What would happen after condemnation of Molokai Ranch lands?
Once the government condemned Molokai Ranch lands, these lands could remain under government jurisdiction or more realistically be sold to a private buyer. If sold to a private buyer, taxpayers would not be saddled with the expense of owning and managing the Ranch's lands.
Who might want to buy the Ranch from the government?
There appear to be several interested buyers. Among these is FirstWind (formerly UPC Wind), a Boston-based wind utility company with operations in Hawaii. A campaign to buy the entire Ranch on behalf of the community was launched almost a year ago by the Molokai Community Service Council, to which a $50 million donation was pledged by the FirstWind company. FirstWind made a commitment to donate all of the Ranch lands it purchased to the Molokai community. In turn Firstwind would lease the lands necessary for their windmill farm. They have estimated that the lease revenue to the community would be between $4-5 million a year. These monies would be invested back into the community, helping to create jobs and maintain existing infrastructure.
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