For generations the Kaimalia family has headed to Kaena Point to take part in summertime fishing traditions passed on by their Native Hawaiian ancestors.
Over the years, however, the reserve at the northwest tip of Oahu has been marred by off-road vehicles that erode sand dunes, kill native plants and cause mud to enter the ocean because of changes in the slope of the land, said Summer Kaimalia.
"This problem will never disappear without regular enforcement and without the state working together with the … community to stop those who are destroying the place we love," Kaimalia said.
In an effort to step up protection, last month state officials started a gated permit system that requires visitors to register their vehicles before gaining access to the 853-acre Ka‘ena Point State Park Reserve. Visitors entering on foot or by bicycle do not require a permit.
Conservation enforcement officers are now checking for permits at a gate as well as handing out park rules and a map specifying driving and parking areas. So far, about 1,060 free vehicle access permits have been issued.
Jason Redulla, acting state conservation enforcement chief, said he’s confident the education-and-enforcement approach will improve the natural environment at Kaena Point, which includes a protected nesting place for Laysan albatrosses and wedge-tailed shearwaters, monk seals and native vegetation, including naupaka and Hawaiian cotton.
"We expect that people currently holding permits will help us enforce compliance by reporting access violations," Redulla said.
Wayde Fisher, who works as a tour guide, said the permit system at Kaena is a good start.
Fisher maintains that much of the problem is tied to young island people and new military personnel who are unaware of the damage caused by off-road vehicles.
"I don’t want to see places like this closed because of a lack of education," he said.
State Land Department spokeswoman Deborah Ward said the state conservation enforcement officers have been regularly monitoring the area since the gated permit system began.
U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii also has an informational video about Kaena Point on its website. The video also is played during newcomer briefings, said spokeswoman Stefanie Gardin.
Agnes Tauyan, spokeswoman for Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, said all Navy and Air Force personnel are expected to abide by state and local laws while on or off base and that violations should be reported to state and local authorities.
Kaimalia said that when the state has relied on posted rules, some off-road drivers ignore or even destroy such signs.
"Those signs have been shot up and taken down by the offenders themselves," she said.
Also, off-road drivers have frequently pushed away boulders blocking access to dunes and environmentally fragile reserve areas, Kaimalia said, adding that at times she and her father rolled boulders back into place on an almost weekly basis.
"The off-roaders were using winches and ropes to move the boulders so that they could continue off-roading in these sensitive areas," she said.
Reserve permits are available during regular working hours at the DLNR Division of State Parks office, 1151 Punchbowl St. in Honolulu. Permits are valid 24 hours a day, 365 days a year unless the park is closed for emergency reasons. More information is available online at www.hawaiistateparks.org.
