LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i residents will see newer facilities at state parks around the island, but they still might not be clean. The state government has approved nearly $5 million in improvements to facilities on Kaua‘i, but will have to cut
LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i residents will see newer facilities at state parks around the island, but they still might not be clean.
The state government has approved nearly $5 million in improvements to facilities on Kaua‘i, but will have to cut three Kaua‘i positions in the Department of Land and Natural Resources, said Dan Quinn, administrator of the division of state parks for the Department of Land and Natural Resources.
“We can throw money at the facilities, but if we have no one to take care of them, we’ll be back at the same place,” said Quinn yesterday at the Governor’s advisory committee meeting held at the State Building Thursday evening.
He added that with the additional cuts, 21 state-wide, will leave the DLNR with 115 full-time caretaker positions, 16 on Kaua‘i. Thirteen of the Kaua‘i positions are out in the field: seven cover Koke‘e, Waimea and Polihale, while six are in charge of care-taking the facilities from the Wailua River to Ha‘ena.
“We are now 50th in the states in (the amount of) full-time caretakers in parks,” Quinn added. “Sixteen is pretty lean.”
The division will also lose a construction maintenance supervisor and an un-filled botanist position on Kaua‘i.
The good news, however, is that Kaua‘i will see newer facilities, especially at state parks in Koke‘e and Ha‘ena.
Funding has already been allocated for the current fiscal year to make restroom renovations at the Wailua Marina, and that is expected to begin by September, Quinn said.
The current funds also include paving about a mile of Koke‘e Road, as well as replacing the water system in Koke‘e. That work is also expected to be started by September.
As for the 2005 fiscal year, $1.7 million has been allocated to fix the bathrooms at Koke’e and Ha‘ena, Quinn said, although the exact bathrooms have not been slated yet.
Another $3.25 million though will be used to fix problems not visible to the naked eye.
To meet federal Environmental Protection Agency regulations, 17 large cesspool systems under the DLNR on Kaua‘i must be replaced by April, 2005, and the funding is to replace them, mostly with septic systems, he said. While that improvement will not be seen, it might keep more bathrooms open at Koke‘e, since usually the facilities are closed due to the malfunction of the cesspools.
Other goals Quinn discussed was coming up with a master plan for the Koke‘e, Waimea Canyon park before the end of the year. Work is also expected to begin on getting a plan to get the Fern Grotto up to code for access for the disabled.
Quinn also mentioned adding more concessions at the state parks, as an avenue to generate revenue and something highlighted in a recent Hawaii Tourism Authority survey.
The survey of state parks, available as a file on the HTA Web site, www.hawaii.gov/tourism, by searching for “state park survey,” will be a useful tool, said Quinn.
The survey can be used “as a tool for the future use of funds,” Quinn said.
It lists Ha‘ena as the second-most-visited state park, at just under 750,000 visits per year.
Wailua receives over 615,000 people, fourth in the state, and Waimea Canyon estimates over 435,000 people, good for eighth in the state.
