We have been asked a few questions and we want to mention the answers so that we all can address the issues if the questions arise again:
“Why do you trim back or remove naupaka from the shoreline? Why not let mother nature establish a balance without interference.”
The short answer is ‘irrigation’. Typically beach naupaka in our parks receives too much irrigation as a result of the watering of the park grass and the native plants can’t control growth when over-irrigated. The danger is that the naupaka roots grow makai and bind the dune sand and diminish the capacity of winter waves to relocate beach sand offshore. When winter storms are allowed to take beach and dune sand
offshore
the wave intensity
onshore
is diminished which results in reduced damage to our shoreline. Our Parks Dept. does a great job limiting the irrigation, but native plants need almost no additional water and our park grass areas would be dead or brown without some irrigation.
The next question we receive is
“Why all of the little ropes and posts and signs directing people to pathways?”
Designated pathways protect the dunes and virtually eliminate erosion. It has become a volunteer- group effort to provide and maintain adequate pathways at our Kihei beaches. Once pathways are established the native plants fill in the dune blowout spots and the pathways again appear typical and natural. Of course storm damage starts the process all over again, and pathways are always needing some alteration- that is why we often use sand bag steps to limit the steep drops encountered after storms.
Finally,
“Do you have to have some sort of permit for this work, and who establishes the guidelines?”
Yes we are permitted, and we work under the direction of the South Maui Parks Supervisor and the Coastal Process Extension Agent, and the Maui County Planning Dept.