COURTESY OF NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
A crowd gathers at Haleakala National Park for sunrise.
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Regulation of Haleakala tours sought
Hearings begin tonight on a commercial users plan to address growing impacts
WAILUKU » Twenty years ago the main path leading into Haleakala crater was 4 feet wide.
Now its 14 feet wide and growing, said Charles Maxwell, a Hawaiian cultural specialist.
"It's amazing. There's no enforcement. You see people walking on the tops of cinders where there are no trails," he said. "The amount of buses up there is ruining the flora and fauna."
In response to cultural and environmental worries, Haleakala National Park officials have scheduled public meetings to hear suggestions in developing its first commercial users plan.
The meeting begins tonight at Helene Hall in Hana and is expected to continue tomorrow at Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center in Pukalani. Both meetings start at 6 p.m.
Designated a national park in 1961, Haleakala has grown to attract some 1.5 million visitors annually at the crater, more than half of them visiting through a commercial service, including private vans and buses, park officials said.
In addition, an estimated 1 million visit the coastal national park at Kipahulu in East Maui.
Park superintendent Marilyn Parris said she put in place an interim operational plan in November banning large buses and reducing the number of bicycle tours, because of public safety.
"It was just gridlocked with vehicles," said Parris, who became superintendent last year. "If you had tried to get an ambulance in and out, it would have almost been impossible."
Critics also want the park to provide tours giving information about the importance of protecting various endangered species in the park, including the nene goose and silversword plant.
Native Hawaiians say there should be more information provided about Hawaiian culture, including myths about Maui capturing the sun on Haleakala.
Parris said they need to decide what commercial uses should be in the park, while continuing to protect its natural resources.
She said park officials want to improve the quality of visitors' experience by providing them with information about the significance of the park.
"We're not trying to get rid of commercial services," she said. "We need a better way of working with tour companies."
Phil Feliciano, who owns Cruiser Phil's Volcano Riders, said he agreed with the park's decision in November to reduce the number of bicycle tour vans at sunrise to 19 from about 30.
Feliciano said his business has been receiving fewer complaints.
"Whatever the park wants to do, I'm all for it," he said. "I want to see all the visitors get a better-quality experience."
Tweetie Lind, a native Hawaiian, said most visitors are 'o being provided information about the natural resources in the park and the history of areas.
"There's no cultural sensitivity going on," she said. "They go to see the sun come up and leave."