By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
John Roselauf photographs his family, from left, wife
Jolene, daughter Lindsy and son Brian atop Diamond
Head after arriving from Los Angeles. Plans are on tap
to charge visitors to enter the crater, and other
natural settings here, too.

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Pay to play debate

User fees -- necessary evil?
The commercialization of nature?
Regardless, they're on the way

By Gordon Y.K. Pang and Neal Iwamoto
Star-Bulletin

In a state where swimming, sunbathing and hiking are religions, debate is in full swing on plans to have people pay to enjoy Hawaii's natural settings.

By the end of the year, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources expects to approve rules for setting fees on outdoor camping, and Gov. Ben Cayetano plans to charge visitors to enter Diamond Head.

Both plans follow the city's decision to charge tourists to enter Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve.

Proponents believe fees are necessary, particularly during bad economic times, to ensure that the people using facilities are paying for their upkeep.

Opponents, however, charge that access to recreational areas should be unrestricted and that people unable to pay the fees will suffer.

State Parks Administrator Ralston Nagata said he hopes to have rules in place by the end of the year allowing the state to charge for the use of campgrounds.

A round of public hearings is required; legislative approval is not.

While campers have been paying to use state cabins for years, access to 10 camping sites has remained free.

With funding cuts, Nagata said the department needs to find ways to help pay for maintaining public areas.

Diamond in the rough

He said Diamond Head is one area where significant amounts of money could be raised from fees. No price has been proposed for entry to Diamond Head.

State funding has been set aside for a visitor center and other facilities. Cayetano also talked about a botanical or natural garden at the floor of the crater.

At Malaekahana State Recreational Area last week, Kathy Ferguson said she wouldn't mind paying a fee to camp if it would help remedy the broken tables, overflowing trash cans and vandalism in the park.

The Honolulu resident, who was soaking up the summer sun with her husband and two sons, said: "We still love it here.

"But I want it to be taken care of. I would pay a user fee if it went to take care of the park," she said.

Will Kasen, an Oklahoma resident honeymooning with his wife, said: "I'm surprised that they didn't charge anything at all."

Not everyone happy

Not everyone endorses the fees.

Chad Rodrigues of Waianae said he understands the need, but he doesn't like it.

"I just think this is one of the last few things that is open to us," he said.

Life of the Land's Henry Curtis said paying for entry into a botanical garden would be one thing but he'll fight any move to charge for hiking at Diamond Head.

"Diamond Head is ceded land -- owned by the Hawaiians, held in trust by the state government," Curtis said.

Joyce Tomlinson, vice president of the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club, said she'll concede free access to Diamond Head as long as it doesn't lead to charges for other hiking trails.

"Diamond Head is for the tourists. That's long gone in their direction," she said.

The Legislature will determine whether the fees go directly back to the campgrounds and Diamond Head, a Department of Land and Natural Resources spokeswoman said.

By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
By the end of the year, visitors could be paying to reach the top of Diamond Head via these stairs.

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The National Parks example

Charging for park use is not new to Hawaii.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island and Haleakala National Park charge $10 a carload for entry, with payment good for a week.

Bryan Harry, the National Park Service's superintendent for the Pacific, said fees have been charged since he began as a park ranger in Hawaii 25 years ago.

If nothing else, "it's just to make sure you really want to go," Harry said.

This year, Volcanoes and Haleakala are being allowed to keep a portion of the fees for their projects.

Volcanoes Park Superintendent Jim Martin projects collecting $700,000 to $1 million this year. Plans for the money include redoing exhibits at the main visitor center, roadside exhibit signs, replacing pit toilets with modern ones and relocating the Kipuka Nene Campground.

Hanauma Bay, the counties

Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris kicked off the debate over paying for access to parks when he proposed two years ago that only tourists be charged $5 for entering Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve.

The plan, although approved, was criticized by Council members, the visitor industry and others.

Less than a year later, the plan was killed.

Today, as part of a compromise, tourists are charged $3 for entry, but all motorists pay $1 for parking. Money from the fee goes into a special fund to help pay for park programs and maintenance.

Parks officials say they've collected about $240,000 monthly since mid-March. Hanauma Bay manager Alan Hong said some money is going toward replacing the aging pavilion and restrooms, as well as building a pedestrian walkway from the gate to the beach -- not funded by the city.

Harris insists the fees at Hanauma will not lead to fees elsewhere.

City Council Parks Chairwoman Rene Mansho concurred.

"The exceptions to the rule are special activities like the zoo, the Shell, Hanauma Bay," she said. "They demand an inordinate amount of maintenance."

Only Hawaii County charges for overnight camping.

Big Island Deputy Parks Director Julie Tulang said the county charges $1 per adult per night but may propose raising the fees next year. The county doesn't get any complaints, she said."

Maui Parks Director Henry Oliva said there are no plans to charge for camping.

What's next?

State Parks Administrator Nagata said a third proposal the agency is working on would allow the state to begin charging for parking at recreational facilities.

Various sites have been discussed, but there aren't any proposals, he said. There was talk of installing parking meters at the Pali Lookout but that was scrapped for fear of vandalism.

"I have concerns over the commercialization of nature," said Sierra Club spokesman David Frankel.

Maintenance of the facilities should be paid with tax dollars, not fees, he said. "The whole move to user fees is a move by corporate interests to make the average citizens pay for what traditionally has been a public service."

Curt Cottrell, who heads the state's Na Ala Hele trails program, said Hanauma Bay and Diamond Head are special cases and that it would be illogical to consider fees in most cases.

"Enforcing that would cost more than the money generated," he said.

"The only place that would work is for a high-use area with a single access point, such as Diamond Head."