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Proposed 2015 Entrance Fee Increases for Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park
Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park » Proposed 2015 Entrance Fee Increases for Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park » Document List
Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park is seeking public input on proposed entrance fee changes. The increased revenue would be used to improve the park infrastructure and enhance visitor services. Proposed projects include digital mapping to create virtual access to interpreted cultural sites and trails, rehabilitation of road shoulders and cultural landscapes, and web-based access to park museum collections so the public can learn more about the rich cultural history of HMnaunau.
This fee increase is part of a larger National Park Service initiative to standardize fees in similar parks across the country. Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park was classified with parks of comparable size and visitation and provided the corresponding fee schedule. In order to make decisions about how, or if to adjust fees, community members, visitors and interested stakeholders are invited to provide feedback. This feedback will play a vital role in determining how, and if, a fee increase would be implemented.
We recognize the unique relationship the Hawai`i community has with the park and we are committed to keeping entrance fees affordable. Since it began implementing the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004, the park has not raised its vehicle or per-person entrance fees and has made a variety of annual park passes available that allow unlimited entries, including the very popular Tri-Park Annual Pass which allows entry to Pu�uhonua o HMnaunau National Historical Park, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, and Haleakala National Park.
The money from entrance fees is used to fund projects that directly benefit park visitors and 100% of the entrance fees are available for use at HMnaunau. In recent years we have used fee money to stabilize the Great Wall, remove invasive vegetation from and stabilize the popular historic 1871 Trail, re-thatch the traditional h�lau wa�a (canoe houses) in the Royal Grounds, re-thatch and maintain the Hale o Keawe temple reconstruction, improve the park picnic area, and replace and upgrade the audio-visual system in the park amphitheater.
Under the increases proposed by the National Park Service, the per-vehicle entrance fees at the park would increase to $20.00, the per-person walk-in to $10.00, and the motorcycle fee to $15.00. The park is proposing that the cost of the Tri-Park pass would remain the same until 2017, when the cost for the annual pass would then increase from $25 to $50. The Tri-Park pass allows visitors one year of unlimited access to not only Pu�uhonua o HMnaunau National Historical Park but also Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and Haleakala National Park. The rate for the Annual Pass that admits the holder to all national parks will remain unchanged at $80.00, as will the Senior Pass at $10.00. Children under 16 years of age will continue to be admitted free of charge.
The pu`uhonua, Hale o Keawe temple site, and grounds located within the park remains a revered place for the Hawaiian people. The park contains cultural and historic resources that together create the atmosphere of Hawaiian life prior to Western civilization. Natural resources include anchialine pools, endemic species, threatened and endangered species and culturally significant native plant species. The park is 420 acres and had 363,282 visitors in 2013.
The comment period begins now and goes through December 15th, 2014. Please share your thoughts and comments on the proposed entrance fee changes in the following ways:
Write a letter to the park and address it to the Superintendent Tammy Duchesne, Pu�uhonua o HMnaunau NHP, PO Box 129, Honaunau, HI 96726
Or our website http://www.nps.gov/puho/index.htm
or on
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Puuhonua-o-Hōnaunau-National-Historical-Park/590946751002136
This fee increase is part of a larger National Park Service initiative to standardize fees in similar parks across the country. Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park was classified with parks of comparable size and visitation and provided the corresponding fee schedule. In order to make decisions about how, or if to adjust fees, community members, visitors and interested stakeholders are invited to provide feedback. This feedback will play a vital role in determining how, and if, a fee increase would be implemented.
We recognize the unique relationship the Hawai`i community has with the park and we are committed to keeping entrance fees affordable. Since it began implementing the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004, the park has not raised its vehicle or per-person entrance fees and has made a variety of annual park passes available that allow unlimited entries, including the very popular Tri-Park Annual Pass which allows entry to Pu�uhonua o HMnaunau National Historical Park, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, and Haleakala National Park.
The money from entrance fees is used to fund projects that directly benefit park visitors and 100% of the entrance fees are available for use at HMnaunau. In recent years we have used fee money to stabilize the Great Wall, remove invasive vegetation from and stabilize the popular historic 1871 Trail, re-thatch the traditional h�lau wa�a (canoe houses) in the Royal Grounds, re-thatch and maintain the Hale o Keawe temple reconstruction, improve the park picnic area, and replace and upgrade the audio-visual system in the park amphitheater.
Under the increases proposed by the National Park Service, the per-vehicle entrance fees at the park would increase to $20.00, the per-person walk-in to $10.00, and the motorcycle fee to $15.00. The park is proposing that the cost of the Tri-Park pass would remain the same until 2017, when the cost for the annual pass would then increase from $25 to $50. The Tri-Park pass allows visitors one year of unlimited access to not only Pu�uhonua o HMnaunau National Historical Park but also Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and Haleakala National Park. The rate for the Annual Pass that admits the holder to all national parks will remain unchanged at $80.00, as will the Senior Pass at $10.00. Children under 16 years of age will continue to be admitted free of charge.
The pu`uhonua, Hale o Keawe temple site, and grounds located within the park remains a revered place for the Hawaiian people. The park contains cultural and historic resources that together create the atmosphere of Hawaiian life prior to Western civilization. Natural resources include anchialine pools, endemic species, threatened and endangered species and culturally significant native plant species. The park is 420 acres and had 363,282 visitors in 2013.
The comment period begins now and goes through December 15th, 2014. Please share your thoughts and comments on the proposed entrance fee changes in the following ways:
Write a letter to the park and address it to the Superintendent Tammy Duchesne, Pu�uhonua o HMnaunau NHP, PO Box 129, Honaunau, HI 96726
Contact Information
Write a letter to Superintendent Tammy Duchesne, NPS, PO Box 129, Honaunau, HI 96726Or our website http://www.nps.gov/puho/index.htm
or on
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Puuhonua-o-Hōnaunau-National-Historical-Park/590946751002136