In 2024, the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources published the first-ever Management Plan for the Pūpūkea MLCD. It is also the first such plan for any MLCD in Hawaiʻi. Read the comprehensive 142-page plan here.

The plan resulted from MPW’s proposal to the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) in April 2020 to begin a community engagement process for a management plan for the 40-year-old MLCD.

DAR then committed key staff, Stacia Marcoux, Luna Kekoa, Anita Tsang, and other DAR team members, to collaborate closely with MPW on the ground-breaking process. After three years of intensive regular meetings, research, and consultation, the Management Plan was approved by DLNR in late 2023 and released in early 2024.

The plan provides a rich background on the cultural and natural resources of the marine reserve and contains extensive scientific information, community feedback, and management recommendations.

DAR and MPW both dedicated substantial resources and volunteer time to development of the plan , viewing the Pūpūkea process as an opportunity to develop a template for management plans for the ten other MLCDs in Hawaiʻi.

The first kick-off meeting for the agency partners involved in the plan was held at Waimea Valley in April 2024 and is hoped to be a regular event to renew engagement of local, state, and federal agencies in the stewardship of the MLCD alongside the efforts of MPW and the North Shore community.

MPW is grateful to Patagonia Hawaiʻi for providing a grant in 2020 that helped MPW sustain its programs through COVID including the community engagement phases of the management plan process.