Malama Maha`ulepu is a grassroots group - largely volunteer!
We are demographically, ethnically and professionally diverse,
island old-timers, new residents and people living away from here, workers and retired folks. We are connected by a common love for the magic of Maha`uepu and a shared understanding that some places need to be set aside as sacred, allowed to be wild, held for all future generations.

Since the early 1970's, Kaua`i residents, especially those from the Koloa region, have opposed development proposals for Maha`ulepu. Malama Maha`ulepu is the third community group organized to preserve this place. Some of our participants were leaders of past groups. However, this current effort, begun in 2000, differs from earlier ones in the following ways:

• Malama Maha`ulepu is proactive, organizing before active development proposals are submitted to governmental agencies.
• We have re-framed the community vision from defense of a coastal strip to conservation and restoration of as much as possible of this watershed. The legacy of Kipu Kai, the adjacent watershed that is deeded to the State of Hawaii in the future, inspires this dream of an expansive regional preserve.
• We became a 501 [c][3] non profit organization in 2002. A nine-member board of directors and a participatory steering committee, to which everyone is welcomed, guide us.
• To insure community involvement, Malama Maha`ulepu is willing to play a management role in the long term stewardship of Maha`ulepu.
• Malama Maha`ulepu advocates for collaborative planning to seek options for the future of Maha`ulepu, recognizing that successful land preservation frequently occurs through private, public and governmental partnerships.

We welcome the involvement and support of individuals, organizations and businesses.