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Continued restricted access for parts of ‘Ahihi-Kina‘u

The state Board of Land and Natural Resources has approved a proposal to extend restricted access to portions of the ‘Ahihi-Kina’u Natural Area Reserve in South Maui.

According to a submittal from the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry and Wildlife, the affected areas of the reserve have been closed almost continuously since 2008. The board action on Friday extends the closures to Nov. 8, 2020.

The most popularly visited and easily accessible portions of the reserve will continue to remain open during visiting hours from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The ‘Ahihi-Kina’u reserve was established in 1973, a time when there was little to no visitation. The area’s reserve status makes it one of the most highly protected lands under state jurisdiction. By law, all reserve resources are protected from harm or disturbance.

“By April 2004, growing numbers of people in the area led to user conflicts between the public and commercial activity, in particular, kayak tours,” the staff submittal says.

The DLNR established an advisory group in response to concerns about unregulated commercial activity and the public’s apparent overuse of sensitive natural and cultural resources.

Beginning in 2004, the department prohibited all commercial activity in the natural area reserve and neighboring Keone’o’io (La Perouse Bay), the submittal says. The department’s policy is to protect resources first, allow public use second and commercial uses last, if they don’t conflict with public use or resource protection.

Also in 2004, the department conducted human use, cultural resources and natural resources studies. Those showed that “user numbers did not significantly decrease after the ban on commercial activity and “negative impacts to protected resources were still ongoing.”

The advisory group recommended restricting all public access to Cape Kina’u “because natural and cultural resources were being trampled and degraded by misguided users who were hiking out on unmarked trails to go snorkeling.” Later, however, the state attorney general advised that the department did not have authority to take that action.

The department amended the natural area reserve administrative rules, effective January 2007, and the amendments specifically authorized the department to close areas or restrict access to protect natural, geological or cultural resources or public safety for up to two years at a time.

Public access to portions of ‘Ahihi-Kina’u has been restricted since Aug. 1, 2008. The land board has approved subsequent two-year closures.

The staff submittal reported that restricting human access to the area has helped with resource recovery.

“Endangered birds were utilizing areas of the reserve that they had never been recorded in, most likely due to impacts of the high human use before the restrictions,” the staff submittal says. “Breeding success showed improvement, and new species of migratory birds appeared in the reserve for the first time. Green sea turtles were also recorded basking on beaches in one of the restricted areas on a consistent basis. . . . Hawaiian monk seals have also hauled ashore to rest in the same areas.”

The staff called for continued closure of the sensitive areas, including those with unexploded ordnance, because “unfettered access now would result in resource damage and UXO liability for the state.”

The natural area reserve has rare and endangered natural and cultural resources, including anchialine pool ecosystems, near-shore marine ecosystems, lava flow formations (and their habitats), extensive intact Hawaiian cultural and historic sites and remnant native coastal dry shrub lands and forests.

* Brian Perry can be reached at bperry@mauinews.com.

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