DLNR not issuing permits for White Road Trail hikers

KAILUA-KONA — Adventurers hoping to hike the popular White Road Trail in North Hawaii are out of luck.

KAILUA-KONA — Adventurers hoping to hike the popular White Road Trail in North Hawaii are out of luck.

The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands said it will not grant permission to hikers who want to cross its land to access the popular trail, and, without DHHL’s permission, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said it won’t issue any permits to access the Kohala Restricted Watershed, where the trail runs.

“As far as we’ve been informed, Hawaiian Home Lands will not be issuing public access across their property,” said Steve Bergfeld, branch manager for DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife. “So the hiking permits by DOFAW, whether we issue them or not, is kind of moot because we won’t issue a permit without landowner permission.”

A spokesperson from DHHL confirmed its position. Bergfeld said as far as he’s aware, there are no other ways to access the trail other than through the DHHL property.

The agencies’ position means hikers have no legal means of getting to the North Hawaii trail and anybody who hikes it — roughly a 1.5-mile one-way trek to the lookout — risks a trespassing citation and an appearance before a judge.

48 cited

Last month, officers from DLNR’s Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement cited 48 adults for trespassing into the watershed and Kohala Forest Reserve.

Court dates for those people are scheduled throughout this month and through the middle of next month. They’ll face a judge at South Kohala District Court in Waimea.

DLNR spokeswoman Deborah Ward said at the time that courts normally have issued fines of $150.

Before last month’s operation, Ward said, officers issued 12 citations this year, but “verbally warned hundreds of people.”

Safety an issue

Even if crossing over DHHL land wasn’t an issue, the trail is closed past the Waipio Lookout, beyond which is the popular “water slide” that is the goal of many hikers. That part of the trail has been closed since a 2006 earthquake that created cracks in the path. Ward previously said that portion of the trail was closed as a matter of public safety, saying it becomes slippery when wet and the drop is hundreds of feet.

“There’s also the factor of White Road residents complaining about the volume of the people parking, etc.,” Ward said.

Restricted watersheds are areas where domestic water supplies are “vulnerable to contamination by public access,” she said.

Asked about what concerns officials have about the impacts of public access to the watershed, Ward said the question of impact is irrelevant to “the principle issues of trespass and safety.”

10 permits in 12 years

Since 2005, DOFAW has issued just 10 permits, Ward said, though it’s unknown how many of those were issued after the 2006 earthquake.

Bergfeld said these days he doesn’t get a lot of inquiries about getting to the trail, but noted it’s a moot point given DHHL not giving permission to cross its property.

Ward said the department intends to have more enforcement, but wouldn’t comment about specifics.

Many hikers, though, seem content to not bother with the permitting process, instead simply hopping the gate that separates the end of White Road in Waimea and the leased DHHL property.

Several hikers told West Hawaii Today last month that they didn’t see the harm in crossing the land as long as they were mindful of not leaving traces of their hike.

But Ward said it’s a question of respect for the landowner, not an attempt to rain on anyone’s parade.

“These are not to deprive people of the opportunity to enjoy hiking and beautiful areas,” Ward said. “There are many, many places on the Big Island where people can enjoy hikes and scenic hikes, and this is about respecting the landowner rights as well as safety concerns.”

Email Cameron Miculka at cmiculka@westhawaiitoday.com.