Helicopter flights at Haleakala National Park used to ferry wood for backcountry cabins are being reduced/NPS

To reduce helicopter noise and impacts to wildlife and visitors, Haleakalā National Park in Hawaii is implementing a new wood locker system for backcountry cabin users. Each of the park’s three cabins will be equipped with 18 lockers and each locker will contain three logs.

The new approach is aimed at managing wood use in the cabins and reducing helicopter flights that in the past have been used to ferry wood to the cabins. Now, wood will be stocked in the cabins regularly by rangers using mules. The new system is aimed at ending unregulated use of wood by those who used the cabins. In the past, the park says, two weeks’ worth of logs could be depleted in one day, leaving no logs for subsequent cabin users. 

Few, if any, other national parks provide wood burning stoves and logs to backcountry visitors. Haleakalā National Park’s new wood lockers will promote responsible use of firewood, ensure that all visitors have plenty of wood (three logs per night), and will reduce noise pollution and wildlife disturbance in the crater, which is congressionally designated Wilderness and world famous for being one of the quietest places on Earth, the park staff said.

So far this year the National Park Service spent an estimated $139,700 and flew helicopters for 26 hours in the park crater to deliver logs to cabins. The new locker system should reduce costs significantly, with savings reallocated to maintaining and improving backcountry visitor services. Park Service helicopter operations will still be required in the crater for emergency searches and rescues, as well as resource protection operations, but will likely be reduced by at least 50 percent, a park release said.

Locker combinations will be assigned and issued by park staff (one locker combination per night) at the time of check in for cabin permits at Headquarters Visitor Center (at 7,000 feet elevation) in the summit district. Any visitors wanting to pack in more wood can purchase logs and fire starters at the gift store during check in. 

“People frequently ask what they can do to help us protect this special place,” said Superintendent Natalie Gates. “By using our new log system and burning responsibly, they are helping us reduce helicopters over the crater.”