About KMWP
The mission of the Koʻolau Mountains Watershed Partnership is to foster landowner collaboration and perpetuate the water resources of Oʻahu by protecting and enhancing the forests of the Ko'olau and its invaluable native ecosystems.
These partners recognized the importance of these forest ecosystems for their ability to replenish the underground aquifers which provide the majority of the fresh water used on Oʻahu - approximately 133 billion gallons each year.
Since the formation of the partnership in 1999, our mission has been to maintain the health of the forested expanses of the Koʻolau range as a reliable source of high-quality water for Oʻahu’s people in perpetuity. KMWP works to coordinate and perform critical forest management actions such as controlling the spread of invasive plants and animals across nearly 100,000 acres of partnership lands. The mitigation of threats to the integrity of our native forests is crucial to safeguard our precious freshwater resources into the future.
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Landowners and lessees with more than 100 acres of land in the Koʻolau Mountains watershed are invited to be Partners.
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The Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa provides staffing and management for the KMWP.
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The Koʻolau Watershed Foundation protects and preserves the Koʻolau mountains by managing the endowment that supports the KMWP.
KMWP works across landowner boundaries to eliminate threats to the watershed such as habitat-modifying weeds and ungulates using a combination of adaptive management strategies and established conservation practices. These methods include the installation of ungulate-proof fencing, various weed removal techniques, restoration work, and long-term monitoring.
KMWP employs a small number of full-time staff to manage all projects across the Koʻolau range. Though they come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, they share an appreciation for our island watersheds and are passionate about the role they play in helping to protect and conserve our native forests.
About Our Logo
The KMWP logo was redesigned in 2021. The shape remains similar, but many new elements were integrated to better tell our story and share our mission.
Represented are the Koʻolau Mountains in the background. Wai is the focus of our work and is in the piko of the logo like the aquifer. We transitioned to different plants like koa and ʻuluhe to represent the various layers of the forest. And finally the ʻapu or cup shape signifies the holding of wai and collective knowledge.
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