(HONOLULU) – A simultaneous removal of illegal camps on DLNR Division of State Parks land and enforcement of the Stored Property Ordinance by the City and County of Honolulu Dept. of Facility Maintenance on land under the control of the Department of Parks and Recreation started at 8 a.m. today. 26 camps were removed at the Diamond Head State Monument on the mauka-side of Diamond Head Road. The city focused on the removal of camps on the makai-side of the road, but does not yet have an estimate on the amount of material removed.
State Parks
(LIHUE) – Two major State Parks on Kaua‘i will remain closed indefinitely. Hāʻena State Park and the adjacent Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park (including the Kalalau Trail) on Kauai are closed due to flood damage affecting both parks. Kuhio Highway, the only way in and out of both parks has been closed by multiple landslides since record-breaking rains pounded the north shore of Kaua‘I last weekend. Closures will likely be for an extended period, while damage assessments and repairs are completed.
(HONOLULU) – An estimated 25 people elected to be airlifted out of the Kalalau area of the Napali Coast State Wilderness Park yesterday. They’d been stranded there since last weekend’s record-breaking rain storm that cut off road access from the trail head back to Hanalei and other Kaua‘i locales. A helicopter pilot who participated in the evacuation operation reports that at least two people decided to stay behind. Initial reports indicate that the 11-mile-long Kalalau Trail did not experience significant damage, but that can’t be confirmed until a DLNR Division of State Parks maintenance team visits the trail sometime in the next week. It’s not known at this time whether others decided to shelter in place at the designated camping area at Hanakoa or at Hanakapai‘ai at the two mile point, where people can travel without a state permit.
(LIHUE) – The record-breaking rain storm on Kaua‘i last weekend has resulted in the DLNR Division of State Parks closing the following Garden Island parks: Napali Coast State Wilderness Park, Ha’ena State Park, Polihale State Park and portions of Wailua River State Park. Currently there are an estimated 30 campers stranded in the Kalalau section of the Napali Coast State Wilderness Park. Efforts are underway to contact people who have camping permits to check on their status or to determine whether they made it out of the park safely?
(Lihu‘e, Kaua‘i) – Following recent successes in both enforcement and management efforts that have substantially reduced the number of illegal campers, the DLNR Division of State Parks will reinstitute the allowance of additional overnight camping permits for the popular Kalalau Trail, within the Napali Coast State Wilderness Park, Kaua‘i.
KAHULUI, MAUI -- A large pile of cargo nets and other debris which came ashore approximately two weeks ago at Wai‘anapanapa State Park will be removed tomorrow morning, in a joint effort by the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) State Parks and Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) divisions, as well as the County of Maui’s Division of Public Works.
MAKENA, MAUI -- On Thursday morning, April 12, 2018, the DLNR Division of State Parks will be conducting maintenance work at Makena State Park to trim overhanging and hazardous branches in the park. For public safety, the first park entrance (first paved parking lot at the north end) will be closed approximately 5 hours, from 7 a.m. through 12 noon. All other sections of the park, with the exception of the project area, will remain open.
(HONOLULU) – Since President’s Day weekend the road system at Ka‘ena State Park has been mostly closed to try and prevent additional resource damage caused by off-road vehicles. The two-mile-long unpaved road is popular with fishermen who use it to access the north shore waters and over the years it’s also been popular with off-road enthusiasts. “Unfortunately,” explained Curt Cottrell, administrator of the DLNR Division of State Parks, “After we clearly marked and designated the only roads in the park where driving is permissible we’re still experiencing some drivers wanting to go off-road – meaning they are not staying on designated routes which were specifically designated to prevent the common practice known as mud-bogging.”
(Kailua-Kona) Kealakekua Bay is one of the most culturally and historically significant places in Hawaii, and a park planning process is moving forward to balance the preservation of the cultural values and historical sites with the recreational use of the state historical park, especially the very popular Kealakekua Bay.
KONA, HAWAI‘I -- A park improvement project expected to take three months has begun at the Maninʻōwali (Kua Bay) section of Kekaha Kai State Park in Kona, Hawaiʻi. The work consists of addition of a new beach access stairway, additional rinsing showers, picnic tables, and repairs and upgrades to the existing restroom facility. The project is expected to be completed by July 1, 2018.