La Pérouse protection sought
| • | Map: La Pérouse archaelogical district |
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui Bureau
MAKENA, Maui — Rejected as a full-fledged national park, the rugged and sun-splashed La Pérouse region of Maui could land on its feet with a "national seashore" designation.
U.S. Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawai'i, said he plans to ask the National Park Service to investigate the feasibility of granting the lesser status to protect the popular coastal area, which is under increasing commercial and visitor pressures.
"The state's resources are stretched to the maximum, and it can't afford to adequately protect that coastline," Case said Friday. "It's perfect for a national seashore."
A National Park Service study requested by Case's predecessor, Patsy Mink, described the resources of the six-mile region from La Pérouse, or Keone'o'io, to Kanaloa Point as falling short of having national significance.
Although the study's March report did not recommend national park status, it did find that the area's numerous Hawaiian archaeological sites and its coral reef are of "statewide significance" worthy of state protection, perhaps through creation of a state park.
Case said that while he was disappointed in the study's conclusions, given the area's "very rich scenic and cultural and recreational resources," he didn't want to give up seeking federal protection. He said he would ask the park service to take a second look at the region and this time include the state's adjacent 'Ahihi-Kina'u Natural Area Reserve.
If the area passes muster, Case said, he likely would introduce a bill in Congress creating the country's newest national seashore, a designation that provides many of the protections of a national park but allows greater flexibility in how the resources are used.
Fishing, which is prohibited in a national park, could be allowed at a national seashore, he said, which could be a key factor in garnering local support.
According to the National Park Service's Web site, legislation authorizing national "preserves," "recreation areas," "seashores" and "lakeshores" sometimes allows for a wider range of activities such as oil and gas development, grazing and hunting, subject to certain limits.
Despite the lesser status, all units of the National Park Service are managed so as to "leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations," according to the park service.
There are 10 national seashores, including Point Reyes in California, Cape Hatteras in North Carolina, Cape Cod in Massachusetts, Canaveral in Florida and Padre Island in Texas.
Maui conservationist Mary Evanson, who led the campaign to establish the national park, said she was excited by Case's proposal. She said that although the park service has recommended a state park, state money is just too limited.
"The only realistic alternative is federal protection," she said.
The park service study warned that the region's archaeological sites are being damaged by four-wheel-drive vehicles and by unregulated camping, and that protection is needed for a coastline popular with snorkelers and kayak tours. It suggested creating a state park, noting that a 1977 report prepared for the state Parks Division also made such a recommendation.
The idea of creating a national park in the area has been endorsed by state and county officials.
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