WAILUKU, Hawaii -- Haleakala National Park officials are holding public meetings on Maui to discuss developing the park's first commercial users plan to ensure popular bus and bike tours don't hurt the area's delicate ecology.

Two decades ago, the path leading into the much-visited volcano crater in the park was four feet wide.

Hawaiian cultural specialist Charles Maxwell told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin that the trail is now 14 feet wide and growing.

"It's amazing. There's no enforcement. You see people walking on the tops of cinders where there are no trails," he said. "The amount of buses up there is ruining the flora and fauna."

About 1.5 million visitors arrive at the crater each year -- more than half through commercial services, according to park officials.

Park Superintendent Marilyn Parris says she implemented a plan in November that banned large buses and reduced the number of bicycle tours for public safety reasons.

"It was just gridlocked with vehicles," she said. "If you had tried to get an ambulance in and out, it would have almost been impossible."

Some also want the park to provide tours on the importance of protecting endangered species in the park, such as the nene goose and the silversword plant.

Native Hawaiians also want more information provided to visitors about the importance of the area to Hawaiian culture, including stories of how Maui captured the sun on Haleakala.

Phil Feliciano, owner of Cruiser Phil's Volcano Riders, said he agreed with the decision in November to cut the number of bicycle tour vans to 19 from about 30.

"Whatever the park wants to do, I'm all for it," he said. "I want to see all the visitors get a better quality experience."