Public Input Sought for West Maui Community Wildfire Protection Plan

The buzz for the West Maui Community Wildfire Protection Plan community meetings this month keeps building!

From the Source:

"Lance De Silva, Maui forest management supervisor with the state Department of Land & Natural Resources' Division of Forestry and Wildlife, emphasized that a CWPP isn't just another federal study.

'A CWPP is a community-based 'roots' process to outline wildfire risks to a community and to catalyze projects that can reduce those risks. In West Maui, we need to reduce our risks from mauka to makai. This is an important opportunity for communities to have a say over the priorities in the plan and to seek funds for the wildfire mitigation projects that residents themselves identify. Invest your time to protect your investments.'

Elizabeth Pickett, Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization executive director, said 'CWPPs are meant to tie into existing or planned projects. Many communities are developing disaster plans or long-range community plans, and the CWPP is meant to complement those plans.

'It will be a useful tool for community members to help make West Maui's neighborhoods and natural areas fire-safe. Wildfires tie into many natural resource, municipal and community issues, so this is an important opportunity for communities to learn, have their voices heard and get involved.'"