WAILUKU >> Awapuhi Carmichael said she is worried about the survival of native plants and animals if the county establishes a campground at Kaumahina in east Maui. Some neighbors resist Maui
camp sites expansionBy Gary T. Kubota
gkubota@starbulletin.com"It might need an environmental study there," said Carmichael, who lives in Keanae. "Who's going to police the area?"
As Maui County Council members respond to requests for more camp sites, they are also encountering some reluctance to establish them from neighboring residents.
The Maui County Council's parks committee is scheduled to hold a meeting tomorrow to discuss 15 proposed camp sites. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the Waihee School cafeteria.
Council Parks Committee Chairwoman Jo Anne Johnson said the main purpose of the meeting is to hear suggestions from residents about where they would like to see additional camping sites and also the type of camping they want in various places.
Johnson said the council will then analyze the cost of developing the proposed sites.
Some residents are noting that Maui has park camp sites only at Kanaha Beach Park in central Maui and Papalaua Wayside Park in West Maui.
Earlier this year, the council added Papalaua Wayside Park as a campground, but stepped back from a mayoral proposal to do the same for sites at Honomanu and Waihee, after objections by nearby residents.
Proposed camping locations on Maui include the Old Waihee Dairy site and Mokolea Point at Kahakuloa, the Old Maui High School, Hookipa Beach Park, Rainbow Park, the 4th Marine Division Park, Kaumahina Wayside Park near Keanae, Puaa Kaa Wayside Park near Nahiku, Kihei Beach Reserve, Poolenalena Beach Park, Sugar Beach, Kapoli Beach Park near Maalaea, and Flemings Beach Park.
On Molokai, the proposed campgrounds would be located at Halawa Valley Park and Hale O Lono.