Kawainui Marsh Restoration

Kawainui Marsh is the largest remaining wetland in Hawaii, encompassing more than 830 acres of natural habitat. For decades, the marsh has been inundated by encroaching invasive species, and the long-awaited Kawainui Marsh Habitat Restoration Project recently got the green light to proceed. To assist, we set aside $800,000 in state funding to help kick-start the project. With funding secured, the Board of Land and Natural Resources recently held a hearing, where I and many others testified in strong support of the project. The Board voted to give the project approval to begin.

The project by the Army Corps of Engineers, which has been in development for over 15 years, will include habitat restoration for several endangered native water birds, 11 terraced shallow ponds, and invasive vegetation removal. The project will increase scenic open space, increase populations of endangered birds, reduce invasive weeds in the marsh, and reduce sediment runoff into Kailua Bay. This project has been decades in the making for our dedicated community volunteers who have fought to restore our historic marsh, and to whom the credit goes.

Chris testifies before the Board of Land and Natural Resources