Nounou west trail needs upkeep
Nounou west trail needs upkeep
I walk my dog every morning on the Nounou (Sleeping Giant) west trail.
The trail is not well-kept. The grass grows until someone calls the Division of Forestry and Wildlife.
Further, there are several areas of downed branches that are never removed. One of them has been there so long that weeds have grown over it.
Another area was caused by a large downed branch last year. F&W cut it up, moved the pile to the side of the trail and left it there. In the six years I have lived here, the piles of wood under the large mango tree have never been removed.
Further, it is obvious that the last time the trail was mowed, some sort of weed killer was applied on the sides of the trail. What exactly is F&W using to kill weeds? Several homes are close to the trail, and the weed-killer is also on their property.
Additionally, the fence on the south side between Kamalu and Crossley roads is falling apart.
Kama‘aina and visitors use the trail on a regular basis. The grass in parts can grow to five feet tall, and the piles of wood are not only unsightly, they are a prospective nest for rats and an area for centipedes.
Mowing on a regular basis would help one problem. Removing the downed wood would help another. Replacing the fence is yet another. And knowing exactly what sort of weed killer is being applied is imperative.
Donna Gould Carsten, Kapa‘a
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Donna, time to move.
I guess you have not lived here long. County maintenance is a joke.
Here trails are u dear state kuleana.
Might I humbly suggest you pick up a branch and move it off of the trail as you hike? Maybe even bring a backpack with a few small garden tools and help manicure the trail. We dirt bike and mountain bike riders cut and maintain our own trails and it isn’t that difficult and brings a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
Here’s a novel idea! Before we spend the taxpayers hard earned money to manicure the mountains, why don’t we fix a few pot holes and repair our infrastructure? We could also clean the Government’s house and throw out all the unproductive, superfluous, and dis-incentivized Government workers. Once we cut the Government fat there will be abundant money to enhance your mountain hiking experience. Until then, if we have a problem with a fallen tree, weeds, or fence rot that is minimizing our mountain experience, we should find volunteers (or pay for workers) and fix it ourselves?
You must be kidding us!
You’re saying that a trail on Kauai is experiencing overgrowth?
Why if you and so many others are using the trail everyday…for free, why don’t you and the others gather up and haul out some of that overgrowth a little bit every day.
Your appreciated efforts would be a sign of leadership, caring, and show how it’s done.
Why in the 6 years you been there, that’s 2,190 times you could have packed out some of that overgrowth, a branch here, a pile of twigs there, brought along some snippers that could cut tall grass or bushes or small tree limbs and hauled them out even in a garbage bag.
If you hauled them home that would be saintly of you, and if you hauled the green waste out to the nearest road, perhaps a Good Samaritan would put them in their truck and hauled them to the county green waste. Who knows it may even be F&W, but if that means Fish and Wildlife, they’d be out of their territory, Forest and Weeds, or Forest in Waiting might be more apropo.
And if Just 10 hikers like yourself did that everyday, you’d all be practicing personal self and island Health Care with your collective effort made. As well, that would be about 22,000 times in 6 years that “haul out” would have been included keeping the trail clean and clear, and removal of any litter.
Why even President Kennedy said, “Ask not what your County can do for you, ask what you can do for your County!”
You could also put doggie saddle bags on your doggie and carry along his or her pooper scooper, you’d be an Angel then.
Then mow it! Haul off the wood!
This seems beyond ridiculous!
Hey good ideas then there would be no need for County Maintenance and that money could be used to help the homeless
I’m going to assume the grass you’re referring to is Guinea grass aka Buffalo grass. Originally from Africa, invasive to Hawai’i, near impossible to get rid of, and grows 2 to 3 inches per day! Perhaps you’re unaware that Kaua’i didn’t have this grass until about 1991. Rumor has it some farmer wanted to create a windbreak (?) and so it began. Fact or fiction who knows?!
When the grass flowers, the seeds blow in the wind, creating more grass wherever they land. The pile of wood surrounding the mango tree could be there intentionally to prevent guinea grass from growing under it too. At a rate of 2 inches per day you’re looking at 60 inches per month = not easy to keep up with, especially considering how widespread it is now! Anyone living here pre-guinea grass days is just as frustrated with this crap. So if you have any brilliant suggestions on eradicating this horrendous stuff then by all means speak up, but I’m guessing you don’t.
Maybe instead of writing to the paper about what’s not being done, you and your neighbors should get out there and help. If you cut it to the ground then it can easily be weed-whacked a few times monthly, and that’ll keep it low. Even though it’s not my responsibility I did/and do that near my property to keep it under control.
Donna, you sure got some helpful suggestions, perhaps you’ll put some into practice.
Patrick H Flores, Wailua Houselots