The Marine Corps will reopen Bellows Beach to the public at noon on July 3, in time for the holiday weekend. But it won't be business as usual — and that's a good thing.

New beach rules, made public last week, are aimed at curbing destructive and dangerous behavior, including driving on the sand, building bonfires and dumping rubbish in streams.

There will be a guard at the entrance just off Kalaniana'ole Highway. New signs will be posted, telling visitors where to park, drive and camp. Barriers will keep vehicles away from streambeds and the beach. Beefed-up security patrols will make sure unauthorized personnel are gone by the 8 p.m. curfew. Permits will be checked, and cars and people counted.

The new rules will be clearly explained and they will be enforced.

It's a sensible compromise that can protect the beauty of the Bellows environment for civilians and military alike. Clear rules and a plan for enforcement, too, should help alleviate some of the tension over military control of one of O'ahu's most beautiful beaches.

Those tensions were exacerbated when the Marine Corps abruptly closed Bellows for June — after camping permits had been issued — citing safety and environmental concerns. The decision caused consternation among local residents, who view Bellows, rightly, as a precious public resource in which they have an important stake.

For more than 40 years, Bellows Field Beach Park has been shared by the military and civilian populations. It's an agreement that requires collaboration and understanding on both sides. The military and its civilian neighbors should be partners in the management of Bellows. That means involving the community in key decisions that affect the area, and nurturing a relationship built on trust and mutual respect.

Given the heavy use of Bellows, for both recreation and military training, the responsibility to protect the beach must be shared by the thousands of people who use Bellows every weekend and holiday, and by the military, which occupies it the rest of the time.

The new rules are fairly typical for a city-operated beach park. "We don't want to be so regimented and restrictive that people can't have a good time," said Lester Chang, director of the city's Parks Department, which is working with the military to manage the public side of Bellows beach.

The public, for its part, must uphold its end of the bargain by keeping the beach clean and safe. That means understanding, respecting — and following — the rules.