In the summer of 2012, Haleakala National Park officials proposed a new “Commercial Services Plan” that would, among other things, restrict various commercial activities in hopes of reducing the “crowding and congestion” that’s apparently been rising at the park. “Crowding and inappropriate behavior have contributed to a loss of sense of place, which is often the initial reason visitors come to the park; interference with traditional cultural uses; and increased negative perceptions of the park by Native Hawaiians,” stated the plan. “Commercial tours are believed to have contributed to these impacts in the past.”
Well, that plan is in operation, and today park officials announced that next year will include five “commercial-free” days:
• Lolopua, one of the two days commonly known as zenith noon (July 18, 2015)
• Start of Makahiki (date determined using Bishop Museum’s Planetarium calendar)
• Winter solstice (December 22, 2015)
• End of Makahiki (date determined using Bishop Museum’s Planetarium calendar)
• Summer solstice (June 21, 2016)
The hope is restricting the park to just visitations on these days will “provide opportunities for Native Hawaiians to conduct traditional cultural practices in the park without any impacts from commercial tours.”
“We will be very interested to see how the community responds to these commercial free days during the first year of their implementation, said Superintendent Natalie Gates in the park’s Sept. 19 news release. “We will be open to comments and may change the dates in future years if the community response warrants.”
Click here for more information on the new commercial restrictions.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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