Upcountry Maui Kula Community Meeting Highlights October 2021 | Part 1

Aloha All!! I am excited to give my favorite friends, neighbors, and clients an update on the Kula Community Meeting from Wednesday night of October 20, 2021.

Who Spoke and What Were the Topics?

• Fire Chief Brad Ventura discussing upgrades to service for the growing Kula community.
• Dr. Kyle Caires speaking about the problems and potential economic possibilities with Axis Deer and other game animals.
• Mr. Jeff Pearson, Director of the County Department of Water Supply, discussing the notorious Priority List for Properties waiting for  Water Meters Upcountry…..

Mr. Dick Mayer and Councilmember Yuki Lei Sugimura discussing Upcountry policies, including the positives and negatives of the commercial Bike Tours that come down the slopes of Haleakala.

I am only giving a  brief synopsis on a few of the topics from the meeting. Feel free to reach out for any details on the meeting.

Maui County Fire Department Update

Thank you to Maui County Fire Chief Brad Ventura for the update on the Kula area. It was good news for Kula. The Department is anticipating a new Fire Apparatus for delivery in 2022. This will allow for improved community protection, servicing medical and Fire calls in the area. We are also expecting to receive a Fire Tanker to assist with the growing number of fires in the areas of Kanaio, Kaupo. In addition, the Tanker will serve all the areas of South, Upcountry and Central Maui as needed.

Axis Deer on Maui and All of Maui Nui

Dr. Kyle Caires gave us an update on the state of affairs with the axis deer population on Maui. For most property owners and farmer, the deer are a major problem. They have been destroying crops, competing for food with other animals and eating up property orchards and landscaping. Even though many people hunt them for sport and food, the numbers are rapidly increasing in the mid-tens of thousands.

What Can Be Done with the Deer???

One highlighted topic of potential help is to replace the Federal USDA process with a State management program that will allow for oversight of harvesting and slaughtering game animals as in many other States with popular hunting areas. This would require help from the County Council, State Legislature on up to the Governor of Hawaii. We need to remove the need for Federal/ USDA oversight which requires cost-prohibitive programs for harvesting popular game animals. With this change, it may create more gourmet market game proteins, provide a sustainable protein source for Maui people and increase the opportunity for sport/ guided hunts. Done properly, Axis deer backstraps on the barbecue are one of my favorite mammal protein. It rivals a good piece of high-grade ahi sashimi IMHO. Yum!!!

Happy Hunter helping to manage the axis deer population on Maui and take home a great set of antlers

With that, let’s all do our part to bring about changes to help control our deer population and create a win-win situation that provides tasty food on the table and helps keep our gardens and crops growing.

Ask me about great properties that would provide a few hunting opportunities and/or great orchards Upcountry.

Top 5 Large Acreage Properties in Kula:

MLS# 393443 is a new 2-acre lot in a new upcoming subdivision. It is in close proximity to ranch lands that are loaded with deer. Great views and easy access to highways, etc.

MLS# 386326 is a wooded parcel up high on the slopes of Haleakala. Forests, etc make for good deer bedding areas and hours of exploring.

MLS# 382660 and MLS# 390375 are previous farmlands. These properties have become top zones for deer and many hunting opportunities. I have seen hundreds of deer running across these pastures. Previously, we often were able to mountain bike on the roads used for the machinery. Excellent hiking, hunting, horseriding with bicoastal views. In addtion to this, these properties are in close proximity to excellent Maui schools, restaurants, and the conveniences of town.

Kula 646 acres on Maui is loaded with deer

The above video property is still available with a previous list price of $10.9 million. Contact me if you want additional info.

I will touch on the Upcountry Water situation and the dynamic commercial Bike Tours saga in Part 2.

Want to Know More?

Thank you for reading and contact me if you have any questions, need a Market Analysis on your property or you are looking to Buy or Sell properties on Maui.