Shop after shop was empty; for sale and for rent signs were abundant. Further out on the Wailua River, the once most popular Coco Palms Resort was silent.
Most hotels damaged by Iniki are now back in business but tourism in general has not recovered to its pre-Iniki strength. Kauai definitely needs an economic push of some importance to bring the island back to its former prosperity.
That push could be the establishment of a Kauai National Park. Overnight, Kauai would become world famous, hosting one of the most beautiful and spectacular natural scenic parks in America.
Within a year, the overnight tourist population of Kauai would double. New hotels and resorts would open along the Poipu shore. The economic prosperity of the island would be assured forever with its natural scenic treasures protected by the National Park Service.
A Kauai National Park could cover the shoreline of Napali from Polihale Beach to Lumahai Beach at Hanalei, including Kalalau, Wainiha and Hanakapiai valleys, and the beaches at Ke'e, Haena and Wainiha; the mountain areas of Kokee, Alakai Swamp and the rainiest place of earth, Waialeale; the great Waimea Canyon and the upper reaches of Olokele Canyon and Hanapepe Valley; perhaps the scenic taro fields and valley of Hanalei could even be included.
This will be a national park of great importance to Hawaii and the world - the Kauai National Park recommended in 1960 by Secretary of the Interior Udall.
Almost all of this acreage is controlled by the State of Hawaii in forest lands or state parks, and the transfer of these lands to the National Park Service would mean the creation of a national park with few land purchases by the federal government.
Under a federal park system, millions of dollars would become available from national park congressional appropriations to maintain and preserve these wild and scenic lands for Kauai.
Preserving this natural beauty will attract more overnight visitors to the island in a park paid for by these mainland visitors.
When I last met with officers and environmental staff of the national Sierra Club in San Francisco, they expressed their considerable desire to make the Kauai National Park proposal a major part of their national conservation political program.
This opportunity is now available to the people of Kauai, who will benefit most from the national political clout of the Sierra Club and other organizations.
The Kauai National Park will be established in a form most beneficial to the people of the island. Written into the park enabling act will be continued opportunities for regulated hunting of feral pig and goal with individuals deputized as park hunters, guarantees of continued leases for cabins and homes in Kokee and continuation of present leases of the restaurant, public cabin rentals and the park museum.
ADDITIONAL congressional park funding will enable the National Park Service to improve trails into Waimea Canyon, across Alakai Swamp and onto the summit of Waialeale, and possibly even build rental cabins in Kalalau Valley and offer full-time ranger service to all of the future national park lands and shoreline.
The residents of Kauai will benefit the most from the new parklands, since all of the park will always be available to them, ripe plums and all.
To join the Kauai National Parks Citizens Committee and participate in all that is necessary to bring about the establishment of the park through supporting legislation in the Congress of the United States, write to me at 6246 Milolii Place, Honolulu, HI. 96825 or call me on Oahu at (808) 396-9877.
A $10 contribution will place you on our mailing list as well.