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Too many horses ruining Haleakala?

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  • Too many horses ruining Haleakala?

    For years and years, guided tours on horseback within Haleakala Crater have been a highlight of many tourists' vacations to Maui. Thousands of other people visit the summit to witness the awesome sunrise.

    Now, with the increased demand for these tours, there's a fear that the environment within the crater and down its flanks is being harmed.

    Haleakala, Home to Maui, Capturer of the Sun, has been pristine for thousands of years. Now the famous Sliding Sands Trail is being trampled on by as many as 26 horses every day. Every day hundreds more people ride down Haleakala on mountain bikes, delaying traffic on the winding roads and creating dangerous situations for both the bikers and motorists.

    The National Park Service has an obligation to preserve the pristine nature of the mountain so that in the future, it will look the same as it has for hundreds of years. And if Halekala changes drastically, the tourists will be less likely to visit. Of course, if things get too bad, Pele could stir things up, because, after all, Haleakala is only dormant, not extinct.

    Miulang
    "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain
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