The management of Grove Farm Company wants a resort at Maha`ulepu. Past plans have not materialized, and Grove Farm maintains that it has no active plans to develop. However, the possibility of having land in Maha`ulepu and nearby designated as critical habitat for two unique and highly endangered subterranean dwelling invertebrates provoked Grove Farm resistance and revealed some of their current intentions.

In May of 2002, Grove Farm President and CEO David Pratt wrote to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior that Maha`ulepu is well-suited for a long term, quality resort development. These areas are unsurpassed in this regard. GFC has been conducting master planning since the 1960's and has spent significant resources in this undertaking. The anticipated low density, high quality project we now envision for this area will provide potential long -term employment and residential opportunities for over a thousand residents as well as construction worth hundreds of millions of dollars. This area is one of a few quality future resort sites available on Kauai and as, such is extremely important to the future of GFC and the island's visitor industry. ...the proposed designation, much of which covers the Mahaulepu area, would be as devastating to GFC as Hurricane Iniki was in 1992.

In the required economic analysis of the benefits and costs of the proposed habitat designation for spider and the amphipod, Grove Farm's plans for Maha`ulepu included a 250 room hotel, 2 golf courses, and up-scale house lots.

The blind cave spider and cave amphipod reside only in lava and limestone tubes underlying the Koloa region. There are conservation approaches and construction methods that mitigate against harming these species while allowing development. However, the spider and the amphipod are only two elements - literally small parts - of the web of signficant natural and cultural resources found at Maha`ulepu.

Maha`ulepu is an unparalled preservation opportunity because of the one -of-a-kind confluence of natural wonders and beauty and the sweep of Hawaiian history played out there. Maha`ulepu could easily become yet another high end resort. Only strong public advocacy for preservation and the will to find fair, creative and sound alternatives will prevent such an irreparable loss.

Please join in the effort to preserve Kaua`i's heritage coast. Here are 4 simple things you can do:

1. Sign Our letter of support.
2. Share your aloha for Maha`ulepu with a decision maker.
3. Make a tax-deductible donation to the work of Malama Maha`ulepu.
4. Participate in the work and events of Malama Maha`ulepu.