David Y. Ige

(HONOLULU) – More than 3,000 people have received a permit at no charge from the DLNR Division of State Parks this year for driving access to a coastal portion of Kaena Point State Park Reserve – Mokuleia section on Oahu’s north shore. The permit system was instituted as an attempt to curtail habitat damage caused by and accelerated by off-road vehicle use; to reduce soil erosion into the high quality near-shore waters frequented by fishers; and to stop other illegal and damaging activities. The permits, valid 24-hours a day, 365-days a year (unless the park is closed for weather or emergency reasons), allow drivers to transit designated roads, in a safe manner, behind a locked gate at the end of the paved road in the park.

“The enormous response to the permit system has strained our staff resources, so working with the state Office of Enterprise Technology Services and the Hawaii Information Consortium we will be rolling out a new on-line application system. This vastly streamlines government and makes getting access more user friendly,” said DLNR Division of State Parks Administrator Curt Cottrell.

Thanks to grant funds provided by the Hawaii Community Foundation and the commitment of the DLNR, an effective and efficient solution was identified and implemented to modernize the process while avoiding public user fees.  The new systems includes a web-based login capability for public users, back-end administrative tools and database, and the ability to disseminate weekly gate lock combinations via web services.

The gate combination is only provided to valid permit holders and is changed weekly to control entry into the vehicle access control portion of the park. In the first eleven months of the Ka’ena Point permit system, officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) issued 26 citations; ten of them to drivers who did not have special use permits. “DOCARE officers also responded to 18 complaints and issued 24 warnings for violations including entering closed areas, driving off designated roadways, and alcohol and dog violations,” according to acting DOCARE Chief Jason Redulla. He said, “We will continue to be aggressive about enforcing the rules at Kaena Point State Park Reserve, as DLNR and the Divisions of State Parks and Forestry and Wildlife move toward plans to restore degraded and damaged areas.”

Last year DLNR sponsored “permit parties” in November at which applicants were able to obtain permits more easily.  This year’s permit parties are designed to distribute the final permits and vehicle stickers to those who have already completed the application process online. Information will also be available on how to use the new online system.

KAENA POINT PERMIT PARTIES

Downtown-

Dec. 9, 2015, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Kalanimoku Building, 1151 Punchbowl Street, BLNR Board Room

North Shore-

Dec. 12, 2015 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Waialua Elementary School Cafeteria

Central Oahu-Wahiawa District Park (Hale Hookipa Meeting Room)

Dec. 12, 2015 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.

In addition the DLNR Division of State Parks has planned a community site visit to the controlled vehicle access portion of Kaena Point for Saturday, November 7, 2015 in order for park users to provide input on road designations, permit system operations and challenges and to gather information for possible future improvements to the process and restoration of the area.  An instructional video to walk permit-holders through the on-line system will be released by DLNR prior to the December permit parties.

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Media Contact:

Dan Dennison

Hawaii Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

Senior Communications Manager

Office of the Chairperson-Communications Office

1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 131

Honolulu, HI 96813

(808) 587-0407

[email protected]