The natural beauty of Maui's sandy beaches and shoreline areas is an extremely valuable resource to residents as well as to visitors from throughout the world. Beaches are vital environmental, cultural, recreational, and economic resources. The beach supports the habitat for many marine and terrestrial organisms including many endangered native Hawaiian plants.
Healthy beaches are central to the health and vitality of the shoreline area and coastal waters.
Beaches buffer ground water discharges into the coastal zone as well as discharges from septic systems and cesspools. Beaches also provide for diverse cultural opportunities including religious activities and traditional ceremonies. Furthermore, this unique attraction with diverse opportunities drives the economy by supporting numerous jobs and providing services to maintain Hawaii's thriving visitor industry. Unfortunately, some of our sandy beaches are eroding and disappearing as a result of natural shoreline processes, development and hardening along the shoreline, and other human impacts. Recognizing the importance of Maui's beach resources, it is imperative that they be preserved, protected and restored where possible.