Workers at the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge on Maui held a grand opening Thursday for a 7,500-square-foot building housing its headquarters and a visitor center.

"This is a big step forward for us to better serve our visitors and volunteers," said Glynnis Nakai, federal project leader for the refuge and the Maui National Wildlife Refuge Complex. "The best part is that the facility will in the long run benefit the native birds and plants that we are here to protect."

The headquarters and visitor center were funded through a $4.9 million grant, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The staff formerly worked out of offices in a trailer.

U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, who attended the ceremonies, said the facilities will significantly expand opportunities for visitors, including school groups, to learn about native wildlife.

The roughly 700-acre wetland is home to endangered Hawaiian stilts, Hawaiian coots and the hawksbill turtle.

Hannah Bernard, president of the Hawaii Wildlife Fund, said the refuge, established in 1992, has come a long way from the days when vehicles drove across the sand dunes and mud flats — and endangered hawksbill turtles would be crushed by vehicles on North Kihei Road.

She said the deaths of hawksbills in 1993 and 1996 prompted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to take preventative action and to join in a partnership with the volunteers to build sand fences.

The sand fences kept the sand from drifting, helped to build the sand dunes, and also prevented hawksbill turtles from migrating at night toward the lights of vehicles on North Kihei Road.

"It was a strong community effort," Bernard said. "I really appreciate the perseverance of the Fish and Wildlife Service."

The new facility includes a 1,358-square-foot lobby and exhibit hall, 1,043-square-foot multipurpose room, eight offices, a small conference room and other workrooms.

Federal officials said more than 10,000 people visit the refuge each year for various wildlife-oriented activities, including bird watching, photography, environmental education and interpretation, and habitat restoration projects to remove invasive species.