Richardson relied upon Hawaiian law and traditional custom in ruling that the vegetation line marked the shoreline boundary between private land and public trust lands. These decisions preserved public ownership of and access to Hawai?i's beaches.
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There are no private beaches on Maui, so the public has access to all Maui beach parks on the island. Hawaii law states that all land below the high tide mark is automatically owned by the state, so even beaches next to private homes are still open to the public.
Collecting beach glass and shells is still allowed. But if you're collecting shells for the purposes of commercial activity, a Commercial Marine License is required per HRS §189-2,3 and Hawai'i Administrative Rule §13-74-20.
And that's a very risky endeavor, as taking sand from any beach in Hawaii is punishable by fines upwards of $100,000. This includes Papakolea Beach, also known as Green Sands Beach, and Punalu'u Beach, which is famous for its black volcanic sands.