Maui County to work on Wawau Point area management plan
Wawau Point, commonly known as Baby Beach, is part of 23 acres along Maui’s North Shore that will seek public input for a Maui County management plan. MAUI COUNTY photos
The county is looking to manage access, parking and public safety for 23 acres along Maui’s North Shore.
Wawau Point, commonly known as Baby Beach, is part of 23 acres along Maui’s North Shore that will seek public input for a Maui County management plan. MAUI COUNTY photos
The county is looking to manage access, parking and public safety for 23 acres along Maui’s North Shore.
Trending
The Maui News
The Maui County Department of Parks and Recreation will begin working on a management plan in early 2024 for 23 acres of newly acquired county land on Maui's North Shore, which includes Wawau Point, commonly known as Baby Beach.
Community input will be an important part of developing the management plan, and the department will offer opportunities for the public to get involved when the project begins in the new year, the county said in a news release Tuesday.
"The Department of Parks and Recreation is responsible for a wide array of lands, and we take a thoughtful and informed approach to stewarding the resources we are entrusted with," Parks and Recreation Department Director Patrick McCall said. "Through a community-inclusive planning process, we will identify priorities to manage and care for this coastal area that is so important to the community."
At the end of 2022, the county accepted the dedication of seven parcels, or 51.33 acres, from A&B Properties. The dedication includes 23 acres of shoreline that has long been used for public recreation, including Wawau Point and the sand dunes west of Baldwin Beach Park. This area comprises rocky, red clay headland, sand dune system, dense kiawe and ironwood forest.
The county management plan will cover the 23 acres and will address operational issues, such as access, parking and public safety, as well as environmental restoration and community partnerships for stewarding resources. Townscape Inc. Environmental & Community Planning has been selected as county consultant for the management plan.
Earlier this year, the parks department closed the gate at the end of Kealakai Place due to safety concerns tied to illegal camping and fires. While the gate prevents vehicular access to Wawau Point, the public can still access the area on foot, the county said.
The parks department also is partnering with the University of Hawai'i Sea Grant Program on a dune restoration plan for the region. More information on the upcoming management plan and dune restoration plan can be found on the Parks Planning website at www.mauicounty.gov/2326/Parks-Planning.
For more information on the upcoming management plan, contact one of the parks planners: David Yamashita at (808) 270-6508 and david.yamashita@co.maui.hi.us; or Jennifer Maydan at (808) 270-6160 and jennifer.maydan@co.maui.hi.us.