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KUMABE: You know, I think context, I do believe it should be higher at Hāpuna. And what was
<br />interesting in 2000 and, I do believe, 2007, Hawai‘i Tourism Authority did a survey, and it kind of
<br />popped our eyes open when they said Kekaha Kai had a higher visitation than Hāpuna. But, you
<br />know, I think it was just a matter of how they took the numbers. But I think, as we all know, you
<br />know, looking at it intuitively Kekaha Kai visitation has increased, and as Janice and Bobby had
<br />stated, Manini‘ōwali has increased. So it’s just a nature of I guess folks coming now and seeking I
<br />guess those types of recreational venues. We feel that statewide in all of our parks where
<br />visitation to certain areas that provide especially a lot of the beach, coastal, those type of activities
<br />has increased. So, to put in context, the visitation, I do believe, to Hāpuna, we feel, is, should be
<br />higher. As far as to let it go down in either places, no, I don’t think so, because people are still
<br />looking for, you know, those types of recreational venues; whether we provide the access or
<br />facilities to that, people are still going to find ways. So I think we see it as, since it’s really hard
<br />for us, or even difficult from a legal standpoint, to keep people out once you open the gate, then,
<br />okay, how do we try to mitigate the impacts of these folks, and that’s something that we are
<br />wrestling right now. And I don’t think only us, I think our county counterparts statewide are
<br />wrestling with this. So just a matter of balancing out, you know, how we can, you know, mitigate,
<br />I guess, our existing facilities with this increased interest in usage, but yet still balance it out with
<br />our responsibilities of protecting the resources, still balancing out with how do we still protect our
<br />respect to cultural and historic areas. So that’s where we at State Parks, you know, it’ll be a
<br />continuous challenge, which we welcome and which we should be doing from here on to balance
<br />these things out.
<br />
<br />But it does get challenging, especially, Bobby had said, you know, operating budgets, that’s
<br />something, if we had the druthers, we would ask for ten, twenty times amount of money. Then we
<br />would have adequate staffing. But it is what it is as far as what we get, and I do believe our staff
<br />makes the best use of its gang all that it can. Janice had mentioned, well, we should put some
<br />things into place just in case staff, there may be staff that may not be as responsible as others.
<br />That, what we can do is basically just hone in and we’ve just got to educate our staff; you guys,
<br />because of these areas and because of these conditions, you know, we cannot do stuff like this, we
<br />cannot cut corners. So the best we can do is what we have, and I do believe at least from an
<br />operational standpoint the Hawai‘i District State Parks staff, I think, is kind of up in its bar and
<br />trying to, you know, improve the way it services our facilities. Is it going to happen overnight?
<br />No. Will it show in a long run? We hope so. But you’ve got to start somewhere. And as long as
<br />there is a buy-in and as long as there is support that we continuously can do, then, you know, we
<br />hope that we reach to the quality or to the, I guess, state of operating that basically, you know, is
<br />unnoticeable, because when you guys go to the park, if you guys don’t notice the bathroom and
<br />stuff like that, that’s great because you get to enjoy the park itself. Once you start noticing, oh, the
<br />bathroom and stuff like that, then, you know, you are not supposed to be doing that; you are
<br />supposed to be enjoying the place or recreating at the place or exploring the place to the extent that
<br />is legal, of course, but, you know. But, you know, basically from an operational standpoint we,
<br />have we reached there? No. Are we going to? I think we take every stride, but as it is right now,
<br />it can’t be in great leaps, so it would have to be in small steps just because of the funding and the
<br />funding realities, funding and staffing realities that we have.
<br />
<br />WHITTEMORE: Thank you. Anything else, Commissioners? I want to, I want to commend
<br />DLNR for recognizing the value of these assets here in west Hawai‘i and making effort to make it
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