Champagne Pond - Best solutions?

[punagirl]

I have been renting a vacation rental in Beachlots every year for the past 5 years. I had hiked to Champagne Pond before renting there. We used to spend each morning of the vacation by getting up and walking over to the pond and swimming with 30-50 turtles. Last year there were some mornings when you could only find one or two. Very sad. Even in Waiopae (sp?) there are not half as many fish as I swam with on my first visit over 10 yrs ago.

Forget Champagne Pond on weekends. As mentioned, there are groups camping right on the edge of the pond throwing trash into it and chasing turtles around. OK, maybe they are not intentionally throwing the trash but they are not being careful about putting it up where it will not blow around.

I am pretty mixed on how I feel about the gate at Beachlots. Aren't the roads paid for by the residents? If so, I think it is OK to keep others off the road as long as there is easy shoreline access. If they are county maintained then there shouldn't be a gate.

About two years ago I stayed there and someone vandalized the guardshack with a lot of anti-haole/gate stuff. Just wanted to mention that that does nothing for your cause.

I am shocked that they are allowed to have cesspools. Kind of freaks me out thinking about the possible seepage into the pond behind the house we rent.



Atlanta/Pahoa