HAENA — About 100 Wainiha and Haena residents gathered at Opakapaka Grill and Bar in Haena Thursday night for a community meeting.
Elijah Frank, a Wainiha resident, hosted the meeting that focused on how to manage tourism once the road closures and construction ends.
“One of the reasons that I wanted everyone to come here today is because I want you to really think about what you want moving forward,” Frank said. “What do we wanna see when the road fully reopens? Do we want it be exactly like it was last summer?”
A resounding “no” was the audience’s answer.
Overcrowding due to an increase in tourism on the North Shore has always been a hot topic. After the flooding, the cleanup and continuing recovery, the subject is even more sensitive for some.
Another focus of the meeting was to find solutions that benefit visitors and residents as well as using sustainable methods of managing resources in the area.
Kaimi Hermosura, a konohiki of Wainiha, a headman and person responsible for overseeing management of a land division or ahupuaa, spoke about the importance of properly managing land in the area.
He said false land titles obtained in Hawaii following during the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in the 1800s are a key part of the issue that still affects the island today, leading to mismanagement and bad neighborhood planning of land on the island.
“It goes back to the royal patent lands,” he said. “And what they did was they created lines between the palm trees of the taro patches, and that’s how they began selling their lands. And now, it’s coming back to us.”
He said it’s a konohiki’s kuleana, or responsibility, to see that lands are managed by watershed, and Hermosura said this land-management style is different than what’s happening today following the sales of those lands.
The goal of managing land by watershed is to ensure that resources are used in a sustainable way that promotes long-term health of the land to help provide food for future generations.
Louise Sausen said of those who have recently moved to the islands on the topic of sustainability and taking care of the land, “You have to work to be here.”
She said if you move to Hawaii, you need to be ready to help Hawaiians take care of the land.
She said the hardships from the past of Hawaiian descendants from the North Shore compare to what people feel today following the April flooding.
“You’re displaced, and Hawaiians were displaced from Kalalau, where they came from,” she said.
Many agreed that the Haena State Park plan seems promising, though some pointed out the issues with enforcing the cap that limits 900 visitors to come into the park, and allows for 100 stalls for parking a vehicle.
Another point of concern was that not all of the region past Haena Beach Park, including Limahuli to Ke‘e, is included in the plan.
Maybe parking passes like the “Discovery passes” that are used in the Portland, Oregon area? Visitors have to have a pass displayed in their cars at the state parks or else there is a fine. How to enforce, I don’t know, and how to keep it accessible for locals I don’t know either. But a stream of revenue could boost some restoration projects and keep a fund going until a more permanent solution is found.
The north shore belongs to all and residents are not entitled to any more than tourists or residents of surrounding areas. Get over it already. This economy runs on tourism since the fall of the plantation era and I’m sure no one is willing to go back to that industry.
Quit your crying.
For what my 2cents is worth..put a toll in past Hanalei elementary north bound. $5-15 tourist will pay. long as that money stays on the north shore to build our roads,make them safer for our children. There’s no money to be made once you leave Hanalei, long as we make sure that money stays on the North Shore it should be enough to rebuild, build,& keep safe.
this is done all over the United States just like Pebble Beach in Monterey California.
Right now it’s like Lord of the Flies with all of our children riding bike from wainiha to haena with no fear tourist running them over. ..it’s a beautiful thing.
Just wondering how the meeting went from talk of structure to land being taken and royal patents?
Clowning…. It seems that the North Side of Kauai always want to think for themselves and create rules/law only for that part of the island.. So what happens when they’ll win this idea and limit the amount of tourist visiting that area…HHHMMM lets see they’ll need to go somewhere else..YUP to the South (Poipu Beach, which is ALWAYS crowded and there’s more no parking signs then parking) then to Salt Pond where space is already limited, Kekaha Beach (Intahs) since North side’s been closed off this beach is booming daily and looks like Wakiki on the weekends and now Polihale has re-open and they’ll be all there too..So what West side should start making their laws too on how many tourist are allowed there too? This island isn’t just crowded because of tourist, there’s ALOT of new comers that moved here since after the Hurricane… hhmm population back in the 90s.. 25,000-35,000 and now what 70,000 on this little island..
Steve is always quick to express himself. The ignorance is strong with this one.
E kala mai, but what an inaccurate article full of misinformation. I was at this meeting and it had nothing to do with Kaimi Hermosura’s agenda. This meeting was about managing the increased tourism we will face as this community heals from the flood . Many in the community who were at this meeting felt that Mr Hermosura grabbed his soap box and hijacked the meeting. He spoke for 40 min on an off-topic that had nothing to do with what the meeting was about. This was after being told everyone had 5 minutes to share their concerns. It seems that the reporter simply called Mr Hermosura for his version of the meeting, and if the reporter was actually at the meeting, Auwe! even worse reporting!
90% of north shore people are clowns. Yeah 90% of you are not from Kauai I don’t care if you lived here for 20,30,40 years you not from here you just one haole trying for make haole rules like from Wea you came from. Go back Wea u came from if u love those rules and that haole style. U will never be a local. Being and having local style from kauai is instilled and passed down from generations not just cause u live here for a few years. Most of kauai agrees that the north shore has the weirdest people even that guy in this pic holding this meeting all for himself. Shut up stop grumbling because ur part of the problem the moment u moved here. The real locals wish all u worms move off of kauai then no worries about crowding and traffic. And stop crying about the flood your the dummies who built ur house in illegal places and now abusing go fund me and making this a schem. Typical haole style. Get off of kauai worms and take all ur organic kale with u since u don’t eat can goods.
Stop donating to the north shore Kauai! They have house insurance if there house wasn’t illegal. If it was illegal there fault. Don’t fall for them they have a lot of donations and necessities now there making a profit for them selves typical haole style. Stop your donations to these mainlanders that live on the north. Yeah that’s you 90% of the north shore flown here not grown hea