Haiku Stairs are historic treasure that should be reopened to public

The Haiku Stairs, also known as the "Stairway to Heaven," in Kaneohe, provide stunning, panoramic views of Windward and Leeward Oahu. Regrettably, ongoing problems with illegal trespassing have been commonplace since the closure in 1987.

The stairs are a world-class attraction, an educational treasure in a unique ecological setting and a very significant historic landmark.

They should be reopened to the public and preserved for future generations.

Unfortunately, recent events involving missing hikers and relatively minor storm damage have revived calls to remove the stairs. These calls are completely misguided.

For many years, the Friends of Haiku Stairs organized regular workdays on the stairs, in which we cut back invasive plants and promoted the growth of native Hawaiian plants. In addition, we removed trash and performed basic maintenance.

Recently our work has been blocked by a requirement from the Board of Water Supply that we have $1 million in insurance to work on the stairs, and although we now have the required insurance, we are still waiting for approval to resume our work.

It is very likely that if we had been able to continue our maintenance work, we would have prevented the storm damage resulting from fallen invasive octopus trees.

In addition, if the stairs had already been reopened under managed access, all the issues regarding missing hikers would almost certainly have been avoided.

In October 2014, an advisory group on the Haiku Stairs put together by City Councilmember Ikaika Anderson recommended that the stairs be reopened to the general public under managed access. Removing the stairs was dismissed by the panel as unrealistic for several very valid reasons.

The Haiku Stairs are an eligible historic structure protected under law, they traverse sensitive native plant habitat, and it would cost far more to remove them than to manage them.

Estimates are that it would cost $4 million to $5 million of our money to demolish this Windward treasure.

Removing the stairs makes no sense. This would clearly be unfortunate and misguided.

It is very frustrating to hear, on a regular basis, that the Haiku Stairs are dangerous. In fact, there is no evidence whatsoever to support these claims. Estimates are that more than 100,000 people have climbed Haiku Stairs and, to our knowledge, there have never been any serious accidents or injuries to hikers who do not stray from the stairs. This has to be one of the safest hiking trails in Hawaii. Remember, it is a stairway with railings on both sides — you go up or you go down. Clearly, it is impossible to get lost if you remain on the stairs.

As a result of the ever-changing weather on the Koolau Mountains, the experience on Haiku Stairs is usually unpredictable, often mystical, and almost always provides priceless, lifelong memories.

Climbing the stairs provides numerous educational and cultural opportunities, including relatively easy access to the fascinating microclimates of the Koolau Range and a great opportunity to study a wide range of native Hawaiian plants, including some very rare and endangered species. As a physician, I would be remiss not to emphasize the obvious exercise benefits.

I commend the Board of Water Supply for actively seeking another city or state department to help to restore managed access to the Haiku Stairs. It’s what the community wants and it’s the right thing to do. If you agree, please call your city, state and national elected leaders and encourage them to empower their departments to take action now.