On-site staff key to upkeep of Kauai park, state officials say

During a recent visit to Kalalau in the Napali Coast State Wilderness Park, state Parks Administrator Curt Cottrell recalled how he was astounded by the tranquil setting, a stark contrast to what the Kauai site was like several years ago.

The experience now is closer to what the world would expect for a wilderness camping ground, he said. “It’s beautiful. There’s no rubbish.”

To help maintain that idyllic setting, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources plans to renew its request for permanent on-site staff at Kalalau Valley within the 6,175-acre Napali Coast park to help deter illegal camping and reduce heaps of rubbish left behind.

The DLNR’s Division of State Parks will request $100,000 in next year’s legislative session for two full-time park interpretive coordinators at Kalalau. Such coordinators would be similar to the role of a park ranger except for the law enforcement capacity, Cottrell said.

This past legislative session, DLNR had requested two staff positions to oversee Napali, primarily Kalalau, but the positions were not funded.

Cottrell said having permanent, on-site staff is critical to help reduce illegal campers and squatters in the area, which has been a decades-long problem. “We have no staff presence on-site,” he said of the largest state park. “There’s virtually no oversight or accountability.”

On-site staff would optimize the quality for permitted campers and help protect archaeological sites that include a heiau, he said.

Cottrell recalled that in 2011 and 2012, there was a “carnival” of illicit activity including drugs and alcohol and about 200 people camping on the beach and in caves, which are prone to rockfalls.

DLNR allows up to 60 people to camp at Kalalau at a time.

Because of enforcement the state renewed two years ago, Cottrell said he has noticed significant improvements. Some weeks ago, he observed tents were evenly spaced out in the designated camping area, everyone had permits and the caves were clear.

Since enforcement and cleanup efforts took place, about 200 people were either cited or arrested.

During the first half of this year, the state removed nearly 11 tons of rubbish by helicopter. Conservation enforcement officers also issued 30 citations from Jan. 1 to June 30 to people who trekked beyond Hanakapiai and did not have a permit. In addition, one person was arrested after he couldn’t produce identification to law enforcement.

It’s an 11-mile hike to the designated camping area near Kalalau Beach from the trailhead.

Randy Wichman, president of Na Pali Coast Ohana, which works to preserve cultural and natural resources, said that in recent months, a motorist driving around the Garden Isle would see homeless people in the bushes around parts of the island, and he believes this is a result of stepped-up enforcement at Kalalau. “We didn’t see that before.”

Cottrell said the benefits of implementing two permanent staff members to help deter illegal camping would vastly outweigh the costs of cleanups. On-site staff would be equipped with satellite phones to help report any illegal activity to law enforcement and warn hikers of any hazards such as potential flash floods.