About Us

E Komo Mai!

The Association’s primary task is to maintain an estimated 42 miles of Fern Forest Estates community roads using the funds from Mandatory Road Maintenance Assessments (MRMA) that each lot owner is required to pay each year. The FFCA is Registered as a Corporation with the State of Hawaii and DCCA. The Board Members are elected volunteers with staggered 2-year terms and may serve a maximum of 4 years consecutively. Elections are held each year in December, and ballots are sent out with an Annual Newsletter. FFCA utilizes an outside accounting company for billing and has scheduled office hours at the Road’s Lot located at 11-2864 Ala Kapena. See the Contact Us page for hours of operation and further contact information.

Subdivision, Roads and Location

Fern Forest Estates covers about 12.5 square miles in the upper Puna District on the Big Island of Hawaii. There are about 2,600 lots that average 3 acres per lot. Most roads in Fern Forest are gravel surfaced with pahoehoe lava rock just under the surface. Elevation ranges from 1900 to 2900 feet. The longest roads stretch across these elevations for less than 5 miles. There is an average change of 200 feet per mile, with many road sections at significantly greater grade.

The natural terrain is primarily ‘Aila’au Pahoehoe (ropey, generally solid lava) that originated from late 15th Century flows and is now covered moderately with thin forests. There are many lava tubes or subterranean ‘caves’ that run through the subdivision. Some are known, others are not. Be aware of the risks. Fern Forest is very close to Kilauea, an active volcano. There can be Vog or volcanic fumes/sulphur in the air at times that can cause breathing issues to be exacerbated.

Fern Forest is located in a ‘rain belt’ or ‘rain band’, where clouds are affected by the elevation of the slope and release more precipitation than areas above and below. Since rainfall can average well over 30 inches a month, 200 inches a year, the task of keeping major stretches of roads in repair can often be a challenge.

What About You?

We encourage all members to Contact the office with any concerns. Better yet, help us be part of the solution and Get Involved! If you believe you can be a positive factor on the board, please drop off a resume, even if there are no current seats open. If you see an abandoned vehicle, Place the Call to the county removal department and follow through until it’s gone. Please help with community clean ups, Neighborhood Watch, or tackle other needs to help your community (and yourself) thrive!