DLNR SEEKS TIPS FROM PUBLIC ON THEFT OF SOLAR PANELS AT MACKENZIE STATE RECREATION AREA
New comfort station will be closed indefinitely until replacements, security measures are in place
HILO -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is seeking tips from the public that may help enforcement officers identify persons who stole solar panels and other items from MacKenzie State Recreation Area in Puna district this past weekend.
DLNR’s Division of State Parks has been conducting ongoing improvements at MacKenzie State Recreation Area since early this year that include a new composting comfort station and parking area near the camping sites and road repairs and improvements. Park improvements were to be completed this month.
Unfortunately, this past weekend (April 27-28), the new comfort station sustained property damage and theft of the newly installed solar panels and electrical equipment to operate the composting toilets. As a result, the new comfort station will be closed indefinitely to ensure the completion of repairs and installation of replacements, and security improvements are made.
Some of the items that were stolen are part of a sewage containment system and not of much value to those that have taken them because of the specialized nature of the parts.
It is not yet known how long it will take to find replacement parts and components of the stolen and damaged facilities.
Hawaii County Police Department and DLNR DOCARE enforcement officers are investigating. Estimates on the value of items stolen are pending. Anyone with information about the theft of items is asked to call the DOCARE branch office in Hilo at (808) 974-6208.
MacKenzie State Recreation Area, covering 13.1 acres, is located on Kalapana-Kapono Beach Road (Highway 137), 9 miles northeast of Kaimu. It is a low-cliffed, wild volcanic coastline with picnicking and tent camping in an ironwood grove and known for good shore fishing. An old Hawaiian coastal trail traverses the park. The park has restrooms, camping area, trash cans, but no water and is open daily during daylight hours. There is no entrance fee.
DLNR REPAIRS AT KEKAHA KAI STATE PARK BEGIN MONDAY
Mahaiula section to close weekdays April 8-May 3 but stay open on weekends
KONA, HAWAII — Starting Monday, April 8, 2013, the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) will begin repair work on the entry road to the Mahaiula section of Kekaha Kai State Park, necessitating weekday closures. This work is anticipated to take three to four weeks and will consist of pothole and sectional filling and laying compacted gravel on the roadway surface. This park section will be closed on weekdays from April 8 to May 3, 2013, but reopened on weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) during this period.
REHABILITATION OF KALALAU TRAIL, NAPALI COAST STATE WILDERNESS PARK, KAUA'I BEGINS
9/24/12 - LIHU'E - A project to identify and restore priority sections of a popular 9-mile section of the famed Kalalau Trail began this month. Work on the trail from 2 miles in at Hanakapiai and to the trail’s end (11 miles) at Kalalau beach is being conducted by Pono Pacific Land Management, LLC and is expected to be completed by the end of November 2013.
The Napali Coast State Wilderness Park is composed of steep, rough and severely weathered and eroded cliffs and deep gullies. This world-renowned and spectacular landscape is managed and preserved for watershed, wildlife and recreational purposes. This work is designed to stem and reverse the erosive forces of nature and feral goats that have contributed to the deterioration of this rugged historic trail which grants hiking access to the east half of the 6000-acre park.
Preliminary work is currently underway, and repair work is slated to begin in eroded sections near mile 8. Work will then shift to other prioritized trail sections. Trail crews will camp for a week at a time near the work location, working long days to reduce the cost on helicopter transport, and then be off for a week.
Most hikers are not expected to face delays as work is happening after the 2-mile mark at Hanakapi‘ai. HIkers who go beyond Hanakapiai, and overnight campers with permits may experience short delays when trail work crews are encountered.
This project is being made possible thanks to a grant-in-aid funding from the Hawai‘i State Legislature that was released by Governor Neil Abercrombie this spring.
NEW NON-RESIDENT ENTRY FEES IMPLEMENTED AT ‘AKAKA FALLS STATE PARK, HAWAII ISLAND
12/15/10 - The Division of State Parks today began charging entry fees for non-residents and commercial tour vehicles going to ‘Akaka Falls State Park. The fee is $5 per car and an attendant will be on duty. Hawai‘i residents who show a local ID will not have to pay a parking fee.
Fees paid by commercial and out-of-state visitors to high traffic parks will help offset the shortfalls currently facing the state parks budget and the need to generate new sources of income to help our park system become more self-sufficient.
Diamond Parking will collect fees for the Division of State Parks. Fees for commercial tour vehicles are as follows: Public Utilities Commission- (PUC) regulated commercial vehicles will pay: 1-7 passenger vehicles: $10.00 per trip; 8-25 passenger vehicles: $20.00 per trip; 26 + passenger vehicles: $40.00 per trip.
STATE PARKS ANNOUNCES NEW POLICY FOR KALALAU TRAIL CAMPING PERMITS WITHIN NAPALI COAST STATE WILDERNESS PARK, KAUAI
5/18/10 - In response to public demand and to promote improved public safety, beginning May 19, 2010, permits for Napali Coast will be issued for Kalalau only, the preferred destination at the end of the 11-mile Kalalau Trail. However, permits for Kalalau will also be valid for camping at Hanakoa, which is located a little beyond the halfway point of the trail, roughly 6 miles in from the trailhead. Permits specifically for Hanakoa will no longer be issued, but hikers are encouraged to stopover and camp at Hanakoa if they possess a valid permit for Kalalau and they feel the need to break up their trek due to such factors as fatigue, inclement weather, or impending darkness.
"We want visitors to be able to enjoy the premiere destination of Kalalau, but offer everyone the option of stopping at Hanakoa if they feel physically unable to make the entire trail in one day, or if conditions may make the full 11-mile trip too hazardous", said Dan Quinn, State Parks Administrator.
This new policy will also take the mystery out of the trip planning process for visitors who are unsure whether they can make the full trail in one clip. This provides the flexibility to stop at Hanakoa or continue on to Kalalau without apprehension regarding the legality of a permit. State Parks recently made permits accessible to the public via the internet, and demand for Kalalau permits has been very high.
Permitted campers are cautioned that the new policy is not a license to camp anywhere along the trail. Hanakoa and Kalalau, which contain facilities to support camping activities, remain the only two authorized areas for camping along the trail. The total number of nights that are allowed for camping in the park is still 5 - so a stopover at Hanakoa, going either direction along the trail, counts as on e of the authorized nights, and therefore reduces the total number of nights permitted at Kalalau.
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DLNR CLOSES NUALOLO CLIFF TRAIL ON KAUAI DUE TO UNSAFE TRAIL CONDITIONS
Trail accessible from Kokee State Park
LIHUE -- Effective May 9, the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) will close for an indefinite period the 2.1 mile long Nualolo Cliff hiking trail in the Na Pali-Kona Forest Reserve on the north-west coast of Kauai. The trail closure is due to unsafe trail conditions including washed out and eroded trail near the 1.5 and 1.75 mile markers. The trail tread is only six inches wide in some places.
DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife Na Ala Hele Trails program staff will post trail closure signage and install temporary barriers for public safety. The public is advised to heed the warning signs and barriers and stop using the trail.
The Nualolo Cliff trail starts near the 3 mile point on the Awaawapuhi Trail in the Na Pali-Kona Forest Reserve and meets the Nualolo Trail between the 3 mile and 3.25 mile markers. The trail skirts the upper rim of the precipitous Nualolo Valley and permits a “loop” route from the Awaawapuhi Trail to Kokee Park Headquarters or vice versa.
REPAIR OF PARKING AREAS AT HAPUNA BEACH STATE RECREATION AREA BEGINS FEBRUARY 11
Work expected to continue through early May
HAPUNA BEACH, WEST HAWAII — Starting Monday, Feb. 11, 2013, the Division of State Parks will begin paving repairs to the main parking areas at the Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area that services the makai areas of the Hapuna Beach section of the park. Additional work will be completed at the Waialea section of the park. The project is expected to take 90 days to complete, or sooner if conditions allow.
The improvements include the removal of existing asphalt paving, repairing road shoulders, installation of new asphalt paving, new striping, replacement of wheel stops, signage as needed, and related improvements in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Other work will include the grubbing of unused park areas adjacent to existing parking areas for park use including storage and parking, in compliance with County of Hawaii permitting requirements.
The park will remain open during the project. However, certain parking areas will be closed for visitor safety during the construction activities. The contractor may also be closing or narrowing roadway access to accommodate the project activities.
Work will occur during normal day use hours of the park and no work will be done on the weekends unless there is an imminent need. To ensure the safety of park users, traffic control measures will be implemented as wells as appropriate barriers, coverings and implements.
The contractor is Keauhou Kona Construction Corporation and the project cost is $650,000. We apologize for any inconvenience to park visitors.
NEW MANAGEMENT ACTIONS IN EFFECT AT KEALAKEKUA BAY STATE HISTORICAL PARK
Moratorium on kayaks, other vessels begins January 2
HONOLULU -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is taking action at Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park to improve the management, quality and sustainability of this heavily visited and significant natural and cultural resource by temporarily initiating a moratorium on the use of specific vessels in the water, starting Jan. 2, 2013.
“DLNR recognizes Kealakekua State Historical Park’s deep cultural significance, the quality of its marine resources and the overall economic value to both the local community and the visitor industry,” said William J. Aila Jr., DLNR chairperson. “This management action is needed to ensure the sustainability of this resource now and in the future.”
The proliferation and use of unpermitted kayak rentals being conducted at Napoopoo have resulted in concerns about their subsequent impact on the general public’s experience and the quality of resources in the water and at Kaawaloa Flats.
During the moratorium, there will be no operating, launching, transiting, beaching or landing of kayaks and other vessels from Napoopoo, within the waters of Kealakekua Bay, and at Kaawaloa Flats.
Also prohibited in the closed area will be other floatation devices and watercraft such as stand-up paddle boards, surfboards, and boogie boards. However, these items can still be used outside the closed area. Swimming and snorkeling are allowed in the bay, but no landing anywhere or entry at Kaawaloa will be permitted.
Specific vessels with existing permits will be allowed, and new permits for specific vessels --which will only be allowed to transit the water -- are being prepared.
Once certain planned management and regulatory action is completed, the launching and landing of kayaks at Napoopoo and Kaawaloa Flats will be allowed.
The Division of State Parks is developing an online permitting system that will allow permits for a maximum number of kayak rentals to be used by visitors per day, and will issue annual permits for residents’ kayaks along with pre-existing authorized kayak tour operators with established patronage limits.
After the moratorium is lifted, all commercial activity, and recreational kayak and vessel use at Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park will require a permit.
WORK BEGINS ON FIRST PHASE OF NEW DIAMOND HEAD LINEAR PARK
4/3/12 - HONOLULU – State Parks has begun work to create a new linear park around the mauka exterior slope of the Diamond Head State Monument that will consist of an accessible multi-use pathway, picnic and rest areas along its 1.3-mile length.
The commencement of work on the new Fort Ruger Pathway is the first element of the state’s Diamond Head State Monument Master Plan Update, which can now move forward with the help of more than $1.3 million designated for the project by the state Legislature.
The pathway, which will be completed by November 2012, will provide residents and visitors an accessible multi-use path along the exterior slopes of the monument. Currently, there is no sidewalk along much of Diamond Head Road. At areas where a sidewalk exists, it consists of a narrow 3-4 foot-wide sidewalk for use by pedestrians, walking from Waikiki-area hotels to visit the park and its historic summit hike.
With additional funding of $700,000 from the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, the Division of State Parks will later install irrigation and landscaping with appropriate native plant species.
DLNR HAS IMPLEMENTED INTERIM MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR KIHOLO STATE PARK RESERVE
9/9/11 - NORTH KONA, HAWAI‘I: The Division of State Parks has completed an extensive coastal area clean-up of Kiholo State Park Reserve. Weekend camping by permit has now been established on an experimental basis. Camping reservations are available 30 days in advance via the State Parks website.
The Division of State Parks, in close collaboration and with considerable support from the community non-profit organization Hui Aloha Kiholo, has removed discarded debris and rubbish, installed camping area signs at designated campsites, constructed and installed new gates, installed barriers to vehicular access to the beach, and clarified existing footpaths to beach and camping areas.
In 2006 this area was designated as a State Park Reserve – and vehicular access and both day and unauthorized nighttime use increased rapidly.
Camping was previously illegal, and had reached such large proportions, particularly on three-day weekends, that it must either be eliminated or managed, This management action is needed to preserve the natural and cultural resources that made Kiholo ideal to be designated as a State Park Reserve.
The interim camping management plan consists of:
• Camping by permit, only on weekends and holidays
• Driving on the beach will not be allowed
• There are specific, designated areas to camp (located to avoid impacts to cultural sites).
• Permits are be available on-line or at State Parks offices for a standard fee
NEW ONLINE PERMITTING SYSTEM NOW AVAILABLE
UPDATE 3/22/10- PERMITS ARE NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE. Click on the "Online Reservations" button at left of page to access the new system. The system, created by Ehawaii.gov, requires users to set up an account prior to purchasing permits. There is no fee for creating an account, which will allow users to purchase permits for camping and lodging at any time in the future. Purchasing of permits requires a valid credit card.
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