Native Hawaiian Foster Ampong of Lahaina opposes an off-highway vehicle park in Wahikuli during a public meeting Wednesday night at the Lahaina Civic Center. Ampong’s vehement objections and those of Native Hawaiians who don’t want the park on former Hawaiian crown lands caused state officials to end the meeting early.LAHAINA - A public meeting to discuss a proposed off-road vehicle park in Wahikuli was cut short Tuesday evening when several Native Hawaiians loudly objected to the project proposed on nearly 670 acres of state land.The meeting came the same day the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the state's authority to sell or transfer public lands formerly owned by the kingdom of Hawaii."You wasting your time up there. I'm the owner of the land," said John Aquino of Lahaina, who was the first to disrupt the meeting at the Lahaina Civic Center. "This is shibai. It's not going to happen."Aquino and other Native Hawaiians objected to the state's proposal to set up an off-road Wahikuli trail riding park on 669.5 acres, saying the state does not have clear title to the land.Another Native Hawaiian, Foster Ampong, held the attention of approximately 130 audience members for around 10 minutes while he spoke about the pain Hawaiians have about crown lands, particularly after the high court's ruling was issued Tuesday."Hawaiians today feel very, very, injured," he said. Later, he added: "Today is a bad day to have this meeting."I so against this," Ampong said of the project. But "I'm not against the riders."The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a 1993 congressional resolution apologizing for the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893 didn't strip the state of its authority over 1.2 million acres of former crown lands. The ruling overturned a decision by the Hawaii Supreme Court that blocked the sale of land conveyed to Hawaii when it became the 50th state. The high court returned the issue to the Hawaii Supreme Court for further action.After adjourning the meeting about an hour earlier than expected, Torrie Nohara, Maui manager for the state's Na Ala Hele Trails and Access Program, said she would discuss what happened at the meeting with the program's advisory board.The discussion could include looking for other locations for the park, Nohara said.Na Ala Hele has been assisting off-road vehicle enthusiasts looking for a legal place to ride on the island.John Torres, a longtime off-road rider, remained positive after the meeting."We're going to keep moving forward," said Torres, president of the Maui Off-Highway Vehicle Association, which is working with the state on the proposed park. "This is a recreational issue. It isn't a racial issue."He added that the riders are not trying to take away land from the local Hawaiian residents, but they are trying to give off-road riders a legal place to ride as well as a safe place to educate their children about riding."The unfortunate part, no matter where you go on this island, you going to face opposition," Torres said.For more than 30 years, off-road riders have been looking for a legal place to ride. They say they have no choice but to ride on private properties or other places where they are unwelcome. The Maui Raceway Park is a place they can ride legally, but enthusiasts say it is only a track, not riding trails.Torres said the Big Island and Oahu have places where riders can go legally.Before the meeting was interrupted, Nohara was conducting a slide-show presentation about the history of the project and told audience members it has taken years to find a spot for the park. She said locations were sought throughout Maui, but large private landowners such as Alexander & Baldwin and Maui Land & Pineapple Co. turned down proposals for off-road trails on their property, she said.The Wahikuli park would provide 30 to 40 miles of trails. It is proposed for lands located about 1 mile mauka of the Lahaina Civic Center. The property reaches into the mountains above Wahikuli and is bordered on the right and the left by two privately owned, undeveloped parcels of land. It is bordered makai by the Honokohau Ditch.The proposed Wahikuli off-highway vehicle park is also part of the state Department of Land and Natural Resource's proposed Recreational Renaissance plan. The plan would use nonresident park admission and money from new land leases to pay for restoration and preservation projects for state parks, trails and ocean recreation facilities.In the plan, the Wahikuli park is budgeted for $3 million. Construction could begin as early as 2012. State legislators would need to approve funding for the project as well as revenue sources for the Recreational Renaissance plan.* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.
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