Keālia Refuge Visitor Center Closure Extended

Hawaiian stilts. Photo courtesy DLNR.

By Maui Now Staff

The Keālia Pond National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center is tentatively scheduled to be closed through September 2014 due to mechanical issues with the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning system, the US Fish and Wildlife Service announced today.

“The HVAC system issues make the building uninhabitable by both staff and visitors until remedied,” the announcement said.

The facility has been closed since last month when mechanical problems with an air conditioning unit were discovered.

The agency will notify the public once a date has been finalized for reopening the facility.

Refuge officials say visitors can still access the bird viewing and wildlife observation area at the refuge Monday through Thursday between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.  The refuge is closed Friday to Sunday, and all federal holidays.

The Keālia Coastal Boardwalk is also open and accessible seven days a week from sunrise until 7 p.m., with bird viewing opportunities.

The two locations are frequented by visitors wanting to catch a glimpse of Hawaiian wetland birds, and nesting activities of Hawaiian stilts and coots in their natural habitat.

The Refuge is located at mile 6 of the Mokulele Highway in Kīhei; and the Keālia Coastal Boardwalk is located on North Kīhei Road between Kīhei and Māʻalaea.