding
The Partners of KWP provide the vision and oversight to the staff and crew of the partnership. Partners voluntarily contribute to the management of the watershed by providing in-kind materials, equipment, services, and personnel to KWP projects. Each partner has an equal voice in the consensus decisions made by the partnership as a whole, and has complete oversight of projects happening on their land (or within their management area, as with State land managers). A rotating three-person Executive Committee of Partners oversees the work of the Coordinator, and collaborates with The Kohala Center, our fiscal partner.
Partnership meetings are held six times per year to share Partner initiatives and project outcomes, and to review financial matters and annual plans. KWP projects are funded through a combination of donations and grants from private foundations, the State of Hawaiʻi, and Federal agencies.
The Partners
KWP Partner
Web Link
Acres
KWP Management Unit/Project Name
Parker Ranch
Ponoholo Ranch
Queen Emma Land Co.
Kohala Preserve Conservation Trust
Hawaiʻi State Dept. of Land & Natural Resources; Division of Forestry & Wildlife
Laupāhoehoe Nui LLC
Kahuā Ranch
Hawaiʻi State Dept. of Hawaiian Home Lands
Kamehameha Schools
The Nature Conservancy