Caring for Haleakalā with Aloha ʻĀina During the Shutdown

E mālama i ka ʻāina, a mālama ka ʻāina iā ʻoe – Care for the land, and the land will care for you.

Aloha kākou (Greetings, everyone),

Haleakalā National Park remains open during the federal government shutdown, but with only a small number of essential staff. Many of the people who care for this wahi pana (sacred place) are furloughed, and normal operations, including fee collection, maintenance, and education programs, are paused.

For Friends of Haleakalā National Park (FHNP), this time has become a quiet reminder of our kuleana (responsibility): to help our community understand how to visit responsibly and to support the mauna (mountain) and those who care for it, even while the Park’s normal support system rhythm has slowed.

Being Prepared Is an Act of Respect

For those who choose to visit Haleakalā during the shutdown, preparation is more than a safety measure, it’s a way of showing care and respect. With limited staff and no on-site emergency response, visitors must be self-sufficient and mindful that help could take hours to arrive if needed. Planning ahead, packing properly, and knowing your limits are all acts of respect, for yourself, for others, and for the ʻāina (land).

We’ve Been Here Before

This isn’t the first time Haleakalā has weathered a government shutdown. In 2013, the Park closed completely. In 2018–2019, the gates stayed open — but with few staff, essential conservation work stopped, fences went unrepaired, and even endangered Nēnē (Hawaiian geese) were lost to predators and cars. These moments showed how quickly the absence of staff and funding can affect both people and place, leaving impacts that last long after the gates reopen.

During the 2013 closure, Haleakalā lost about $6,800 per day in entrance fees, money that normally supports trail and facility maintenance, research, and protection of native habitats. That loss also rippled beyond park boundaries: when visitors stay away or when park services pause, the local economy feels it too. In past shutdowns, small businesses and community partners who rely on visitor spending experienced immediate downturns.

When that revenue and activity stop, projects are delayed, research pauses, and the Park’s ability to manage its fragile ecosystems is reduced. Even now, while the current shutdown has kept the Park’s gates open, the effects remain cumulative. A slow, quiet strain on both the land and the people who care for it.

Caring for Haleakalā, Wherever We Are

Haleakalā is “the solid anchor of the island.” Its summit district has long been regarded as Wao Akua (the region of the gods), a realm of sacredness and transformation. For generations, both early Hawaiians and modern visitors have looked upon its landscape with humility and awe.

FHNP encourages everyone who visits to remember that Haleakalā is not just a scenic landscape. It is a living, storied wahi pana (sacred place). Practicing aloha ʻāina (love and care for the land) can be as simple as staying on trails, packing out your trash, and preventing spread of invasive species or introducing rapid ohia death by cleaning gear and shoes and spraying with alcohol. You can learn more about Leave No Trace principles here.

Many of our friends and colleagues at the Park, from rangers to researchers, are enduring this shutdown with resilience and dedication. We honor their commitment to protecting Haleakalā, even under difficult circumstances, and we stand in support of the National Park Service staff who care for these places every day. It is our hope that they can soon return to their work safeguarding this cherished mountain for all who visit.

“We look forward to the day when all of us, park staff, partners, and volunteers alike. are back to supporting Haleakalā through our work, our service, and the many ways we each give back to this place.”
— Elizabeth Speith, FHNP President

Even as many park staff are furloughed and fees are suspended, stewardship continues through

Together, these partners keep the foundation of care alive until the Park is fully operational again, ensuring that when the gates are fully open, Haleakalā’s programs, people, and purpose are ready to flourish.

A Lasting Lesson in Reciprocity

During this pause, we are reminded of something shared years ago by Dr. Art Medeiros, respected biologist and program manager for the Auwahi Forest Restoration Project:

“We come to the mountain to give back, but in the end, it gives us more.”
-Dr. Art Medeiros

That truth echoes a timeless Hawaiian proverb:
E mālama i ka ʻāina, a mālama ka ʻāina iā ʻoe, Care for the land, and the land will care for you.

Our relationship with Haleakalā is reciprocal. When we serve, the mountain gives back, in wisdom, perspective, and renewal. As Friends of Haleakalā, we strive to live by this truth and to gently guide others to do the same. Helping visitors understand how to be pono (righteous, balanced) in the Park, to tread lightly, respect the ʻāina, and act with kindness, strengthens the connection between people and place. Each of us becomes part of the ongoing story of care that sustains Haleakalā.

Our Shared Kuleana (Responsibility)

Haleakalā has weathered storms, eruptions, and countless changes. It will endure this pause too, and so will we.

By minimizing our impacts, supporting the Park’s mission from outside the gate, and helping others act with aloha ʻāina, we help ensure that the mauna (mountain) and the people who care for it remain strong and ready when operations resume.

He aliʻi ka ʻāina, he kauwā ke kanaka, The land is a chief; man is its servant.