A bill that would authorize a study on whether Lahaina is a suitable candidate for designation as a national heritage area cleared the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and will be put to vote on the Senate floor. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Lahaina National Heritage Study Act was jointly introduced by U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono and U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda, both D-Hawaii
  • The legislation would direct the National Park Service to work with Maui County and other state and local partners to study the suitability and feasibility of granting Lahaina a national heritage area designation, thereby making the fire-ravaged town eligible for additional federal assistance
  • Unlike national parks, national heritage areas are large lived-in landscapes. Consequently, national heritage area entities collaborate with communities to determine how to make heritage relevant to local interests and needs
  • NPS oversees 62 National Heritage areas across the country, none in Hawaii

The Lahaina National Heritage Study Act was jointly introduced by U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono and U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda, both D-Hawaii. The legislation would direct the National Park Service to work with Maui County and other state and local partners to study the suitability and feasibility of granting Lahaina a national heritage area designation, thereby making the fire-ravaged town eligible for additional federal assistance.

“Lahaina was once the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii and is home to numerous cultural and historic artifacts,” Hirono said during a committee hearing. “The August 2023 wildfires that claimed over 100 lives and destroyed much of the area shed light on how special Lahaina is, not only to the Maui community, but to Hawaii and the nation. A national heritage area designation would bring much-needed federal support to the management and educational activities to Lahaina.

“The historic, natural, and cultural resources found in Lahaina indeed tell a nationally significant story — a story told nowhere else in our country,” she continued. “This legislation will help ensure that story can continue to be told and appreciated for generations to come.” 

As administered by the National Park Service, national heritage areas are “places where historic, cultural, and natural resources combine to form cohesive, nationally important landscapes.”

Unlike national parks, national heritage areas are large lived-in landscapes. Consequently, national heritage Area entities collaborate with communities to determine how to make heritage relevant to local interests and needs.

NPS oversees 62 National Heritage areas across the country, none of which are in Hawaii.

Last year, Pres. Joe Biden signed into law the National Heritage Area Act, which included a Hirono-authored provision authorizing a study to determine if Kaena Point on Oahu would be suitable for national heritage area designation. The act established a National Heritage Area System, a statutory framework for the NPA’s role, and seven new national heritage areas. 

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.