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The Maui News
A new bill signed into law by the governor on Thursday aims to mitigate overtourism impacts on state parks based on the success of Kauai's Haena State Park.
Act 72, which was previously House Bill 1183, exempts nonprofit parking lot and concession operators from bidding requirements for operating at certain state parks.
According to the measure, some of the most heavily trafficked tourist hot spots in Hawaii are state parks. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources has tried multiple ways to address overcrowding, including increasing fees, adding park rangers, subcontracting shuttle systems and creating entry and parking reservation systems, including at Waianapanapa State Park and Iao Valley on Maui.
Gov. Josh Green held the signing ceremony on Thursday at Haena State Park because it has been one of the busiest state parks, resulting in overcrowding, degradation of resources and safety hazards, according to a news release from the Governor's Office. But recently, that changed.
On Thursday, the DLNR unveiled a case study on how the community worked together with government and the visitor industry to manage the 65-acre Haena State Park. It shows how the once overcrowded and overtaxed park on the island's north shore has undergone a complete makeover, including controls on the numbers of visitors each day and the transportation of most park visitors by shuttle from Hanalei, leading to fewer traffic and parking issues and opening up access for residents, DLNR said in a news release.
State lawmakers hoped to see similar success at other state parks by exempting parking lot operations at state parks from bidding requirements to allow for similar, long-term management partnerships, according to the measure.
The exemption under the bill would apply only to certain operations supported by nonprofit corporations within state parks that are designated by the Board of Land and Natural Resources as environmentally, culturally, historically or operationally unique, according to a news release from the Governor's Office on Thursday. The exemption is modeled after the existing exemption in state law for certain county zoos, botanical gardens and county parks.
The Governor's Office said the new law solidifies future management of state parks through community partnerships.