Practice Areas

Land Conservation

As the founding president of Maui Coastal Land Trust, Tom Pierce is committed to providing creative ways for land owners to conserve lands with environmental significance. Tom helps land owners evaluate their options, including:

Understanding the owner's estate planning goals (Does the land need to provide income during your lifetime? Who will receive the land at your death?)
Evaluating existing land use rights and development needs (What may be built on the property? Could someone else develop your property after you? Do you need to save housing or other structure sites for your children or for future activities, such as farming?)
Determining the conservation values of the property (Is it good agriculture or forestry land? Does the land offer important views of the mountains or ocean? Does the land include threatened or endangered species?)
Working with the land owner's accountant and trust and estate attorney to assess the land owner's income and tax situation (Could the owner benefit from a tax deduction? Does the owner need yearly income for living expenses? Does money need to be set aside to pay estate taxes or to provide for others?)

In addition to his work as a board member and officer of Maui Coastal Land Trust and his focus on environmental law during law school, Tom has considerable experience with land conservation. He has been involved in the negotiation of, and drafting of several conservation easements in Hawaii, including easements preserving fragile coastal areas and easements protecting agricultural lands.

Tom has consulted in conjunction with nationally recognized land conservation experts, including tax attorney Stephen J. Small, land trust organizational consultant Marc Smiley; and conservation development architect Clark Stevens.

Tom is a Professional Partner of Land Trust Alliance and since year 2000 has attended almost all of the yearly national conferences held by LTA. These LTA "Rallies" offer legal and other workshops dedicated to land conservation issues. LTA is a national organization that promotes voluntary private land conservation to benefit communities and natural systems.

Land Use and Planning and Related Real Property Matters

Tom Pierce offers creative solutions to landowners seeking to develop their properties responsibly. As a consultant, Tom brings together the experts needed to obtain the development permits you need, including hiring and working with the surveyors, engineers, archaelogists, planning consultants, and other experts needed to meet county and state conditions. Tom is also available to prepare permit applications and present projects to government agencies. As an advocate, Tom can provide seasoned representation to landowners in disputes with government agencies, such as planning departments, public works departments, county board of variances and appeals, planning commissions, the State Land Use Commission or the State Department of Health.

Tom has assisted clients on a variety of land use and planning and other real property matters, including: subdivision of lands; consolidation and resubdivision; condominium property regimes; state boundary district issues; height violations; special management area, shoreline setback, and other coastal issues; zoning enforcement issues; building code issues; title matters; Native Hawaiian rights issues; access, utility and view easements; due diligence of complex properties before purchase; seller disclosure issues; purchase-sale disputes; and disputes with neighbors.

Environmental and Water law

Tom Pierce received an Environmental Law Certificate from the William S. Richardson School of Law and has continued his emphasis in environmental law matters since that time. In addition to the environmental matters relating to his land conservation and land use and planning practice, Tom has litigated before courts and administrative bodies on environmental impact statement issues and issues relating to the Coastal Zone Management Act.

PHONE: 808-573-2428FAX: 866-776-6645 EMAIL: tom@mauilandlaw.com
PO Box 798Makawao, Hawaii 96768

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