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Did a field survey project there this summer...Surprisingly, the water does not have overly high enterro. bacteria mid afternoon, but some areas were slightly above health standards.
Dr. S. Malloy, at UHH has started doing field research in this area. The tour companies do surprise me, as none seemed to have any facilities for their guests (ucko-tourism vs eco-tourism??)
there are human 'dump site' that even have white coral markers & arrows! Some of the 'dump sites' are even visible from areial photos of the area! Mind you, some are by the fishers who are fishing just off shore of these 'dump site'.
This is state land, but so far there has been a hands off approach. The 4WD trails were put in w/o permits or permission (these would definately have needed EIS work, and so will any changes to this area, including toileting facilities...)
The other interesting thing, permits are needed for backcountry state land tourism & camping....When we did our study, there were no permitts applied for, but lots of people using the area for camping, fishing & the tour vans of people.... There are many who do not want this burden of permits, but the situation that is happening at the ponds area is why there is the permit system....
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The Beach lot residents sit nervously in their gated enclave, pointing fingers at any who would dare invade their turf.
The irony is that the largest threat to Kapoho Bay ecosystem is the multitude of homes built on it.
I agree with Jerry that if it comes down to either residents or visitors; visitors rule. This area is too beautiful and valuable a resource to let development destroy it.
In the article, Beach Lot residents point fingers at Kapohokine adventures. This company is much more a steward of the Aina then the locals living there. Kapohokine has portable toilets set up a couple of miles mauka, and all their waste is transported to a treatment facility. That's much more responsible than the fingerpointers who's waste ends up in Kapoho Bay.
The Oceans are rising; Storms seem to be growing in intensity. Possibly the situation will fix itself.
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"The Oceans are rising; Storms seem to be growing in intensity. Possibly the situation will fix itself."
the wise man waits... perseverance furthers
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When Hanauma bay on Oahu got too full, they put in an entrance fee and gate. At the beginning, kamaaina got in free and tour buses had to pay a fee but that didn't slow it down enough so soon everyone had to pay and once a certain limit was in, they didn't let anyone else in until someone came out.
Cleaning up Hilo Bay and making that an ocean spot might take some pressure off the other accessible ocean spots. We are still the windward side of the island with no offshore coral reefs to attract sand and block the open ocean effects on our shores so beaches are going to be few and far between.
Add superferry passengers who will be camping at whatever camping facilities we have to the added cruise ship tourists and where will we be then?
"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson
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Assume the best and ask questions.
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I too have noticed the increase of users as well as the import of tourists to the pond, which, I have to say, surprised me. In my view, the most viable fix would be to improve the current road, build a park with facilities, and include a breakwater and boat ramp for access to the Bay. This would give the users a much larger area to swim, kayak, and a fairly safe place to enjoy the ocean. We have so few places of ocean access in Puna.
Bill
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Good idea. There is a group forming at this time to promote and lobby for Puna.
Wanna get involved?
Assume the best and ask questions.
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Does having portable toilets a couple of miles from the swimming area work for most of the tourists? Does the tour company ferry all of the tourists who need a potty break while they are at the ponds?
The water quality is more of a visual than a qualitative problems, for both Hilo Bay (although it has high particulate matter, it tests out fairly safe), and the ponds (that do have higher bateria markers than Hilo Bay, but are still within standards....)that have the visual factor of over 75 'toileting facilites' currently in use in the area.
To those that want, or do not want, increased traffic handling at the ponds: There was never permission for the roads that were carved into the lava flows, these were done by one or more cat drivers, in order bring people in vehicles to the ponds, bay & fishing shores. The state never has permitted this. There were no Environmental studies (EIS would have been required if this was legally done) on these 4WD roads. Wether this area remains open is more to do with our policy makers & those that made the trails....and those that are now making money on the trails...
If you do have options, one way or the other, it is best to make them known, as Rob has suggested, to the public officials.
I have submitted my proposal to spend next semester studying the options at the ponds for my senior project...
Edited by - carey on 10/29/2007 11:29:32
Edited by - carey on 10/29/2007 11:32:31
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My name is Tony, and I operate KapohoKine Adventures. We bring visitors to Champagne Pond in 7 passenger vehicles and spend about 45 minutes there, as noted in the newspaper. We've installed and pay for rent-a-luas at every stop on our itinerary, some are open to the public like the ones at the painted church in Kalapana. We do not intend to impact either public facilities or the bushes. We have asked the homeowner's association of Beach Lots if we could install and pay for at our expense rent-a-luas open 24/7 to the public at Champagne Pond. The only access for the pump truck would be across their private roads, but the homeowners have declined the offer. Our groups of visitors are thoroughly educated by both my guides and an onboard DVD we made talking about the overthrow, talking about natural disaster here and how these disasters affect lives. Our guests step out of our vehicles with a respect that a visitor in a rental car does not have. I feel that places should be open to visitors, but those visitors must be watched and educated, in other words guided. I am proud that we have been able to create 10 good paying jobs here in Kapoho and that 6 of those positions are filled by Native Hawaiians. When one of my guides says "This is where I grew up as a child, this is Kalapana. Kalapana no longer exists. Where you are stepping is where I played in my backyard, so please treat this place with respect", I guarantee that that visitor will have a deeper understanding of why something simple like discarding a cigarette butt on the ground is so offensive to us. Mr. Samelson, the President of Beach Lots board, said on the phone that locals were "lazy" as they could walk in to the Pond from the lighthouse or the gate at the entrance to Beach Lots. So, it doesn't feel like the sanitation issue is the real problem for homeowner's. Look at www.vrbo.com and you'll find more than 35 short-term vacation rentals available all touting Champagne Pond and swimming with the turtles as key selling points, so while they feel that my money-making?, commercial activity? should stop there is no mention of their profiteering from the Pond. And I label their activity profiteering as they have created no jobs or made any further contributions to the local community besides lining their pockets. It feels like property values and vacation rental businesses are the real motivations here. And, according to the County, every short-term vacation rental in Beach Lots is illegal. The homeowner's intend to keep Champagne Pond and Kapoho Bay all to themselves, their guests and their profit making vacation rentals which doesn't seem fair to me. We have the opportunity to use visitor-dollars to directly improve the local community by eliminating the, uh, elimination problem at Champagne Pond, but we need the cooperation of the Beach Lots homeowners. Instead of trying to erect gates, fences and dumping piles of boulders to keep everyone out, maybe pull down the gates and video surveillance equipment and use that money to contribute to creating a safe parking area with trash removal and rent-a-luas. Or wait for the state and county to pave the whole place over changing it forever.
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Glad you are here to post your point of view.
For my part I must say that one of your arguments is lost on me. I can't quite accept the "thirty five vacation rentals are illegal so my illegal operation should be okay too". I don't see the 35 wrongs make a right. I believe that any and all traffic there is likely illegal. The pressure of people will trample every "keep off the grass" sign every time.
The situation is complex and the complexity is increased with the addition of tour buses. I don't think your tour buses are the worst thing that happens, it's not the best thing either. The pond is a rapidly depreciating asset. Speeding that depreciation would not be one of my goals.
Meanwhile our own rapidly expanding population is quite capable of dooming this wonderful location with or without tour buses.
So when do we each decide if we are part of the problem or part of the solution?
Assume the best and ask questions.
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