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HCR 136

URGING THE COUNTY OF MAUI TO ADOPT ORDINANCES THAT ESTABLISH WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE SAFETY STANDARDS FOR PLANTATION TOWNS AND OTHER HIGH-RISK COMMUNITIES, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE COUNTY OF KAUAI'S ORDINANCE NO. PM-2025-425, RELATING TO THE PLANTATION CAMP DISTRICT WILDFIRE AND WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE, AND OTHER STATE AND NATIONAL WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE BEST PRACTICES.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Terez Amato and 1 co-sponsor

Urges Maui County to adopt WUI safety ordinances modeled on Kauai, applying ember-resistant design, defensible space, vegetation management, and wildfire risk mapping to high-risk

Referred to PSM/EIG.
#countyofkauai #countyofmaui #ordinances #wildfirehazards #wildland-urbaninterface
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Bill Summary · HCR 136

Summary of Bill HCR 136 (2026, Hawaii)

A concurrent resolution urging the County of Maui to adopt ordinances establishing wildland-urban interface (WUI) safety standards for plantation towns and other high-risk communities, modeled in part on Kauai’s recent WUI ordinance and other best practices.

1) Purpose and Intent

  • Purpose: To urge Maui County to adopt local ordinances that establish WUI safety standards for plantation towns and other high-risk communities within Maui County.
  • Rationale: National and state experiences show expanding WUI areas increase risk from wildfires and ember intrusion, necessitating codes that integrate home hardening, defensible space, vegetation management, and wildfire risk mapping into land use decisions.
  • Context: Builds on Kauai County’s Ordinance No. PM-2025-425 (Plantation Camp District WUI measures) and aligns Maui with other states’ WUI approaches (e.g., ignition-resistant construction, defensible space, vegetation management).

2) Key Provisions and Changes Proposed

  • Establishment of WUI standards: The resolution urges Maui County to adopt ordinances that create explicit wildfire safety requirements for plantation towns and other high-risk communities.
  • Incorporation of best practices: Standards should draw on Kauai’s approach and other state/national WUI practices, including:
    • Ember-resistant construction and ignition-resistant design near structures
    • Noncombustible zones immediately adjacent to buildings
    • Defensible space around structures
    • Vegetation management measures extending beyond immediate structures
    • Wildfire risk mapping and defined applicability thresholds
    • Integration of wildfire mitigation into planning processes (zoning, permitting, redevelopment) and community design review
  • Scope considerations: Tailored to historic and country town contexts within Maui County, including how wildfire safety measures reconcile with preserving cultural and historical character.
  • Planning and redevelopment integration: Encourages linking wildfire mitigation with existing permitting, redevelopment decisions, and local planning efforts for plantation towns.
  • Evaluation and application: Recommends evaluating WUI conditions in Maui’s communities and applying lessons learned from the 2023 Maui wildfires to other areas in the county facing similar risks.

3) Who or What Would Be Affected

  • Affected entities: Maui County government, including the Mayor, Maui County Council, and the Department of Fire and Public Safety, Emergency Management Agency, and Planning Department.
  • Geographic focus: Plantation towns and other high-risk communities within Maui County, with attention to historic/country town settings such as Paia and Makawao.
  • Community impact: Property owners, developers, and local planners would be subject to new or updated standards when zoning, permitting, redesign, or redevelopment decisions are made in the WUI context.
  • Cultural considerations: The measures seek to balance wildfire safety with preservation of historic town character and land-use patterns.

4) Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Legislative action: The measure is a concurrent resolution (HCR 136) adopted by both the Hawaii House and Senate, urging rather than mandating immediate law.
  • Current status: Referred to the Senate’s Committee on PSM/EIG (as of April 2026); previously reported and forwarded with committee recommendations in late March/early April 2026.
  • Action history highlights:
    • Passed House resolutions and transmitted to Senate (April 2, 2026)
    • Referred to Senate committees (April 10, 2026)
  • Effect: The resolution does not itself enact binding WUI standards but signals legislative support and directs Maui County to develop ordinances in line with Kauai’s model and best practices. Any binding standards would arise from Maui County’s own ordinances adopted in response to this urging.

5) Notable Details

  • Sponsored by: House with co-sponsors including Terez Amato and Kim Coco Iwamoto.
  • Reference to Kauai Ordinance No. PM-2025-425 as a model for designing Maui’s WUI standards.
  • Emphasis on learning from the 2023 Maui wildfires to mitigate both wildland and urban fire risks.

If you’d like, I can add a comparison table outlining specific elements in Kauai’s ordinance vs. the proposed Maui approach, or draft a plain-language brief for community stakeholders.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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