We, at Skyline, have come to the realization that some readers of our recent announcement regarding the National Park Service awarding us with a commercial contract for Guided Vehicle Tours beginning next year may be, understandably, confused and believe this to mean that Skyline might be building ziplines in the National Park.
That is not the case, to be clear Skyline will NOT be building a zipline course in Haleakala National Park and we have absolutely no desire to do so. The contract we have been awarded will allow us to operate vans and mini-buses on designated paved roadways in Haleakala National Park, in the same manner that many companies have been operating vans and mini-buses to Haleakala National Park for many, many decades. What has changed is that the National Park Service realized that over the years Haleakala has become a more popular destination, and in particular sunrise at the Haleakala Crater has become very crowded. This overcrowding has negative impacts on the environment and cultural resources at Haleakala - as well as having a negative impact of the experience of individuals who visit Haleakala crater at sunrise.
For this reason, the National Park Service made the determination that by limiting the number of "Guided Vehicle" (van / mini-bus) companies operating in Haleakala National Park, particularly at sunrise, to just 4 operators - and by limiting the number of vehicles that each company can bring into the National Park at that time, the issue of overcrowding at the Haleakala summit could be effectively addressed.
This change is expected to improve the experience for everyone visiting the Haleakala crater, and aid in protecting Haleakala's fragile environment and numerous cultural sites. Skyline was very fortunate to be awarded one of those four contracts to operate vans and minibuses into Haleakala National Park beginning January 1, 2018. Again, this is a service that has been happening in Haleakala National Park for a number of decades.
While guided vehicle tours are a new offering for Skyline, we are thrilled to have this opportunity to expand the types of tours we offer, while continuing to maintain our focus on educating visitors about the vital importance of Hawaiian culture and Hawaii's unique environment. We intend to do this in a manner consistent with core company values, as well as values held by the members of this community.
To understand more about the values of Skyline as a company, please visit us at: https://www.skylinehawaii.com/about/conservation
That is not the case, to be clear Skyline will NOT be building a zipline course in Haleakala National Park and we have absolutely no desire to do so. The contract we have been awarded will allow us to operate vans and mini-buses on designated paved roadways in Haleakala National Park, in the same manner that many companies have been operating vans and mini-buses to Haleakala National Park for many, many decades. What has changed is that the National Park Service realized that over the years Haleakala has become a more popular destination, and in particular sunrise at the Haleakala Crater has become very crowded. This overcrowding has negative impacts on the environment and cultural resources at Haleakala - as well as having a negative impact of the experience of individuals who visit Haleakala crater at sunrise.
For this reason, the National Park Service made the determination that by limiting the number of "Guided Vehicle" (van / mini-bus) companies operating in Haleakala National Park, particularly at sunrise, to just 4 operators - and by limiting the number of vehicles that each company can bring into the National Park at that time, the issue of overcrowding at the Haleakala summit could be effectively addressed.
This change is expected to improve the experience for everyone visiting the Haleakala crater, and aid in protecting Haleakala's fragile environment and numerous cultural sites. Skyline was very fortunate to be awarded one of those four contracts to operate vans and minibuses into Haleakala National Park beginning January 1, 2018. Again, this is a service that has been happening in Haleakala National Park for a number of decades.
While guided vehicle tours are a new offering for Skyline, we are thrilled to have this opportunity to expand the types of tours we offer, while continuing to maintain our focus on educating visitors about the vital importance of Hawaiian culture and Hawaii's unique environment. We intend to do this in a manner consistent with core company values, as well as values held by the members of this community.
To understand more about the values of Skyline as a company, please visit us at: https://www.skylinehawaii.com/about/conservation
