Soil stabilization efforts show positive results in fire-ravaged areas of Upcountry Maui

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Land restoration efforts in fire-ravaged areas of Upcountry Maui are showing promising results.

For the last two months, the Kula Community Watershed Alliance has been working to revitalize more than 200 acres of scorched land while also taking measures to ensure long-term health.

The big challenge is stabilizing land around the Pohakuokala Gulch, which is prone to massive runoff, especially during heavy rain.

So far, community volunteers have helped stabiliz seven acres of land using wood chips made out of invasive wattle trees. Through the wet season thus far, the land has held up.

“Parts that have been stabilized with a three-inch blanket of wood chips, the rain is just going down into the soil being held there,” said KCWA executive director Sara Tekula.

“If we hadn’t done that, it would sheet right off, probably create little channels in the dirt that almost become like little mini streams.”

Once all 200 acres are covered, the plan is to eventually plant native trees.

“The real long game is native habitat restoration and you can’t do that if you don’t have soil to use for it,” Tekula said. “So this is a really important first step.”

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