Mauna Kea Soil and Water Conservation District (Mauna Kea SWCD) is a self-governing sub-unit of State government  established on May 6, 1955 under Chapter 180 of the Hawaiʻi State Constitution.  We are one of six SWCD on Hawaiʻi Island.  Our mission is to take available technical, financial, and educational resources, and focus or coordinate those resources so they meet the needs of the local land users for the conservation of soil, water, air, plants, animals, and other related environmental resources.  Our goal is to have working land producers within the Mauna Kea SWCD boundaries implementing a current conservation plan to best conserve Hawaiʻi natural resources.

Mauna Kea SWCD is administered by a volunteer five member board of directors.  Three of the directors are elected by local land owners within the district and two are appointed.  All board members are confirmed by the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR).  The board of directors work in cooperation with various agencies to assist in identifying and meeting the communities resource needs and providing technical guidance.

We provide technical and educational assistance to our customers-farmers, ranchers, foresters, conservationist, non-profits, community co-ops, and others.- to conserve their natural resources (soil, water, air, plant, native animals) as best as they can by assisting with watershed planning, wildlife habitat preservation, grazing land health, soil health, crop health, reforestation, erosion control, non-point source pollution, and conservation education outreach.  We also provide support for our customers to obtain government funding to implement conservation practices and provide grading and grubbing according to the Hawaiʻi County Sediment and Erosion Control Ordinance  (Chapter 10).

For more information about Mauna Kea SWCD and what we do see our Brochure.