The National Park Service will consider if Lahaina will receive a National Heritage Area designation.
This comes after President Joe Biden signed a law that will have the National Park Service work with Maui County and the state to study the feasibility of the designation.
A National Heritage Area is different from a national park, where the federal government owns the land. Instead, it’s a partnership between the National Park Service and other stakeholders to boost tourism and cultural understanding of the space.
In the past, National Heritage Areas have received between $150,000 and $300,000 in federal funding, depending on how developed its management plan is.
U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda and Sen. Mazie Hirono introduced the Lahaina National Heritage feasibility study legislation. There are 62 National Heritage Areas across the U.S. but none in Hawaiʻi.
“The devastating August 2023 wildfires that claimed over 100 lives and destroyed much of Lahaina shed light on how special this town is, not only to the Maui community, but also to Hawaiʻi and the country,” said Hirono, in a statement. “The historic, natural, and cultural resources found in Lahaina tell a nationally significant story and this bill will help ensure that story can continue to be told and appreciated for generations to come.
Kaʻena Point on Oʻahu is currently also undergoing its own feasibility study for the designation. The public comment period for the site closed at the end of November.
The Kaʻena Point feasibility study is expected to continue through the end of next year.
