Mala Wharf is seen on Tuesday. The Department of Land and Natural Resources will hold a meeting next week to provide a status update on state boating facilities and discuss resuming commercial operations. Photo courtesy DLNR

The Maui News

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources will host a virtual community informational meeting from 9-11 a.m. Tuesday for West Maui boaters and commercial operators.

The department will provide status updates on Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation facilities in West Maui and answer questions on resuming commercial vessel operations in West Maui.

“We recognize that even before the Lahaina fire there were conflicts between commercial vessel operations, especially at Mala Wharf, and community recreational users,” DLNR Chairperson Dawn Chang said in a news release. “For this reason, we are encouraging fishers, commercial vessel operators, and interested community members to attend this informational meeting so everyone can share and hear respective interests and concerns at the same time before decisions are made.”

The reopening of Mala Wharf will be a coordinated effort with Maui County to ensure safe access form the land side, the U.S. Coast Guard to lift its safety zone restriction from the ocean and DLNR to determine that harbor facilities are safe and adequate for use.

At a meeting that Chang and DOBOR representatives held with commercial operators earlier this month, displaced Lahaina Harbor and Mala Wharf commercial operators were told to reach out to DOBOR for available slips at the Maalaea Small Boat Harbor. It could be at least a year before the Lahaina Small Boat Harbor has been reconstructed and available for vessel use.

To attend the virtual webinar via Zoom, visit us06web.zoom.us/j/81147700639?pwd=lieIx08CYgUrzegs13mEcQALdqXU5g.B6gfrYfqhAB3bIQE.

The webinar ID is 811 4770 0639, and the passcode is q6uWw7.

Or, join by phone at (719) 359-4580. Enter the same webinar ID as for Zoom and passcode 947636.