B08_Attachment_14_HALE_Foundation_Document.pdf

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Foundation Document Haleakalā National Park Island of Maui, Hawai‘i September 2015

Attachment 14 - HALE PDFI Contract

Haleakalä National Park

Contents Mission of the National Park Service 1

Introduction 2

Part 1: Core Components 3

Brief Description of the Park 3 Park Purpose 5 Park Signifcance 6 Fundamental Resources and Values 7 Interpretive Themes 10

Part 2: Dynamic Components 11

Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments 11 Special Mandates 11

Administrative Commitments 11

Assessment of Planning and Data Needs 12 Analysis of Fundamental Resources and Values 12

Identifcation of Key Issues and Associated Planning and Data Needs 12

Other Important Issues 16

Planning and Data Needs 17

High Priority Planning Needs 18

Part 3: Contributors 27 Haleakalä National Park 27

NPS Pacifc West Region 27

Denver Service Center – Planning Division 27

Appendixes 28

Appendix A: Enabling Legislation and Legislative Acts for Haleakalä National Park 28

Appendix B: Analysis of Fundamental Resources and Values 35 Appendix C: Inventory of Administrative Commitments 64 Appendix D: Operational Efforts That Will Address Key Park Issues 67 Appendix E: Past and Ongoing Park Planning and Data Collection Efforts 68

The arrowhead was authorized as the official National Park Service emblem by the Secretary of the Interior on July 20, 1951. The sequoia tree and bison represent vegetation and wildlife, the mountains and water represent scenic and recreational values, and the arrowhead represents historical and archeological values.

Mission of the National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The National Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefts of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.

The NPS core values are a framework in which the National Park Service accomplishes its mission. They express the manner in which, both individually and collectively, the National Park Service pursues its mission. The NPS core values are:

· Shared stewardship: We share a commitment to resource stewardship with the global preservation community.

· Excellence: We strive continually to learn and improve so that we may achieve the highest ideals of public service.

· Integrity: We deal honestly and fairly with the public and one another.

· Tradition: We are proud of it; we learn from it; we are not bound by it.

· Respect: We embrace each other’s diferences so that we may enrich the well-being of everyone.

The National Park Service is a bureau within the Department of the Interior. While numerous national park system units were created prior to 1916, it was not until August 25, 1916, that President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act formally establishing the National Park Service.

The national park system continues to grow and comprises more than 400 park units covering more than 84 million acres in every state, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. These units include, but are not limited to, national parks, monuments, battlefelds, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and the White House. The variety and diversity of park units throughout the nation require a strong commitment to resource stewardship and management to ensure both the protection and enjoyment of these resources for future generations.

Introduction Every unit of the national park system will have a foundational document to provide basic guidance for planning and management decisions—a foundation for planning and management. The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park as well as the park’s purpose, signifcance, fundamental resources and values, and interpretive themes. The foundation document also includes special mandates and administrative commitments, an assessment of planning and data needs that identifes planning issues, planning products to be developed, and the associated studies and data required for park planning. Along with the core components, the assessment provides a focus for park planning activities and establishes a baseline from which planning documents are developed.

A primary beneft of developing a foundation document is the opportunity to integrate and coordinate all kinds and levels of planning from a single, shared understanding of what is most important about the park. The process of developing a foundation document begins with gathering and integrating information about the park. Next, this information is refned and focused to determine what the most important attributes of the park are. The process of preparing a foundation document aids park managers, staf, and the public in identifying and clearly stating in one document the essential information that is necessary for park management to consider when determining future planning eforts, outlining key planning issues, and protecting resources and values that are integral to park purpose and identity.

While not included in this document, a park atlas is also part of a foundation project. The atlas is a series of maps compiled from available geographic information system (GIS) data on natural and cultural resources, visitor use patterns, facilities, and other topics. It serves as a GIS-based support tool for planning and park operations. The atlas is published as a (hard copy) paper product and as geospatial data for use in a web mapping environment. The park atlas for Haleakalā National Park can be accessed online at: http://insideparkatlas.nps.gov/.

http:http://insideparkatlas.nps.gov

Part 1: Core Components The core components of a foundation document include a brief description of the park, park purpose, signifcance statements, fundamental resources and values, and interpretive themes.

These components are core because they typically do not change over time. Core components are expected to be used in future planning and management eforts.

Brief Description of the Park Haleakalā National Park is on the eastern side of Maui, the second largest island in the Hawaiian chain. The park is characterized by starkly contrasting mountain and coastal environments. Within a few miles from the coast the park rises dramatically in elevation to 10,023 feet at the summit of the dormant Haleakalā Volcano. Moisture-bearing trade winds bring upwards of 400 inches of annual precipitation to windward mountain slopes, while some leeward areas only receive an average of 10 inches or less. Wind, rain, temperature, and altitude contribute to shape the widely diverse character and composition of the park’s natural ecosystems, microhabitats, and vegetation zones that transition from humid subtropical lowlands, cloud forests, to sparsely vegetated subalpine desert at the summit. The northern and eastern slopes of Haleakalā and the rainforests of the Kīpahulu Valley are among the richest botanical regions in Hawai‘i. More than 90% of the native biota found in the park is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and nearly 50% is endemic to Maui. The park is further renowned for its exceptional air quality and dark night skies. The remarkable ecological diversity of the park is recognized by its designation as part of an International Biosphere Reserve. The United Nations has designated the entire park, together with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, as the Hawaiian Islands Biosphere Reserve.

Haleakalā National Park was originally established in 1916 as part of Hawai‘i National Park.

At that time the park included lands on both the islands of Hawai‘i (now part of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park) and Maui. The Maui portion of the park was established as a separate NPS unit in 1961 (PL 86-744, 74 Stat. 88). Of the park’s 33,265 total acres, approximately 24,000 acres (72% of the park) are designated wilderness. Park managers face an ongoing challenge in protecting and balancing the natural and untrammeled qualities of wilderness.

Although the park’s ecosystems retain a high percentage of unique and endemic species found nowhere else in the world, the introduction of alien plants and animals primarily by human activities has led to the extinction or severe decline of many native species. Haleakalā’s wildlife and vegetation are therefore intensively managed to prevent further species declines and extinctions. Among these measures, fences have been placed along the park boundaries to keep nonnative grazing species such as wild boar and goats from damaging park resources.

The Haleakalā Volcano is the larger of the two volcanoes that form the island of Maui. Its crater measures about 20 miles in circumference and dominates the volcanic landscape at the summit.

In several places the rim of the crater rises more than 2,500 feet above the crater foor. Rain clouds drift in on trade winds over the volcano’s lower eastern rim, and often accumulate in the center of the crater. US Geological Survey researchers conducted radiocarbon testing of the volcano’s youngest lava fows, and the data suggests the volcano was last active sometime between AD 1480 and 1600. Haleakalā’s western slopes are crossed by intermittent rain-fed streambeds, and rise gently to the summit at Red Hill. The heavily eroded terrain of the mountain’s eastern fank is marked by deep valleys and gorges. From the volcano’s rim, lava once poured down its fanks to the sea, following the paths of the Ke‘anae and Kaupo valleys.

The Kīpahulu area of the park protects Kīpahulu Valley and the scenic free-fowing stream system ending at ‘Ohe‘o Gulch. From east of the volcano rim, the valley drops thousands of feet down to the coast. The Kīpahulu coastal area is set in a tropical rainforest atop a seaside clif and was frst farmed by early Polynesians more than 1,200 years ago. The upper Kīpahulu Valley is managed as a biological reserve and is home to a vast profusion of fora and fauna, including some of the world’s rarest birds, plants, and invertebrates. Some insects and plants that evolved in the Kīpahulu Valley live nowhere else. The general public is restricted from accessing the fragile rainforest of the biological reserve. Visitors can reach the lower valley of Kīpahulu via the long winding Hana Highway.

Haleakalā National Park is a sacred place to kānaka maoli (Native Hawaiians) and is fundamentally linked to their traditional and contemporary beliefs, practices, and way of life.

The concept of kuleana (responsibility) is central to these beliefs, passed on from the kūpuna (ancestors) to future generations to ensure stewardship and respect for all things spiritual and physical. Closely connected to kuleana is the concept of mālama ‘āina, caring for and nurturing the land so it continues to provide the essential means and resources necessary to sustain life for present and future generations. For Native Hawaiians, the summit of Haleakalā is the Wao Akua (“Place of the Gods”) where the demigod Maui snared the sun. Tangible and intangible cultural resources and values, place names, oral traditions/history, and features of the landscape are invaluable parts of Hawaiian culture. At the piko (navel) of East Maui, traditional Hawaiian land districts (moku) converge at a place called Pōhaku Pālaha. From ancient times to the present, Native Hawaiians have used particular areas, sites, and features within the current park boundaries for a broad range of activities, cultural practices, and protocols including ceremonies, spiritual training, practices related to birth and burial, resource collection, and travel across East Maui.

The Haleakalā Wilderness is part of a historic district listed in the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its signifcant archeological resources and historic sites. The summit of Haleakalā, including Kīpahulu Valley and Kaupō Gap, is also eligible for the national register as a traditional cultural property for its association with the cultural landscape of Maui and because of its known uses, oral history, mele (chants or poems), and legends. It remains a source of traditional materials and sacred uses, and a place of profound spiritual power.

Approximately 1.2 million visitors annually come to Haleakalā National Park to experience its natural and cultural wonders. Between 15% and 30% of these visitors arrive on commercial tours. The majority of visitors who travel to the summit and headquarters / visitor center are drawn there to witness the awe-inspiring sunrise. In addition to these activities, guided hiking is available along 38 miles of trails. On clear nights, many enjoy world renowned star gazing and astronomy-oriented activities because of the exceptional viewing conditions. Two primitive campgrounds and three public use historic cabins are available for reserved visitor use in the designated wilderness area.

“Hānau ka lupe noho i kai, Kia ‘i ‘ia e ka Lupeakeke noho i uka.”

-na ke Kumulipo

“Born was the stringray living in the sea, Guarded by the stormy petrel living on land.”

- found in the Kumulipo

Park Purpose The purpose statement identifes the specifc reason(s) for establishment of a particular park.

The purpose statement for Haleakalā National Park was drafted through a careful analysis of its enabling legislation and the legislative history that infuenced its development. On September 13, 1960, Congress signed legislation (Public Law 86-744) that authorized the establishment of the park (the park was established the following year). However, approximately 21,150 acres of land now contained within the boundary of Haleakalā National Park initially was protected within Hawai‘i National Park, an earlier unit of the national park system that was established by Congress in August 1916. This earlier designation also included lands on the Island of Hawai‘i, which are now protected within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (see appendix A for enabling legislation and subsequent amendments). The purpose statement lays the foundation for understanding what is most important about Haleakalā National Park.

For the inspiration of current and future generations, Haleakalā NatioNal Park protects a wild volcanic landscape with a wide array of fragile and diverse native ecosystems, including plant and animal species found nowhere else on earth. Our stewardship perpetuates the unique and continuing connections between Hawaiian culture and this sacred and evolving land.

Park Signifcance Signifcance statements express why a park’s resources and values are important enough to merit designation as a unit of the national park system. These statements are linked to the purpose of Haleakalā National Park, and are supported by data, research, and consensus.

Statements of signifcance describe the distinctive nature of the park and why an area is important within a global, national, regional, and systemwide context. They focus on the most important resources and values that will assist in park planning and management.

The following signifcance statements have been identifed for Haleakalā National Park. (Please note that the sequence of the statements does not refect the level of signifcance.)

1. Rising 10,000 feet from the sea to the summit of Haleakalā, the park protects a striking variety of natural landscapes, ranging from tropical rainforest to subalpine desert. Within these lands, extreme gradients of rainfall and temperature shape the park’s remarkable biodiversity.

2. Haleakalā National Park protects unrivaled examples of native Hawaiian ecosystems, providing a home for diverse threatened and endangered species, including some that exist nowhere else in the world, and still others yet to be discovered.

3. From its windswept cinder felds to its lush rainforest, the Haleakalā Wilderness provides a panorama of exceptional grandeur where people may fnd solitude and inspiration within a vast and colorful landscape.

4. Haleakalā National Park preserves places, resources, stories, and intangible elements of profound sacred importance to Native Hawaiians. Collectively, these are linked by the piko, the life-line that honors the past and connects the living Hawaiian culture of today to future generations.

5. Haleakalā National Park is known for its exceptional scenery, including sunrises and sunsets above the clouds; coursing waterfalls, clear pools, and crashing waves; lush rainforests; and sparkling, star-flled skies. These and countless other sights and scenes provide transformational experiences for residents and visitors alike.

6. Visitors to the park can enjoy a broad spectrum of natural sounds, including a rare opportunity to experience intense quiet inside the Haleakalā Crater. Sound levels in the crater are among the lowest recorded in any national park.

7. The Haleakalā shield volcano, one of the highest peaks in the Pacifc, is the result of countless volcanic eruptions during the past two million years, and unique erosion in action.

8. At Haleakalā, the volcano’s height, landscape, air quality, and location on Earth provide for excellent, clear night skies. From ancient Polynesian navigators to current-day astronomers, people have and continue to use the summit of Haleakalā to study and view the night sky. Numerous light-sensitive species, whose lives are negatively impacted by artifcial light, depend on Haleakalā’s natural lightscapes for survival.

Fundamental Resources and Values Fundamental resources and values (FRVs) are those features, systems, processes, experiences, stories, scenes, sounds, smells, or other attributes determined to warrant primary consideration during planning and management processes because they are essential to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining its signifcance. Fundamental resources and values are closely related to a park’s legislative purpose and are more specifc than signifcance statements.

Fundamental resources and values help focus planning and management eforts on what is truly signifcant about the park. One of the most important responsibilities of NPS managers is to ensure the conservation and public enjoyment of those qualities that are essential (fundamental) to achieving the purpose of the park and maintaining its signifcance. If fundamental resources and values are allowed to deteriorate, the park purpose and/or signifcance could be jeopardized.

The following fundamental resources and values have been identifed for Haleakalā National Park:

· Natural Sounds, Viewsheds, and Dark Night Skies – Natural sounds, panoramic views, and dark night skies greatly contribute to Haleakalā’s unique sense of place.

Ambient sound levels in the Haleakalā Crater are so low that they approach the threshold of human hearing, and the crater and summit ofer world-renowned stargazing opportunities. Visitors fock to the summit to witness spectacular sunrises over the park’s natural landscape—this and other views in the park are supported by its excellent air quality. In addition to being highly desired values for visitors, dark night skies and natural soundscapes are vital components of a healthy, intact, biological community. Each plays an important role in wildlife communication and behavior.

The preservation of natural sounds, viewsheds, and dark night skies is also critical to efective wilderness management.

· Kīpahulu Moku District (including ‘Ohe‘o Gulch and Palikea Stream) – Handed down over the centuries through oral tradition and practice, the ‘Aha Moku system is the traditional Hawaiian system of natural resource division and management for ocean and land resources. The undiverted free-fowing Palikea stream and ‘Ohe‘o Gulch are part of an intact East Maui watershed that begins at the piko, or navel, of the island. The park is fortunate to protect nearly all of the Kīpahulu moku, including intact ahupua’a (smaller land divisions) within it. The Kīpahulu Biological Reserve is discussed and analyzed as part of the Native Hawaiian Biological Diversity fundamental resource and value.

Kīpahulu Moku

Haleakalā National Park

Pohaku Pälaha

“No laila, I kou komo ‘ana i kēia wahi kapu, nou kēia kuleana e ho’oko...”

“Therefore, as you enter this sacred place, this kuleana is now placed upon you...”

· Wilderness – Approximately 24,000 acres of Haleakalā National Park is federally designated wilderness. The wilderness area includes the majority of the Haleakalā Crater and the Kīpahulu Biological Reserve, which protects one of the most intact rainforest ecosystems in the Hawaiian Islands. The wilderness area also has cultural and spiritual signifcance to Native Hawaiians, who have used these lands since ancient times, and continue to visit sites and features within the wilderness for traditional practices. Visitors have opportunities to participate in wilderness experiences—from expansive views across undeveloped lands to primitive recreation and solitude.

· Ongoing Connections to Living Hawaiian Culture – Haleakalā National Park has cultural and spiritual value for Native Hawaiians who have used particular places, sites, and resources in the park for a broad range of activities from ancient times to the present. Among these traditional cultural activities are ritual ceremonies, spiritual training, and practices related to birth and burial. For Native Hawaiians, traditional uses and connections between people and all things spiritual and physical are incorporated in the ancient, sacred tradition of the Kumulipo that has been passed down orally for generations in the form of a mele koʻihonua or chant of more than 2,000 lines. The Kumulipo recounts the origin of the universe and the beginnings of the Hawaiian world; it inventories and explains the existence of all resources so that proper care and respect is applied through kuleana (responsibility). Sustaining the connections and interrelationships between Native Hawaiians and culturally signifcant park resources and places is an important objective of park managers.

· Outstanding Geological Resources, Including the Haleakalā Volcano and Crater – Rising to 10,023 feet in elevation, the Haleakalā volcano—also known as the East Maui volcano—is the primary geological feature of the park, and preserves a record of Maui’s volcanic history. At the volcano’s summit is the enormous depression known as Haleakalā Crater—described by Congress in the 1916 enabling legislation as the “largest and most spectacular crater in the world.” In truth, the label “crater” is somewhat of a misnomer, as this impressive depression was not shaped solely by volcanic activity, but also by water and erosion. Northeasterly tradewinds collided with the great volcano, producing rainfall, and over time streams cut channels down the slopes of the mountain. Eventually, two streams that eroded their way up the mountain joined, ultimately creating the long and deep depression that survives today. Later, volcanic vents in this area formed richly colored cinder cones and young lava fows—major scenic features of the park. Lava at Haleakalā National Park includes lower viscosity “ropy fows” (also called pāhoehoe) and the higher viscosity “rough and jagged fows” (also called ‘a‘ā). There are at least 24 known lava tube caves in the park.

· Archeological and Historic Resources Associated with Native Hawaiian Culture – Haleakalā National Park preserves a high density and variety of precontact and historic archeological resources. These resources exist in many locations and include Native Hawaiian temples (heiaus), trails, altars, fshing shrines, house platforms, and other features. Historic resources such as historic agricultural sites and astrological shelters are also preserved by the park. Some of these resources are still used today as part of the vibrant Hawaiian culture.

· Native Hawaiian Biological Diversity – Haleakalā, rising from sea to summit, and exposed to both the windward moist tradewinds and leeward drying air, features a striking variety of ecosystems that support a tremendous range of native biological diversity. The park protects endemic and iconic species including the nēnē (Hawaiian goose), ‘ahinahina (Haleakalā silversword), ‘akohekohe (the critically endangered crested honeycreeper), and many other threatened and endangered species. The park’s remarkable ecological diversity is recognized by its designation as a United Nations International Biosphere Reserve. Haleakalā serves as a scientifc laboratory for studies in climate history and change, classifcation of species, and taxonomy.

The upper Kīpahulu Valley, on the park’s windward side, exemplifes this rich biodiversity – With its wet rainforests and bogs, the upper Kīpahulu Valley is a key refuge for native Hawaiian plant and animal species that are disappearing elsewhere.

The park manages this area as the Kīpahulu Biological Reserve. Within the reserve, no trails or roads are planned in order to prevent nonnative species, which are capable of rapidly spreading and outcompeting native rainforest plants, from penetrating the valley. Entry to the reserve is allowed only to resource managers and scientists who are conducting research and management essential to understanding and protecting this rare relict ecosystem.

· Kuleana – The Native Hawaiian concept of kuleana is generally recognized as the responsibility passed down from the kūpuna (ancestors) to present and future generations for stewardship and respect for all things spiritual and physical. Under the traditional ‘Aha Moku system of regional boundary management based on observational knowledge and sense of place, certain people had kuleana for site specifc management and families had certain roles within their moku (land division). The Pōhaku Pālaha (the place where the moku boundaries converge) marks the beginning of the interconnected system linking the heavens to the depths of the ocean. How kuleana is managed afects other moku outside park boundaries as well as ocean resources. The National Park Service has accepted kuleana for the management of Haleakalā National Park. The National Park Service and the individuals who serve as konohiki (managers and stewards) represent the kia‘i, or guardians of this sacred place for Hawaiian people.

· Museum Archive and Collections – The Haleakalā National Park museum collection documents the cultural and natural history of the park. The collection is divided into three main categories: natural history, cultural resources, and archives. The natural history collection is represented by biological specimens and geological samples. The herbarium includes native and nonnative plants that have been collected from the park and East Maui. The entomological collection consists of mounted native and nonnative insects collected within the island of Maui. The cultural resources collection is represented by archeological, historical, and ethnographic objects and works of art. The archives consist mostly of documents and photographs about the history, development, and management activities of the park.

Interpretive Themes Interpretive themes are often described as the key stories or concepts that visitors should understand after visiting a park—they defne the most important ideas or concepts communicated to visitors about a park unit. Themes are derived from, and should refect, park purpose, signifcance, resources, and values. The set of interpretive themes is complete when it provides the structure necessary for park staf to develop opportunities for visitors to explore and relate to all park signifcance statements and fundamental resources and values.

Interpretive themes are an organizational tool that reveal and clarify meaning, concepts, contexts, and values represented by park resources. Sound themes are accurate and refect current scholarship and science. They encourage exploration of the context in which events or natural processes occurred and the efects of those events and processes. Interpretive themes go beyond a mere description of the event or process to foster multiple opportunities to experience and consider the park and its resources. These themes help explain why a park story is relevant to people who may otherwise be unaware of connections they have to an event, time, or place associated with the park.

The following interpretive themes have been identifed for Haleakalā National Park:

1. Haleakalā National Park supports diverse ecosystems from sea level to 10,000 feet in elevation that are the last and only home for many plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth.

2. Haleakalā National Park’s endemic plants and animals are continually threatened by alien species and human actions. Loss of these species endangers not only the health of remnant Hawaiian ecosystems, but intricate connections with living Hawaiian culture.

3. Haleakalā National Park’s visitors, neighbors, and staf share the kuleana (responsibility) of protecting the park’s ecosystems and qualities of wilderness, clear night sky, natural quiet, and clean air.

4. The Native Hawaiian principle of mālama ‘āina (caring for the land) parallels NPS management goals at Haleakalā National Park, allowing park staf, neighbors, and visitors to learn from and apply both traditional knowledge and scientifc research.

5. The Haleakalā shield volcano is the result of two million years of ongoing contest between volcanism and erosion, in which the handiwork of Pele is constantly challenged by the forces of wind and rain.

6. From the frst Polynesian settlers to visitors today, people have been drawn to Haleakalā—for cultural and religious reasons, historic and scientifc interests, recreation, and inspiration.

7. Haleakalā is sacred to Native Hawaiians and supports a vibrant, living Hawaiian culture, including stories, sites, and traditions that link the past to the present and future.

Part 2: Dynamic Components The dynamic components of a foundation document include special mandates and administrative commitments and an assessment of planning and data needs. These components are dynamic because they will change over time. New special mandates can be established and new administrative commitments made. As conditions and trends of fundamental resources and values change over time, the analysis of planning and data needs will need to be revisited and revised, along with key issues. Therefore, this part of the foundation document will be updated accordingly.

Special Mandates and Administrative Commitments Many management decisions for a park unit are directed or infuenced by special mandates and administrative commitments with other federal agencies, state and local governments, utility companies, partnering organizations, and other entities. Special mandates are requirements specifc to a park that must be fulflled. Mandates can be expressed in enabling legislation, in separate legislation following the establishment of the park, or through a judicial process.

They may expand on park purpose or introduce elements unrelated to the purpose of the park. Administrative commitments are, in general, agreements that have been reached through formal, documented processes, often through memorandums of agreement. Examples include easements, rights-of-way, arrangements for emergency service responses, etc. Special mandates and administrative commitments can support, in many cases, a network of partnerships that help fulfll the objectives of the park and facilitate working relationships with other organizations. They are an essential component of managing and planning for Haleakalā National Park.

Special Mandates

· Wilderness Designation – In 1976, Congress enacted Public Law 94-567, which designated approximately 19,270 acres of Haleakalā National Park as wilderness and 5,500 acres within the park as potential wilderness addition. The National Park Service acquired 5,449 of the 5,500 acres, and converted those acres to designated wilderness on February 14, 2002, via Federal Register notice (Vol. 67, No. 31). The National Park Service is mandated to manage these lands (approximately 24,719 acres) to protect its wilderness character.

· Class I Clean Air – Haleakalā National Park is designated a Class I park under the Clean Air Act. Under section 169A, “Congress declares as a national goal the prevention of any existing impairment of visibility in mandatory class I Federal areas which impairment results from manmade air pollution.” The Clean Air Act bestows an “afrmative responsibility” on the federal land managers to protect these areas from the adverse efects of air pollution. Superintendents are charged with taking management actions consistent with this afrwmative responsibility by integrating air resource management into NPS operations and planning. Specifcally, the federal land manager is to identify and protect resources sensitive to air pollution, called Air Quality Related Values, including visibility.

Administrative Commitments For more information about the existing administrative commitments for Haleakalā National Park, please see appendix C.

Assessment of Planning and Data Needs Once the core components of part 1 of the foundation document have been identifed, it is important to gather and evaluate existing information about the park’s fundamental resources and values, and develop a full assessment of the park’s planning and data needs. The assessment of planning and data needs section presents planning issues, the planning projects that will address these issues, and the associated information requirements for planning, such as resource inventories and data collection, including GIS data.

There are three sections in the assessment of planning and data needs:

1. analysis of fundamental resources and values (see appendix B)

2. identifcation of key issues and associated planning and data needs

3. identifcation of planning and data needs (including spatial mapping activities or GIS maps)

The analysis of fundamental resources and values and identifcation of key issues leads up to and supports the identifcation of planning and data collection needs.

Analysis of Fundamental Resources and Values The fundamental resource or value analysis table includes current conditions, potential threats and opportunities, planning and data needs, and selected laws and NPS policies related to management of the identifed resource or value. Please see appendix B for the analysis of fundamental resources and values.

Identifcation of Key Issues and Associated Planning and Data Needs This section considers key issues to be addressed in planning and management and therefore takes a broader view over the primary focus of part 1. A key issue focuses on a question that is important for a park. Key issues often raise questions regarding park purpose and signifcance and fundamental resources and values. For example, a key issue may pertain to the potential for a fundamental resource or value in a park to be detrimentally afected by discretionary management decisions. A key issue may also address crucial questions that are not directly related to purpose and signifcance, but which still afect them indirectly. Usually, a key issue is one that a future planning efort or data collection needs to address and requires a decision by NPS managers.

The following are key issues for Haleakalā National Park and the associated planning and data needs to address them:

Ecosystem Stressors.

Haleakalā National Park contains many rare and sensitive species that are afected by ecosystem stressors including invasive and nonnative species, climate change, external stressors, and visitation (trampling, litter, etc.). There is a need to address the following stressors in planning and management of park ecosystems.

· Invasive and Nonnative Species – Invasive and nonnative species continue to be a major threat to sensitive species and unique ecosystems. Ongoing management of invasive and nonnative species requires substantial investment of park resources (e.g., fencing, invasive species removal). Management actions have beneftted rare species (such as the Hawaiian petrel). However, such actions have also beneftted invasive and nonnative species (such as Clidemia sp., Japanese bush-warblers). Adaptive management tools and decision-making processes are necessary to reevaluate management actions and provide information for decision making.

· Climate Change – Climate change has the potential for serious impacts on ecological systems. Changes in environmental conditions, such as temperatures and rainfall, can cause negative impacts on sensitive species such as the Haleakalā silversword. Changes in spatial climate patterns could favor certain established invasive plant species, such as Monterey pine, further challenging park eforts to control the spread of such species. Additional information on the potential efects climate change will have on park ecosystems is needed to inform park decision making regarding the long-term protection of its sensitive species and unique ecosystems. Many of the park’s identifed planning needs will consider the efects of climate change, the largest single threat to park resources.

· External Stressors – External development and environments also have the potential to impact Haleakalā’s sensitive ecosystems. For example, buildings outside of park boundaries and around Maui, as well as nighttime visitation, could produce light that afects dark skies. Artifcial light may result in substantial impact on certain species. Future energy development projects, on land and of shore, could also impact marine and terrestrial species. Increasing populations of nonnative species that occur outside of park boundaries, such as axis deer and feral dogs, are able to breach park fencing. These species can reverse the recovery of species that beneftted from the park’s management actions.

· Visitation – High concentrations of visitors can afect sensitive habitat. For example, visitors travel of trail beyond designated platforms and viewing areas and trample sensitive areas and species. During high visitation times, parking lots and viewing areas overfow, resulting in resource damage from trampling and trash.

The park’s resource management plan was completed in 1999. Since then, resources have changed dramatically, with many resources recovering because of management actions from the plan (e.g., silversword, Hawaiian petrel). The 1999 plan needs revision to refect these changes to assist the park in making decisions. Additionally, Haleakalā National Park has acquired approximately 6,500 acres of land in isolated areas on the southwestern slope of Haleakalā that contain a variety of habitats and sensitive species. The park lacks management plans for the protection of resources on these newly acquired lands. The primary planning need is an integrated resource stewardship strategy to provide overall management guidance for park ecosystems.

Visitor Capacity.

With more than 1.2 million annual visitors, visitor use management is a key issue for Haleakalā National Park. High visitation to popular park destinations afects park resources, facilities, and overall visitor experience. The vast majority of visitors spend time at the two major visitor areas, the high-elevation Summit and coastal Kīpahulu. Both areas experience frequent crowding and congestion and current infrastructure does not support peak visitation. Large groups of people (tour groups, cruise ships) often visit the park at the same time.

At the Summit area, high volumes of visitors ascend all at once to experience the iconic sunrise over Haleakalā Crater creating a variety of trafc management challenges. High volumes of cars and buses traverse the narrow and winding access road before and after sunrise. Once at the summit, visitors food parking areas, trails, and other viewing areas. When parking lots and viewing areas fll, visitors trample sensitive areas or critical habitat either by foot or by parking in inappropriate areas. Similar circulation and vehicular congestion problems occur at times in the Kīpahulu visitor area.

Many visitors are unprepared for the variety of challenging terrains and weather conditions at Haleakalā, which range from very cold and windy conditions at the high elevation Summit area to heavy downpours and wet conditions at Kīpahulu. Heavy downpours cause fash fooding at the popular ‘Ohe‘o pools, which has resulted in drowning incidents. At Kīpahulu, visitor exploration in areas that are unsafe and contain sensitive resources is another visitor use management challenge. People disregard warning signs and closures and subsequently get injured.

The primary planning need for this issue is the development of visitor use management strategies for the Kīpahulu and Summit areas. Visitor use management strategies would be included as a component of the Kīpahulu comprehensive site plan and through a visitor use management plan for the Summit area. The park will also consider the efects of visitation patterns on local residents and communities.

Facilities and Infrastructure.

Park facilities and infrastructure are at capacity and need evaluation to ensure that they meet long-term visitor and administrative needs. The capacity of existing infrastructure, including roads and utilities, is limited by the park’s steep terrain and remoteness. Any expansion of existing infrastructure such as road widening could have serious impacts on the many sensitive species that inhabit the park, such as the Hawaiian petrel, Haleakalā silversword, and Haleakalā sandalwood.

Facilities at the Summit and Kīpahulu visitor areas reach capacity during peak visitation periods. The availability of potable drinking water and wastewater treatment capacity are also limiting factors that need to be considered with increasing visitation. Climate change could further afect the potable water collection system at the summit as the inversion layer rises.

Additionally, accessible trails and overlooks in many areas of the park are not compliant per standards required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Recently acquired park lands in remote areas of the southwestern slope currently have no visitor service or operational facilities. Although access to these areas is very limited given their remote location and constrained road access, the National Park Service needs to determine if appropriate and feasible levels of visitor use at these locations are possible, and what facilities or infrastructure improvements would be necessary to accommodate these uses.

High-priority planning needs that would help address infrastructure needs at Haleakalā include the comprehensive site plan at Kīpahulu, the visitor use management plan at the Summit area, the management plan for areas on the southwestern slope (Nu‘u, Ka‘āpahu, and Puhilele), and the climate action plan (green parks plan).

Telling the Full Story of Haleakalä National Park – Improving Outreach and Relevancy.

Based on information from the Maui Visitors Bureau, most, if not all, visitors to Maui visit Haleakalā National Park. Visitors often receive information from hotel concierges and tourism companies who direct them to visit the popular areas in the park. Often visitors are unprepared for the wide range of terrain and weather conditions at Haleakalā afecting their safety. Because the majority of visitors typically only experience major attractions such as the ‘O‘heo pools at Kīpahulu and sunrise at the Haleakalā Crater, they do not gain an understanding of the park as a whole and the full range of signifcant resources at Haleakalā. Greater outreach is needed with the tourism industry to ensure that visitors are prepared for conditions at Haleakalā National Park and to provide visitors with information to understand the full range of resources and experiences at the park.

The park could greatly beneft from greater outreach to the local community including Native Hawaiians, schools, and local organizations. Although the park has productive relationships with the Kīpahulu ‘Ohana and Kupuna groups, some segments of the local community perceive the park as being run by people outside of the culture. Greater engagement could increase volunteerism and partnership eforts. Subject to departmental and agency policies, opportunities such as programs for job recruitment, retention, and internship/hiring programs could also improve engagement and relevancy in the local community. Sustaining and building partnerships through park planning processes provide additional opportunities to engage the broader community in park decision-making processes.

Broader interpretation of the cultural story could improve connections and relevancy with the Hawaiian community and would help employees and visitors understand the cultural signifcance of the park. In addition to local outreach eforts, there are also opportunities for the park to partner in islandwide coordinated eforts such as for natural and cultural resource preservation.

Primary planning needs to address this issue include a comprehensive interpretive plan and a multidisciplinary plan for outreach. Visitor use studies would inform these planning eforts.

Wilderness Protection.

Haleakalā National Park contains approximately 24,000 acres of wilderness, almost 72% of the park’s land. Many of the park’s fundamental resources are within wilderness, which encompasses scenic views, endemic plant and animal life, a volcanic landscape, evidence of Hawaiian culture and other historic uses, and the volcano’s vast natural depression itself. Haleakalā Wilderness provides opportunities for visitors to enjoy the solitude and untrammeled landscape that are characteristic of a high quality wilderness experience.

Acoustic measurements confrm that Haleakalā Crater is one of the quietest places on Earth.

The Haleakalā Crater and its western slopes have hiking and riding trails as well as three visitor cabins (at Kapalaoa, Hōlua, and Palikū) and two primitive campsites for overnight use by the public. The historic cabins predate and are excluded from the designated wilderness.

However, modern conveniences associated with these structures such as water spigots, heating, outhouses, and picnic tables have some efect on the availability of a primitive recreational wilderness experience in these areas.

In some areas, wilderness values are afected by park operations, unauthorized activities, and aircraft overfights. Park management activities focused on protection and restoration of natural resources, such as the use of helicopters to transport staf, materials, and monitoring equipment, require some level of disturbance in or near wilderness. While these activities improve the natural quality of wilderness, they have an efect on other qualities of wilderness such as undeveloped, untrammeled, and opportunities for solitude or primitive and unconfned recreation.

Unauthorized activities include of trail travel, feeding of wildlife, stacking of rocks, littering, and drawing in the cinders. Such activities make an obvious imprint on the landscape.

Surrounding development also has an efect on wilderness values. For example, the Haleakalā Observatories and radio repeaters along the rim are modern buildings and structures that might interfere with a view from within the wilderness. Future energy development projects, such as wind turbines, could further impact viewsheds. Air pollution from regional and local sources of pollution such as power plants, wildfres, industrial facilities, agriculture, and urban development also has the potential to afect views in wilderness. Air tours of Haleakalā National Park are a popular attraction on Maui, ofering visitors a unique way to access, view, and enjoy the park’s volcanic landscape, rain forest, and waterfalls from the air. However, overfights and air tours can impact wilderness values, primarily the solitude and natural quiet.

Commercial uses of the Haleakalā Wilderness, such as hiking and horseback tours, provide unique opportunities to experience wilderness. However, without proper management, such uses can impact wilderness values. The park must determine the extent to which commercial services are necessary to fulfll the recreational and other purposes of Haleakalā’s congressionally designated wilderness areas to ensure compliance with sec. 4(d)(5) of the Wilderness Act. A wilderness stewardship plan would provide guidance for protection of Haleakalā Wilderness values and provide necessary guidance for commercial activities in wilderness.

Other Important Issues In addition to the key issues described above, management challenges related to stafng and budget were also noted as afecting park management and operations.

Operational Challenges.

Park operations are strained by insufcient funding and stafng limitations, afecting both day-to-day and long-term management of the park. The lack of career track positions and the high cost of living on Maui create high staf turnover, resulting in lack of continuity and experience.

Planning and Data Needs To maintain connection to the core elements of the foundation and the importance of these core foundation elements, the planning and data needs listed here are directly related to protecting fundamental resources and values, park signifcance, and park purpose, as well as addressing key issues. To successfully undertake a planning efort, information from sources such as inventories, studies, research activities, and analyses may be required to provide adequate knowledge of park resources and visitor information. Such information sources have been identifed as data needs. Geospatial mapping tasks and products are included in data needs.

Items considered of the utmost importance were identifed as high priority, and other items identifed, but not rising to the level of high priority, were listed as either medium- or low-priority needs.