LIHU‘E — It’s always about the money. Koke‘e State Park Advisory Council members have expressed dismay that revenue generation is seemingly taking precedence over discussion of a master plan to preserve one of Kaua‘i’s premiere cultural locations, but recognized the
LIHU‘E — It’s always about the money.
Koke‘e State Park Advisory Council members have expressed dismay that revenue generation is seemingly taking precedence over discussion of a master plan to preserve one of Kaua‘i’s premiere cultural locations, but recognized the state’s dire financial situation might require a strategy to “commercialize” the park system.
“I know that it seems we do not have the luxury of adequate time to plan and implement — it feels like the economy has robbed us of that. However, Koke‘e and Ha‘ena state parks are unique and special places and our community holds them dear — in fact sacred to many of us,” Chipper Wichman said in an e-mail to state Department of Land and Natural Resources Chair Laura Thielen in the days leading up to the council’s Oct. 8 meeting at the Historic County Building.
“We need to think carefully about how we proceed lest we act under the economic pressure we face today and make mistakes that will impact our sacred ‘aina and our mo‘opuna who will follow us,” he wrote.
Wichman is a member of the council’s Permitted Interaction Group and reported to the full council at the meeting that gate revenue at seven premiere parks could provide enough funds to support operations across the board at some 70 parks, but said such a move could be an “irrevocable commitment.”
He said putting the burden of supporting the entire system on those parks that generate revenue could create a “slippery slope” that would lead to legislators raising fees when money is tight.
Council Chair Canen Ho‘okano said understanding the state’s financial situation and trying to find ways to keep parks in operation is paramount, but said he hopes to find other ways besides a toll booth or commercializing.
Other proposals included a $2-per-day surcharge on rental cars to generate money for state parks, but council members worried that if such a proposal were to make it to the state Legislature during the 2010 session, lawmakers might sense “blood in the water” and use that money for another purpose. Fees for tour buses coming into Koke‘e were also discussed.
Another idea involved a new overnight lodging facility near the Waimea Canyon Lookout rather than near the existing lodge and museum by the meadow. The low-profile hotel in Volcano National Park on the Big Island was used as an example.
The council’s discussion kept circling back to finding ways to make state park financing a priority because, as Wichman said, it is the responsibility of all the people in Hawai‘i to take care of state parks because they are “legacy properties.”
Council members said that while amending and implementing the Koke‘e State Park Master Plan is the reason the council was created and should be priority No. 1, if the state is not careful, the park could be closed and the whole discussion of preservation could be rendered moot.
Earlier in the meeting, former YWCA Camp Sloggett Site Manager Erik Coopersmith, also a member of numerous other Westside and Koke‘e community groups, was named as a member of the council. Former member Marsha Erickson is no longer on the council.
The council is scheduled to meet again Oct. 29 in Council Chambers at the Historic County Building in Lihu‘e, according to its Web site.
For more information on the council and to read the entire e-mail exchange between Wichman and Thielen, visit kokeeadvisory.org.
• Michael Levine, assistant news editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or mlevine@kauaipubco.com.
