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Join Us in Creating a New General Management Plan
This year, the National Park Service, together with our visitors, neighbors, and partners, is beginning the exciting process of creating a vision for the future of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. This vision will be compiled into a new "General Management Plan" and Environmental Impact Statement that will guide management of the park for the next 15-20 years.
The plan will answer “What kind of place do we want this park to be?” It will serve as a guidebook for the future to help managers make decisions about how to best protect natural and cultural resources, what levels and types of uses are appropriate, what facilities should be developed, and how people should access the park.
It has been more than 30 years since the park’s previous master plan was completed. Since that time, the park has experienced increased visitation, advances in knowledge about ecological and cultural resources, and numerous volcanic eruptions with the resultant loss of buildings and roadways. In 2003, the park grew by 116,000 acres with the acquisition of Kahuku on the southwest slope of Mauna Loa Volcano. Over the course of this five-year planning effort, we will develop a range of management alternatives based on comments from this first scoping period, distribute draft alternatives for public review, select a preferred alternative, and invite your review of the draft general management plan and environmental impact statement. You will have several opportunities to comment to ensure that we are addressing our common concerns to protect resources and provide for enriching visitor experiences.
As part of the first step in creating a new General Management Plan, we will be asking people to share their concerns and visions for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, its resources, and the experiences park visitors should expect and enjoy.
We'd like to hear from you! There are several ways to submit your ideas and comments. Join us at one of our open houses on Hawai‘i Island, O‘ahu, or Maui. Come meet the park's planning team, learn more about the planning process, and share your ideas about the future of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. To submit comments on-line, click on the PEPC link on this page. To respond by mail, write to Superintendent, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, PO Box 52, Hawaii National Park, HI 96718. For more information, call Park Planner Lora Gale at (808) 985-6303. This first formal “public scoping” comment period, is underway through June 30, 2009.
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