**IMPORTANT PARK NOTICES**
Monitor local surf and weather reports prior to your park visit.
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[OʻAHU] UPDATED 11/4/24 – Kaʻena Point State Park, Mokuleʻia Section: The 2024 Kaʻena Point permit and decal is being extended through 2025. You do not need to apply for a new permit now, you will be notified when applications open next year. Take good care of your decal, we cannot replace decals. Please remember to take rubbish bags home, do not leave it a the trash bins.
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[KAUAʻI] UPDATED 11/4/24 – Waimea Canyon State Park/Kōkeʻe State Park: Paving will take place on Waimea Canyon Road leading into Puʻu Hinahina Lookout on Wednesday, November 6 limiting vehicle access into and out of the lookout parking lot from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. Pedestrian access will remain open, and vehicles can access the lookout before and after the closure.
2021 SCORP Update
2021 SCORP Update: Summary and Final (released 2022)
The 2021 update of the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) offers a timely opportunity to re-evaluate Hawaiʻi’s recreational needs and trends of statewide importance. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, increased participation in outdoor recreation, and local climate impacts, many of our outdoor recreation places and resources are undergoing significant changes. The SCORP seeks to align Hawaiʻi’s recreational priorities with actions to preserve and provide high-quality outdoor recreation opportunities in Hawaiʻi.
Below are the PDF’s to the final results of the draft 2021 SCORP:
What is the SCORP?
Preparation of the SCORP every five years maintains Hawaiʻi’s eligibility to receive funds from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The LWCF is a federal grant program administered by the National Park Service that assists states and local governments with the acquisition of recreational lands and the development and renovation of recreation facilities. The program is intended to create and maintain a nationwide legacy of high-quality recreation areas and facilities and to stimulate non-federal investments in the protection and maintenance of recreation resources across the country.
2021 Draft SCORP Report Review
The Division of State Parks invited the public to review the draft of the 2021 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP).
The comprehensive recreation plan is updated every 5 years to assess Hawaiʻi’s outdoor recreation trends, needs, and priorities. The plan also provides direction for the State’s recreational future and allows Hawaiʻi to remain eligible to receive funds for outdoor recreation projects through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a federal grants program administered by the National Park Service.
The 5-year strategic plan for outdoor recreation as presented in the draft 2021 SCORP is based on comments received from recreation agencies and the public through online surveys and public meetings held between April and June 2021. More than 2,600 people participated in the process.
Both the public and recreation providers identified the protection of natural and wildlife resources and wilderness areas as a top priority for investment in outdoor recreation for the next five years. The operation and maintenance of existing infrastructure and facilities and protection of cultural and/or historic resources were found to be other top priorities for investment by recreation agencies and public participants. Concerns regarding inadequate and poor conditions of facilities were also shared.
Continuing a theme from the 2015 SCORP, that intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, the public and recreation providers both recognize an increasing demand for outdoor recreation spaces and associated facilities. Enforcement was rated as the most serious challenge in managing and providing outdoor recreation facilities by recreation providers. Recreation providers also expressed a need for sufficient funding to adequately manage these spaces.
Recognizing the demands, priorities, and challenges shared by the public, agencies, and recreation providers, a strategic plan has been developed which outlines goals and objectives for public outdoor recreation in Hawai‘i over the next 5 years. This plan will assist in selecting projects for LWCF funding assistance in the future to address these demands and priorities.
Recent LWCF grants were awarded to renovate tennis and basketball courts at Kalawai Park on Kauaʻi and install new playgrounds at Kaimukī Community Park, Ala Pu‘umalu Community Park, and Kahalu‘u Community Park on O‘ahu. Other recent LWCF grant awards funded construction of the Hilo Bayfront Trail on Hawaii Island, coastal trail improvements at Waiʻānapanapa State Park, Hāna, Maui, and repaving of the Makapuʻu Trail with new lookouts and viewing scopes at Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline on Oʻahu.
