PATH Maui Needs Your Help
Aloha Friends at Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club,
First some local history on Maui. In the 1850 to 1900 period tiny (a few acres) plots of sugar cane were joined to form the mammoth sugar plantations. This ended up including monarchy and eventually county owned roads. These roads were paved and remain in good shape. Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar Company closed the roads illegally to walkers and bicyclists. Mahi Pono recently bought the land. The roads, of course, remain public.
PATH (Public Access Trails Hawaii) has spent over $5000 on research. PATH finds these roads as county owned:
- Kihei-Makawao Road
- Waiko (Waikapu) Road
- Paia Mill Road
- Sprecklesville Road
- Portion on Kala Road
- Sunnyside Road
This is over 19.9 miles of high class hiking/biking paths.
How you can help. Council person Gabe Johnson from Lanai is interested. He will bring these roads to the “Conservation Planning Committee” for review. These roads will be the only free land to be discussed. Please contact Johnson’s aide Axel.Beers at Axel.Beers@mauicounty.us and encourage this action.
I do not have to tell you that this is an up hill fight as corporations come first on Maui. Your participation by email is first. Secondly, PATH needs to raise another $5000 for our own title search. CLICK HERE to visit the website and find out how to donate.
For more information feel free to contact me at brown9183@twc.com. The main document including pictures and maps is the 1988 Appraisal on publicaccesstrailshawaii.org, Archives, Roads, Government Roads in Sugar Cane Lands.
Thanks for your help.
David Henderson Brown, M.D.
Executive Director, Public Access Trails Hawaii
