Maui park would limit kayak tours
| • | Vendors on Ka'anapali Beach may need permit |
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau
KIHEI, Maui — In response to growing commercial activity at La Perouse Bay and the Keone'io'o coast, the state is considering creating a park with a kayak tour concession to help pay for protection of the East Maui coastline's natural and cultural resources.
The idea drew mixed reactions yesterday at a meeting with kayak operators and state officials, including
Peter T. Young, chairman of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
While some operators said the concession was necessary to maintain the coastal region, others said they were wary of a proposal that might put them out of business.
"It's a little scary," said Mark Nickerson, owner of Private Kayak Tours.
Young said no decision had been made on the concession proposal. He said managers were still evaluating the self-regulation promised by kayak operators in previous discussions with state officials.
While improvements have been made, he said, not every company is abiding by promised restrictions, such as limits on the number of tour customers.
The rugged coastal area has come under pressure in recent years as a popular site for commercial kayaking, diving, snorkeling, horseback riding, hiking and even all-night rave parties. On most days, hundreds of cars and sometimes thousands of people visit an area once considered remote.
Officials said the kayak tours, which now number a dozen or so, represent the greatest threat to the region, which includes the 'Ahihi-Kina'u Natural Area Reserve and 6-mile Keone'io'o coastal area from La Perouse Bay to Kanaloa Point.
At yesterday's meeting, Young unveiled a concession proposal he described as "an intermediate step" short of banning the commercial activity.
The revenue generated by the concession would pay for at least a full-time enforcement officer and portable toilets for the new park, Young said.
Under the proposal, concession bidders would need "adequate financial ability, experience and competence" to carry out the terms of the contract and be required to establish a maximum capacity of tours at any given time of day.
Young said he would be urging the operators to bid on the contract as a hui, allowing all qualified operators to have a piece of the concession pie.
Roger Simonot, owner of South Pacific Kayaks, said 90 percent of the operators were voluntarily abiding by self-imposed guidelines, and conditions in the La Perouse area had improved significantly.
Still, he said it was important that government step in to ensure the coastline is maintained.
Simonot acknowledged that the operators have differing opinions, and that the hui concession proposal might be tricky to pull off.
Nickerson said he'd rather see a permit system that wouldn't lock out anyone who made an unsuccessful bid.
