Our Mission:

To protect and steward the lands that sustain Hawaiʻi, and to perpetuate Hawaiian values by connecting people with ʻāina.

Our Promise, audacious: Perpetuity.

The land sustains us quite literally, from the rich fertile soils of our local farms and ranches which feed Hawaiʻi, to our native forests and watersheds that provide our drinking water, our coastlines that rejuvenate us after a long week, and our historic cultural landscapes where we pass on the traditional and cultural practices of these islands. These lands provide the very essence and foundation for our quality of life in Hawai‘i.  

Hawaiʻi Land Trust (HILT) takes a uniquely Hawaiian and holistic approach to land conservation. We conserve lands that enable Hawaiʻi's long-term well-being, prioritizing the protection of coastlines, wahi kupuna (Hawaiian cultural landscapes), and lands that grow healthy food for Hawaiʻi’s people. We seek to complement the stewardship others are providing for mountaintop watersheds by concentrating largely on needs and opportunities for coastal and agricultural lands. HILT protects valuable and irreplaceable lands through the use of Conservation Easements held in perpetuity, or fee simple purchase.

Conservation Easements: We assist owners who have a deep appreciation for the beauty and importance of their lands and wish to ensure long-term protection of their lands' conservation values. We support them by holding and monitoring perpetual Conservation Easements and providing other support services and counsel through our network of relationships with government agencies and other conservation partners.

Purchases For Conservation: We own and steward 8 strategically situated community preserves throughout the Hawaiian Islands. At HILT’s preserves, we practice and share that if we put the land first, it will care for us and future generations. He aliʻi ka ʻāina, he kauwā ke kanaka. We welcome everyone to deepen their connection to ʻāina, the land that sustains us, through community work days, Hawaiian cultural practice, free camping, and educational visits. HILT’s preserves are truly held in trust for Hawaiʻi’s people. HAWAIʻI. LAND. TRUST.  

Our History

Founded in January 2011 through a merger of four island land trusts, HILT today represents the combined skill and resources of our four island-based land trusts: Maui Coastal Land Trust, Kauaʻi Public Land Trust, Hawaiʻi Island Land Trust, and Oʻahu Land Trust. Collectively we have grown to protect over 22,000 acres of Hawaiʻi's most precious lands and biocultural resources from Kaʻu on Hawaiʻi Island to Hanalei, Kauaʻi. In 2021, we shortened our name from “Hawaiian Islands Land Trust” to “Hawaiʻi Land Trust”. 2021 marked our 10th anniversary, and we are so grateful to all who have created and strengthened Hawaiʻi Land Trust over the years through volunteer service, donations, and partnerships.