Last week it was announced that two-thirds of Ulupalakua Ranch will be placed in an easement to the Maui Coastal Land Trust. Some 12,000 acres will forever remain agricultural lands. The land extends from coastline property a mile south of Makena to the 6,000-foot elevation of the Polipoli Spring State Park.
Ranch operations won’t change. However, the deal, which is the largest of its kind in Hawaii history, will preclude future generations from selling off the Ulupalakua land to developers, said the owner of the ranch, 78-year-old Pardee Erdman. It’s a family legacy all of Maui deserves, he said.
“Personally, to see the Erdmans make this donation is to see their hearts and how they care for the land,” Bonar said. “They view it with the reverence of an icon.”
Check out Maui Coastal Land Trust’s website for links to the news stories relating to this conservation easement.
