Governor Josh Green, M.D.

Photo courtesy: DAGS

The Hawaiʻi Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) Land Survey Division is privileged to play a role in helping the Lahaina community find normalcy, as residents and businesses rebuild, following the tragic fires of 2023.

Six surveyors work in the Land Survey Division. Their job is to officially notate where the boundaries are on a parcel of land. For oceanfront parcels — like many that burned in the wildfires — they determine where the state shoreline ends and where private land begins. Their measurements also help legally specify what the shoreline setback is for a structure, like a house or a condominium.

This critical information is needed by property owners applying for a county permit to rebuild.  The quicker the shoreline can be certified, the quicker the permits can be processed.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources is responsible for certifying the shoreline with the assistance of DAGS Land Survey Division.

“We are honored to play a small part in helping Lahaina residents and business owners rebuild. Our hearts go out to this community that has suffered so much. Certifying property boundaries seems like such an ordinary task, but knowing that it helps a homeowner get their long-awaited building permit makes it so worthwhile and fulfilling for our department in doing our jobs,” said DAGS Director and Comptroller Keith Regan.

DAGS surveyors are scheduling earlier site visits to affected properties, accelerating application reviews and prioritizing certification recommendations. They have also been notifying Maui County before they conduct site inspections to reduce lag time between agency actions.