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Hawaii Wildfire
Management Organization
E s t a b l i s h e d 2 0 0 2
Protecting Hawaii’s Communities and Irreplaceable Natural and Cultural Resources from Wildfire
HWMO History and Mission
Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization (HWMO) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to protecting communities and natural resources across the Hawaiian Islands from the devastating impacts of wildfire. HWMO was founded in 2002 by a diverse group of stakeholders including scientists, ranchers, land managers, representatives of state and federal agencies, fire fighters, and environmentalists who came together to characterize wildfire threats and develop strategies to mitigate those
threats. HWMO is the only organization of its kind in the state and operates with a passion for innovation and through extensive collaboration. Cumulatively, its diverse Board of Directors, Technical Advisory Committee, agency partners, and staff offer the best wildfire mitigation expertise in Hawaii. Through the implementation of projects such as fuelbreaks, diptanks, outreach efforts, community workshops, and wildfire protection plans, HWMO’s work has saved lives and homes, safeguarded communities, enhanced firefighting, and protected some of the last remaining native dryland forests from wildfire.
Hawaii's ecosystems are not adapted to fire. Damage from
wildfire can be devastating in many ways, including:
1) Threatening human lives, homes, and communities.
2) Causing soil erosion and thus:
* decreasing air quality & impacting human health.* polluting run off that affects the oceans & reefs.
3) Destroying native plants & forests, especially Hawaii’s dryland forests, thus:
* depriving native animals of their homes, hurting the island economy by decreasing
agricultural capabilities
* increasing the spread of flammable invasives creating a vicious cycle of hazardous conditions
that are susceptible to accidental or intentional fires (a vast majority of fires in Hawaii are
human ignited)
* perpetuating the cycle, over and over again!
The Challenge The HopeMuch can be achieved if everyone does their part! A
collaborative effort among Hawaii’s residents and landowners, natural resource managers, and fire agencies,
can substantially reduce the threat of wildfire. At HWMO,
we are committed to facilitating this type of multi-faceted, multi-partner approach.
Enhanced Fire Suppression Capabilities
Increased Community Awareness and Participation
Protection & Restoration of Natural Resources
HawaiiWildfire.org
HWMO is the only non-profit organization in Hawaii that focuses specifically on wildfire prevention, preparedness, and mitigation projects.
We devote a large portion of our
time and effort towards educating community members of all ages
about wildfire, which in turn fosters
community empowerment and action-taking.
Our projects include:
* Waikoloa Dryland Safety Park* In-School Assemblies
* Outreach Events* Community Workshops
* KNOW FIRE K-8th Wildfire
Curriculum (Youth education pictured below)
Effective actions taken before
wildfires occur can drastically reduce the size, severity, frequency, damage,
and costs of wildland fires. Through
research collaborations and our own GIS mapping and spatial analyses,
HWMO has been able to identify key resource needs and high hazard
priority areas and issues. We use this
information to implement pre-fire risk reduction projects on high-risk
fire-prone private and public lands.
Our projects include:
* Community-Based Fuels Reduction
and Defensible Space * Communities at Risk Assessments
* Community Wildfire Protection
Plans (CWPPs)* Wildfire Hazard Assessments
* Helicopter Dip Tank Installations* Living and Conventional Fuel
Breaks (Puako Fuelbreak below)
The aftermath of a fire poses
unprecedented challenges in Hawaii due to our unique ecology and the
immediate link between upland
ecosystem damage and downslope/ coastal impacts. At HWMO, we are
working with statewide partners to build a greater understanding of
social and ecological post-fire options
for restoring burned landscapes and creating more resilient human and
natural communities.
Our projects include:
* Fire History Mapping and Analysis
(pictured above)* Post-fire Rehabilitation Assessment
Manual
Prevention Pre-Suppression Post-Fire
“Hawaii Wildfire Management Organiza4on’s work is making a difference. For instance, the HWMO fuelbreak at Waikoloa gave firefighters a chance to stop the fire before it entered the Village. The diptanks we installed allow for faster fire suppression. We are also building on our unique research on fire fuels management to increase mi4ga4on effec4veness.” -‐ Miles Nakahara, HWMO Board President
Elizabeth Pickett, Executive Director65-1279 Kawaihae Rd., Suite 211Kamuela, HI 96743t: (808) 885-0900e: [email protected]
HawaiiWildfire.org