Department of Land and Natural Resources

DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES
News Release

NEIL ABERCROMBIE GOVERNOR

WILLIAM J. AILA JR, CHAIRPERSON

For Immediate Release June 3, 2013

 

PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING TOMORROW
ON MALA BOAT LAUNCHING RAMP PROJECT

LAHAINA — The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) will hold a public information meeting at 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 4 at Kamehameha III Elementary School cafeteria, at 611 Front St in Lahaina, concerning its plans for Mala boat launch ramp which will involve replacing two existing concrete loading docks and a portion of the launch ramp and approach to the launch ramp as well as parking lot and related improvements.

Maui legislators Representative Angus McKelvey and Senator Roz Baker will attend the meeting, along with Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) staff and the contractor.

Mala’s boat launch ramp is heavily used by the public and visitors, and is the only boat launch ramp facility in West Maui. The two (2) concrete loading docks are old and badly deteriorated and need to be replaced before they become a safety hazard. In order to replace the two loading docks and portions of the boat launch ramp the ramp facility would need to be closed for two (2) months, which will impact the recreational and commercial boaters that regularly use the ramp.

DLNR’s objective in meeting with boaters and ramp users is to determine a mutually agreeable two month closure period for the boat ramp loading dock construction and how to mitigate impacts to the ramp users during the ramp closure. Flyers and notices to boaters were distributed by boating staff.

Project bids were opened on April 3, 2013. Project contractor is Goodfellow Bros. Inc. and the construction project cost is $892,000 ($223,000 State appropriated funds, and $669,000 Federal). Federal funding comes from a Sportfish Restoration Act for Boat Access grant administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 

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For more information, news media may contact:

Deborah Ward
DLNR Public Information Specialist
Phone: (808) 587-0320