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(The following is captured from the original Friends of Little Beach Website)
In late 2001, a Task Force Committee was formed by the Dept. of Land & Natural Resources to come up with recommendations for an updated plan for Makena State Park of which Little Beach is a part. Dick Hyers asked to serve and was appointed to the committee to have the interests of FOLB/MSS voiced. There were a few closed meetings of the committee but the biggest ruckus came at a meeting that was open to the public in order to “take public testimony” regarding the park. Prior to this meeting there was an article in the Maui News saying that Native Hawaiians wanted to use Little Beach but could not as “nudity” was not part of their culture and offends them. The suggestion was to “share” Little Beach and “allow nudity” a couple of days a month! This idea was rejected out of hand as unworkable and a bit silly. 
The public meeting was attended by over 200 people mostly clothing-optional use supporters. There were two Native Hawaiian women that “testified” against clothing- optional use. One of them called the pro clothing–optional use people (about 180 of the 200+ in attendance) “just a bunch of haoles.” She also stated that “our people (meaning Native Hawaiians) don’t come out to meetings.”
The results of the Public Meeting where inconclusive but of the 85+ testifiers, most were pro-clothing-optional use for Little Beach! Since that Public Meeting there have been numerous newspaper articles and letters to the editor in both the Maui News and the Honolulu Advertiser. (I have written 5 Letters but only 2 have been published.) As you can see a lot has been going on.
The latest move by Charlie Maxwell, a “Hawaiian Activist” and committee member is to support ‘Na Kapuna ‘O Maui’ in their efforts to make the entire Makena State Park a state or national cultural site in hopes that such a designation will result in a “higher level of enforcement” (sic: stop clothing-optional use of Little Beach) Na Kapuna ‘O Maui is a group of Hawaiian elders that want to “bring the culture back to the beach.”
We are looking into the possibility of retaining an attorney in order to ascertain the ramifications of listing the Park as a State or National Historical/Cultural Site. The 'Na Kapuna 'O Maui' group has already done so and his statement was (sic) 'such a designation would bring a higher level of enforcement' within the Park.
This is another call for an all-out letter writing campaign as well as a request for financial support. See below for addresses and people to send letters to. We are going for quantity here, so if there is more than one person at your address, please have all persons submit a letter. Make this a family project!!
TOURISTS:
Be sure in your letters to stress that:
RESIDENTS:
Do your own thing!!
Original to:
Fortunately, the Park Committee meetings got bogged down in talk and no action:
Summary from 12/05/01 Meeting
As of September, 2002, things have calmed down. Little Beach is just as popular as ever. No pertinent news from the Task Force Committee. Charlie Maxwell has moved on to other "issues." Beach business is back to normal.
Footnote: Charlie Maxwell passed away in February 2012.
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Friends of Little Beach (FoLB)
- Maui, Hawai'i -
- Maui, Hawai'i -