CURRENT STATUS

April 2007


The Haiku Stairs continue to be closed and guarded. Because of the numerous inquiries we have received, we’ve prepared this summary of the specific problems as we see them:

Access: Currently there is no permitted access to the trailhead. Over the years virtually every conceivable possibility has been investigated, and the only practical one seems to be the road used by the Navy and Coast Guard during their years of operating the Haiku Radio Station. This is the extension of Haiku Road that goes directly into the valley. This route was used exclusively when the Stairs were officially open under Coast Guard auspices. During those years—from about 1981 until the Stairs were closed in 1987—they hosted approximately 10,000 climbers a year. During those years access was via Haiku Road. Both hikers and Coast Guard personnel used the road. There was no discord from the community.With the Coast Guard gone, the road is now property of KSBE and leads into the valley now owned by DHHL. Permission would have to be obtained from each of those entities. In addition, the path to the trailhead from the ideal parking location in the Valley would be have to be across the old H3 construction road, owned by DOT.

Permission: Although Mayor Harris was strongly in favor of opening the Stairs, Mayor Hannemann has been much less enthusiastic. He has indicated that he would entertain a proposition to open the Stairs under the condition that the City and County of Honolulu would be relieved of operating costs and liability. But without access, there is no way to operate the Stairs, and providing a legitimate access requires political action, basically agreement between the City and DHHL to allow regulated access through Haiku Valley.

Opposition: There is a small group of residents in a nearby community who strongly oppose opening the Stairs and have been lobbying for its removal. They are small in number, but politically well connected, and seem to have been effective in preventing the involved parties from getting together to solve the problem.

And here are the positives:

The Stairs are in good condition, and FHS volunteers continue to perform periodic maintenance.

There is a well-spring of popular support and enthusiasm for Haiku Stairs, not just in Kaneohe, but across Oahu and literally around the world.

There is a practical solution in keeping with community concerns and in concert with a broader ecological and cultural preserve in Haiku Valley, with its rich heritage of Hawaiian culture.

Haiku Stairs (and Haiku Valley) are important assets to the Windward community and Oahu as a whole. In addition to their obvious recreational value, they contain important historical and cultural sites--reminders of the enduring role played by the top-secret Haiku Radio Station during the Second World War (please see the “History” section on this site).

Eileen Root, Hawaiian Reference Librarian at the Kaneohe Public Library, stated it well when she wrote back in 1987:
"The Haiku Stairway is one of the few visible reminders of Kanehoe's past history ... If the members of the community are to learn about Kaneohe's past and preserve its history the Haiku Stairway is a good place to begin. It ties together scenic, recreational, and historical significance and has the potential to be a symbol and source of pride for the Kaneohe community."

The Friends of Haiku Stairs, now a 501(C)(3) organization has been in existence since September 1987. We have intimate knowledge of the Stairs, its history, and the history of the two-decades-long effort to restore access. We stand ready to give significant help in the management and operation of the Stairs. We continue to hold quarterly workdays to cut weeds, control invasive species of plants, manage erosion, and to inspect the structure. Despite the dozen or so opponents, there are thousands of people who support the preservation and managed access to Haiku Stairs. Surely there are enough reasonable people in the community to devise a satisfactory way to achieve the return of this significant asset to the local people and the interested visitors.

January 2006

The Haiku Stairs are still closed and guarded. They remain in good condition, and FHS organizes periodic volunteer maintenance activities to keep them that way. We expect our next maintenance day to be in late January or early February, 2006.

Here’s the status on the potential re-opening for public use. In late April, the new Mayor offered to give the Stairs to the State to manage. John Goody and John Flanigan were subsequently invited to meet with Peter Young, Director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, to discuss the issue. Mr. Young expressed sympathy with the idea of opening the Stairs and agreed with that the Stairs were an appropriate property for management by Na Ala Hele, the state trail system. But he wasn't optimistic about the State’s becoming involved. There is no apparent momentum within either state or city government to press the issue.

In the last days of the Harris administration, the City and the State Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, current owner of most of Haiku Valley, negotiated a land swap that would have given DHHL’s portion of the Valley to the City. The purpose was to turn the land into a preserve that would give the public the opportunity to learn about the Hawaiian cultural background of the Valley and to appreciate the important historical significance of the Navy's Kaneohe Radio Station and its function during WWII. That exchange would have made it possible to access the Stairs from a trail head and parking area in the Valley, with access by way of the traditional right of way along Haiku Road. That hope was dashed when it was found that the City's land offered for exchange was encumbered by a legal requirement that prevented the trade.

In addition to a lack of political will, there are several issues that must be resolved to open the Stairs. They involve access, parking, maintenance, management, and liability.

Many suggestions for access have been studied. They range from quite feasible to essentially impossible. These include:
1) Opening access to the H-3 construction road from Likelike Highway - Virtually impossible, because of laws regarding the construction of highway intersections and the huge cost of upgrading the construction road for such use.
2) Renegotiating the parking agreement with Hope Chapel - Although this is a practical alternative, it is not ideal because of constrained periods of use. Unlikely because of legal demands made by the landowners.
3) Access via the Board of Water Supply road through the Hokulele neighborhood - Highly practical, because it leads directly to the trailhead, but VERY unlikely because of community opposition.
4) Access via construction of new access road somewhere between Hope Chapel and the State Hospital - Impractical due to excessive cost and the fact that all the property in between is owned by the State Hospital.
5) Access via hiking trail past Windward CC and the State Hospital – A subcommittee of the Kaneohe Neighborhood Board developed this plan before the land swap became the City's solution of choice. It has merit in that it would avoid the objecting neighborhoods, but it would also complicate parking at WCC, which does not have enough parking for students and faculty on weekdays. Parking on campus would also be unwelcome on many weekends when there are activities, as there often are. Alternatively, parking could be at the District Park. The problem is that, especially on weekends, the park is used for sporting activities, and much of the parking area is full. Further, it is more than a mile, uphill, from the District Park to the trailhead. While that shouldn't be a bother to serious hikers, there is a fear that cheaters might still choose to park in the nearby neighborhoods and sneak in, as before.
6) Creating a trail head in Haiku Valley at the former Omega Station or Animal Quarantine Station, with rest rooms, parking and trail head interpretive center - This would be one component of a cultural and historic park and preserve in the valley. This is practical, relatively inexpensive, and in the public interest. Unfortunately, it is not presently politically feasible, as DHHL seems not to be interested in either a park or access to Haiku Stairs.

Finding a way to open this world-class experience to the public, in a reasonable, limited way, without disruption to the local neighborhood is both practical and achievable by making use of a trail head in Haiku Valley. For this to happen, a significant weight of political pressure will need to be generated in favor of Haiku Stairs at both the state and city levels of government.

The Friends of Haiku Stairs continue to work with the City and State to that end. Meanwhile, we also continue our work with volunteers to maintain the Stairs, to control invasive plant species and to mitigate erosion. We welcome your interest in volunteering for work on the Stairs, and to help us persuade our political representatives that Haiku Stairs deserves their support. Please contact us through this web site if you would like to help out.

October 2004

City and County of Honolulu and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands have reached an agreement for an land exchange with which C & C would receive 65.6 acres in the Valley, a parcel which would include access roads, parking area, and access to the base of the Stairs.

The resolution to approve the contract (City Council resolution 04-269 dated September 21) was heard by the Council Budget Committee, and after much testimony both for and against (predominently for) was deferred to a later time. Supporting the resolution was Councilmember Barbara Marshall; supporting delay were Councilmembers Romy Cachola, Ann Kobayashi, Rod Tam, and Charles Djou. Meanwhile guards continue to patrol the illegal entry points and the base of the Stairs to intercept would-be climbers.

Illegal climbers are a crucial, perhaps definitive problem. Their abuse of prohibited access points in the nearby neighborhood, often involving trespass onto private property, has caused a significant number of residents to become antagonistic toward the Stairs. Through certain residents' political influence, various government officials have taken a hostile position on the Stairs and have managed to delay the opening. It is likely that had would-be climbers remained patient and not tried to make the climb illegally, the City would not have encountered this negativism, would have been able to complete the land swap, and we would be well on our way to opening the hike.

Meanwhile the Stairs are repaired, a possible land swap is on the table, but deferred, illegal climbers continue to annoy the residents, security people continue to patrol the area, and various politicians, especially Representative Ken Ito, continue to oppose opening of a legal access to Haiku Stairs. This is a nonsensical position, taken for political purposes, since a legal access in Haiku Valley will resolve the problem of trespassing.

Please stay tuned. We will be asking for your support at the City Council.

January 2004 The Haiku Stairs are still closed pending development of a suitable public access. Please respect the property rights of residents and neighbors in Haiku Valley. Do not try to climb. There is a guard at the bottom of the Stairs, and you will be turned back. Trespassing will only make it more difficult for us to reach an agreement with community members and the government regarding an access way.

Thank you for cooperating. The Friends of Haiku Stairs are working hard to get the Stairs opened in a way that respects the local community and preserves the integrity of the Stairs and surrounding environment.

November 2003 Stairs remain closed and in danger of remaining so indefinitely. See details in the newsletter.

August 2003 Stairs due to open in August.

March 2003 You may have noticed that, despite the completion of repairs to Haiku Stairs, they remain closed to the public. Here is the scoop: The repairs were completed last summer, with portions re-leveled, new steps installed where needed, and lots of new railings that now glisten in the morning sunlight on the eastern ridge. Plans were under way for an opening of the Stairs to the public, with a target date in September or early October. A volunteer work-day cleared overgrowth, began the task of removing alien species of trees, and constructed a good approach trail (thanks to the work crew from Hawaii Trail and Mountain Club, Sierra Club, and the firm of Belt Collins).

When the Sacred Falls law suit verdict was announced, which assigned liability to the State for having inadequate warning signs of the hazards to which Sacred Falls hikers would be exposed, a halt was put on opening Haiku Stairs pending a review of necessary warning signs. This evaluation has taken months, since the ruling was ambiguous as to what is considered adequate warnings of obvious (and apparently to some, not so obvious) perils. The City has hired consultants to assist with the signage; FHS has provided its input as to the actual hazards as we know them; and now we are waiting for the City's attorneys to complete their staffing and review of the results.

Interim access to the Stairs has been negotiated with Hope Chapel, but public use of this access is waiting for resolution of the warning sign issue. The prospect for long-term use of Haiku Valley, including permanent access to the Stairs through the valley, is improving, as there has been progress in the negotiations between the City and DHHL (which owns the valley) for such use. The City's planning effort for a preserve and park in the valley has been suspended pending completion of the negotiations.

In the meantime, a barrier fence has been constructed across the front of the Stairs, to discourage trespassing. And, as we wait, plants are continuing to grow, with alien species crowding in both on Stair climbers and on native species of plants that naturally belong there. We will need to address that problem in the near future.

Please stay tuned. We will be asking for volunteers to help with alien plant removal, and for some volunteer leaders to help organize volunteer work parties. The volunteer leaders will be trained in plant recognition, management techniques, and safety. Anyone interested? We will let you know when we schedule a volunteer meeting, and as soon as we get word on an official opening.

March 2002 It now looks like the repairs to Haiku Stairs will be completed by the end of spring. Check out the new railings shining in the sun as you go up H-3 or along Kahekili Highway. The Nakoa Company and its hardworking crew have done a great job, as recently reported in the Honolulu Advertiser.

Work is continuing on projects near the base, however, and the valley remains off limits to hikers. Please cooperate by staying out of the valley, as some trespassers there have done extensive damage and vandalism to historic structures, and the security personnel are strictly instructed to keep people out.

There are numerous claimants to certain portions of the right-of-way into the valley, including Dept. of Hawaiian Home Lands, Bishop Estate, and the Board of Water Supply. A metal gate with several locks now blocks the roadway into the valley, and a guard patrols inside. Pending resolution of the access issues and a license to the City for use of the valley as a trailhead for Haiku Stairs, planning for the valley has been temporarily put on hold. However, the City is well aware of the need to acquire public access and is working with renewed energy to resolve remaining issues for public use of the valley. Once that is resolved, the planning process will be completed for the trailhead and for a cultural/natural preserve in the valley.

The plans for Haiku Valley include use of the former Quarantine Station near the base of the Stairs as a trailhead center. One or two of these structures will be restored for that use, once the plan is completed. At the same time, a request for proposals from the City will be issued soliciting proposals from non-profit organizations to manage the Stairs in partnership with the City. FHS is preparing to respond to that proposal.

We are in the process of submitting grant requests to several foundations for structuring of educational programs, management oversight for the facility, and environmental restoration along the Stairs. With this funding, we will be able to obtain a staff person to perform a variety of tasks to keep the Stairs open and free of trash, provide educational materials and programs associated with the Stairs, and to coordinate volunteers. We anticipate that donations from Stair climbers and sales of items at the trailhead center will enable us to maintain this program.

So, now as much as ever, we need your support as a member and volunteer. Please sign up and join the Friends of Haiku Stairs.

August 2001 Significant activities involving the Haiku Stairs are now underway. A blessing was held to begin repairs on August 9, 2001, and the planning process has begun for use of Haiku Valley, including potential for a Haiku Stairs trail head. Tthis plan will contain management recommendations for Haiku Stairs themselves, as concerns rise over excess use and vandalism.

Nakoa Construction Company is the repair contractor, and they will be working through the summer and fall to take advantage of the good weather. They have until October next year to complete the job. While they are working, a guard will be posted to prevent trespassing, as Nakoa will have workers, materials and equipment on the Stairs from top to bottom. It is an unfortunate fact that a few misguided individuals have vandalized structures and done other damage. Nakoa is well justified in enforcing the security of their work site.

A local planning firm, Will Chee Planners, has begun efforts to plan for use of Haiku Valley. Although the valley is still under control of Department of Hawaiian Homelands, it is anticipated that the City and DHHL will come to some agreement concerning use of the valley as a preserve and for access to Haiku Stairs. Haiku Valley is important as a watershed for water production, and for protection of Kaneohe Bay and Heeia Wetlands, into which its streams flow. As a consequence of its past use, the valley is important for its cultural and historic resources. It has great potential for restoration of native plant communities and for native Hawaiian cultural uses, as well as for passive outdoor recreation and appreciation of its natural features.

Will Chee Planners, under contract to the City and County, has undertaken the planning process by establishing a steering committee with representatives from Haiku Valley and from other groups with cultural and ecological concerns. Friends of Haiku Stairs is a part of that committee. We anticipate public meetings once some alternatives for use of the valley are developed. We will notify our membership by e-mail and post to the FHS web site the dates and location of upcoming meetings, once they are scheduled.

A major concern of the Friends is that the Stairs remain open as a public resource for recreation, exercise, and education. Some have contended that the Stairs, once repaired, should go out to the highest bidder. That could well lead to exclusive and restricted use for profit by an eco-tourism company, to the detriment of use by our local community. Friends of Haiku Stairs will advocate for sensible use by the community, with care for the Stairs and their surrounding environment, as well as the safety of climbers. We will need your help in this endeavor. If you would like to express your opinion over use of Haiku Valley and Haiku Stairs, you may do so by e-mail to Will Chee Planners, at wcp@lava.net. Use the subject line “Haiku Valley” in your message.