Posted on: Thursday, January 16, 2003

Entering restricted area costs hikers $100 each

Advertiser Staff

HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK, Maui — The National Park Service has fined two men $100 each for entering a restricted area off-limits to hikers because of nesting nene geese.

The men and four other friends hiked Monday afternoon on a closed trail to Kalapawili Ridge, said park spokeswoman Jennifer Talken-Spaulding. One of the men, 38-year Zachary Mammon of Maui, decided to go off on his own and got lost, spending the night in the wilderness. He was rescued by a helicopter yesterday in the Kipahulu Valley Biological Reserve.

Mammon was issued a citation for entering the clearly marked restricted area, as was Nathan Fligge, who held the cabin permit and was responsible for the group, Talken-Spaulding said. She said the cost of the ground and air search for the missing hiker was estimated at up to $4,000.

The restricted area contains at least nine nene nests. About 200 to 250 of the endangered birds live in the park. Talken-Spaulding said park officials plan to check the area to see if the nests were disturbed.