Waimea Native Forest

At famous Waimea Bay, surfers ride big waves, humpback whales give birth, and spinner dolphins rest. Storm events bring sediment and pollution runoff that hinder all of these activities. In the mountains that frame Waimea Bay, The Trust for Public Land, working in partnership with the Hawai’i Division of Forestry and Wildlife, purchased a 3,716-acre watershed that will be managed to promote restoration of native tree species and ground cover that will reduce storm impact, improve the watershed, and protect vital habitat for native bird, bat, insect and plant species. With The Trust for Public Land’s past and current efforts in the lower Waimea ahupua’a—Waimea Valley (2006) and Pu’ukua (2019)—the entire watershed, from summit to sea, has been protected.