Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Commander visits MA'O Organic Farms for REPI Program

WAIANAE, HAWAII, UNITED STATES

01.14.2026

Courtesy Story

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam

PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release:

MAʻO Organic Farms Awarded $1.57 Million Navy REPI Challenge Funding To Advance Wildfire and Flood Mitigation in Lualualei

This funding advances food security, island resilience, and ʻāina stewardship through a long-standing partnership between MAʻO Organic Farms and the U.S. Navy. Waiʻanae, Hawaiʻi — January 14, 2026 — The Waiʻanae Community Re-Development Corporation (WCRC) and its social enterprise, MAʻO Organic Farms (MAʻO), announced today that it has been awarded $1,571,427 in FY 2025 Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Challenge funding from the U.S. Navy.

The award supports the MAʻO Palikea Fire and Flood Mitigation Project, a biocultural restoration initiative designed to reduce wildfire and flooding risk, strengthen community resilience, and help protect mission readiness at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (JBPHH).

“This Project provides MAʻO a meaningful way to mālama ʻāina- restoring a healthier and more vibrant ecosystem while also safeguarding our community from fire and flood” said Kukui Maunakea-Forth, Executive Director. “It reflects what’s possible when long-term stewardship, community well-being, and shared kuleana (responsibility) come together.”

A Long-Standing Partnership in Lualualei In 2020, MAʻO entered into a REPI partnership with the Navy to steward 236 acres of agricultural land in Lualualei Valley, known as the MAʻO Palikea 236 farm site. The partnership established compatible land uses and activities—such as sustainable agriculture and biocultural restoration, that help safeguard the Navy’s Lualualei Annex while ensuring that local stewardship values and practices continue to flourish. “The Navy deeply values our partnership with MAʻO Organic Farms,” said Captain Samuel White, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Commanding Officer. “Partnering with MAʻO isn’t just about supporting local agriculture and food security; it’s about building a stronger, more resilient Hawai`i together.”

The REPI Program enables such collaborations nationwide, protecting mission readiness, enhancing resiliency, while also conserving natural and cultural resources.

Advancing Community & ʻĀina Impact

The newly funded project focuses on 40 acres within the MAʻO Palikea-236 parcel, adjacent to the Navy’s Lualualei Annex. For 24 months beginning in September 2025, MAʻO has initiated implementation of its ʻāina (land) management plan.

“This support creates real, on-the-ground impact” said Cheryse Kaui Sana, Operations Director. “We are restoring 40 acres through invasive tree removal, rebuilding soil health, and native plant restoration—strengthening both the land and our food system through sustainable farming.” In addition to ecological restoration, the project emphasizes biocultural stewardship, integrating ʻike kupuna (ancestral knowledge) with contemporary conservation methods, while expanding opportunities for youth workforce development and community education. “As an alumna of the program, I now help guide our young farm interns so they can see that there are opportunities here in our community.” said Alisha Nanea Keliʻi, Mahiʻai and Youth Empowerment Coordinator. “They are now able to learn culturally valuable knowledge and practices that strengthen both the ʻāina and the people who care for it.” For MAʻOʻs Farm Team, the project reflects a shared vision of long-term stewardship for Lualualei.

“This is a great opportunity for everyday efforts to cultivate a more sustainable island.” said Mary Claire Nabors, Mahiʻai Mua, Farm Production Manager. “As a Mahiʻai, this project matters deeply to me because it supports a vision of Lualualei valley thriving with native plants and trees, pollinators, food production, and young people connecting with ʻāina.”

Community members also see the project as an act of restoration and responsibility.

"This REPI project is a blessing, protecting our ʻāina from fires and floods while teaching our community how to restore Lualualei together.” said Hiʻilani Kanaʻiiliakakihiokapō Naluaʻi, an elder Youth Leadership Training intern. “When we practice prevention and mālama ʻāina, we inspire others to do the same and move closer to the healthy environment we once had."

Anchored in aloha ʻāina, the MAʻO Palikea Fire and Flood Mitigation Project demonstrates how environmental protection, cultural practice, community resilience, and military readiness can move forward together—rooted in place and guided by long-term stewardship.

About MAʻO Organic Farms Waiʻanae Community Re-Development Corporation (WCRC) is the nonprofit parent of MAʻO Organic Farms, a community-based social enterprise rooted on the Waiʻanae Coast of Oʻahu. Through ʻāina-based youth leadership development, food sovereignty, and regenerative agriculture, WCRC-MAʻO works to restore māʻona (abundance) for people and ʻāina (land) across Waiʻanae.

About the REPI Program The U.S. Navy in Hawaiʻi works in partnership with local communities to ensure both mission readiness and the protection of natural and cultural resources. For more information on the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program, visit www.repi.mil.”

To learn more about this project, please contact: Kukui Maunakea-Forth, WCRC-MAʻO Executive & Program Director Phone: [phone], Email at [e-mail] Susie S. Fong,

Community Planning Liaison Officer & REPI Program Manager, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Phone: [phone], [e-mail]

• Date Taken: 01.14.2026
• Date Posted: 01.26.2026 21:54
• Story ID: 556839
• Location: WAIANAE, HAWAII, US