48 



entire period, the park lacked visitor amenities and still was relatively unknown to 

 the public. Nearly all of the 1991 increase came from beach users of the Honokohau 

 parcel acquired in late 1990. 



West Hawai'i (South Kohala and North Kona) is the principal visitor destination 

 area for the island of Hawai'i. The visitor industry here has become a major source 

 of economic activity and, judging by the number of development projects for new ho- 

 tels and condominiums, will continue to grow. Too, it is expected that the resident 

 population of the area will be growing significantly in the coming decades as 

 planned major urban expansion takes place. 



There has been trespass beach use of the Honokohau ahupua'a lands in the park 

 for many decades prior to the National Park Service's acquiring them. This use was 



grimarify by nude sunbathers utilizing the sand beach next to Aimakapa fishpond, 

 •ccasionally, some of these visitors walk to the nearby anchialine pond surrounded 

 by large ahu (cairns). The water quality in the pond and the archaeological features 

 associated with it have been deteriorating over the past several years due to human 

 impacts. Access to the beach has been and continues to be via the Honokohau Har- 

 bor. 



Comments received from the public at the scoping meetings related to the future 

 use of the Honokohau beach were numerous. Out of the more than 900 received, 

 many called for the National Park Service to consider designating the beach at 

 Honokohau as "clothing optional." Nearly all of these comments came from off -island 

 visitors. A substantial number of comments were received urging that nudity be 

 banned from the beach. The latter came from local residents, many of whom felt 

 this practice to be insulting to the Hawaiian culture. 



During the open review period to receive public comment on the draft general 

 management plan/environmental impact statement, this issue came up again. At the 

 public meetings, a total of 19 people spoke in opposition to allowing nude sunbath- 

 ing at Honokohau beach. Petitions with a total of 442 signatures were received op- 

 posing nude sunbathing. On the other side of the issue, 42 people spoke and a peti- 

 tion with 189 names was received recommending that the National Park Service 

 designate Honokohau beach as clothing optional. 



Up until the National Park Service s acquisition of the Kaloko ahusua'a area in 

 1986, public access was prohibited here. Presently, visitor use consists primarily of 

 interpretive tours of certain areas by park personnel for individuals and groups. Ac- 

 cess to the Kaloko area is presently via a one-car width, unimproved and temporary 

 access road. Most visitors arrive by auto, some after having stopped at park head- 

 quarters presently located across the highway. 



Preliminary estimates of visitor carrying capacity were projected in the 1974 

 study report, Spirit of Ka-loko Hono-ko-hau. The daily capacity for the then pro- 

 posed park was envisioned to be 1,500, with 250 to 350 being the capacity at any 

 one time. This projects that Kaloko-Honokohau will have more visitors than 

 Pu'uhonua o Honauanau National Historical Park and will probably exceed one-half 

 million visitors/year. Little monthly fluctuation in visitor numbers would be ex- 

 pected. The goal of providing a quality visitor experience in keeping with the parks 

 intended purpose will need to involve tempering public access to certain areas; for 

 example, where Hawaiians and others will be pursuing educational and cultural ac- 

 tivities, sacred areas such as burial sites, endangered species habitat, and other 

 areas. 



This is a new park not yet fully operational. No facilities exist on site for resource 

 management, park administration, maintenance, visitor use, sanitation, or interpre- 

 tation. Some resource management, primarily removing alien red mangrove from 

 Kaloko fishpond and at Aimakapa, has been going on for about two years. A tem- 



Eorary chemical toilet near Kaloko fishpond and a composting toilet near 

 tonokohau beach are the only existing park-related structures. Access to the chemi- 

 cal toilet near Kaloko fishpond is via an unimproved gated service road at the high- 

 way end. Access to the composting toilet near Honokohau beach is via trail begin- 

 ning at the harbor end o the park. Park offices housing administrative and mainte- 

 nance activities are presently located across the highway in the Kaloko Industrial 

 Park. Only very limited visitor services are provided here and no interpretation 

 takes place. 

 No formal road access to Kaloko-Honokohau off the Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway 



Eresently exists. Vehicular access to park lands is either via the entrance road to 

 [onokohau Harbor to the south or via the unimproved service road to Kaloko fish- 

 pond. A few hikers presently enter the park via the coastal trail on Kohanaiki lands 

 to the north. The service road access to Kaloko fishpond is intended to be tem- 

 porary. 



The location of the existing network of unimproved roads, trails, and tracks in the 

 park is unsuitable for providing access to interpret resources for visitors. Moreover, 



