Maui Nui Landscape Conservation Plan

A groundbreaking new approach has been developed to protect more than 416 species at risk of extinction on Maui Nui. A collaboration of state, federal, and non-profit partners is changing how we plan and implement conservation by integrating the recommendations contained in numerous existing species, habitat, and ecosystem plans into a single unified framework. Rather than relying on fragmented, plan-by-plan approaches, this new system enables managers to strategically prioritize and implement complementary actions that benefit multiple species simultaneously, while also restoring the ecosystems they depend on. By identifying the most effective places and actions for investment, it delivers greater conservation outcomes in a far more cost-effective and coordinated manner. This new approach is called the Maui Nui Landscape Conservation Plan.

This new strategy will provide a roadmap to:

Prevent extinctions
Restore healthy populations of at-risk species
Restore the native ecosystems our species rely on

by:

Prioritizing when to manage: identifying immediate actions for species nearest extinction
Prioritizing where to manage: identifying the optimal amount of habitat needed to restore populations of all species
Prioritizing what actions are needed to protect the habitat used by these species.

The Maui Nui Landscape Conservation Plan is a tool that can be used by land managers to make decisions and assess progress in a way that protects the most species while using staff and funding efficiently. It will flip the conservation discussion on Maui Nui from the threat of extinction to establishing Maui Nui as a global hotspot for species restoration.

Explore the Maui Nui Landscape Conservation Project

Project Overview: Dive deeper into the newly developed tool that creates optimized conservation actions based on data for 416 at-risk species.

Implementation

Project Implementation and Timeline: As the Landscape Conservation Plan is finalized, learn how we’ll turn recommendations into conservation actions.

Species

Species Included in the Project: Learn about the groups of species that will be protected by this project, including plants, snails, forest birds, waterbirds, seabirds, invertebrates, and ʻōpeʻapeʻa (the Hawaiian hoary bat).

Climate

Challenge of a Changing Climate: Learn how changing climates impact the futures of our at-risk species, and how the Landscape Conservation Plan ensures that they will be ready for these challenges.

Other Islands

Helping Species on Other Islands: Learn how this tool can be adapted and transferred to other islands.

Our Team

The Maui Nui Landscape Conservation Plan is coordinated by the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife and includes:

The Spatial Prioritization Team led by USGS
The Action Optimation Team led by UH Mānoa
The Ecosystem Prioritization Team led by UH Hilo
Taxon Teams lead by local experts in plants, arthropods, snails, birds, and aquatic invertebrates
The Implementation Team of many managers, planners, and decision-makers.

Lead organizers for this project include Scott Fretz (DLNR Forestry & Wildlife), Lucas Fortini (USGS), Keahi Bustamente (DLNR Forestry & Wildlife), Lance DeSilva (DLNR Forestry & Wildlife), Peter Landon (DLNR Forestry & Wildlife) Christina Leopold (HCSU), Kristen Harmon (UH), Remy Henderson (DLNR Forestry & Wildlife), Jim Jacobi (USGS), Matt Keir (DLNR Forestry & Wildlife), Loyal Mehrhoff, Zach Pezzillo (DLNR Forestry & Wildlife), Jonathan Price (UH), Melissa Price (UH), David Sischo (DLNR Forestry & Wildlife), Rob Sutter (Enduring Conservation Outcomes), Lauren Weisenberger (USFWS) and Chad Wilhite (HCSU).

Division of Forestry and Wildlife