The public should take some time to read the Board of Water Supply’s (BWS) draft environmental impact statement on the Haiku Stairs , including columnist Lee Cataluna (“Stairway talk is only too familiar,” Star-Advertiser, June 26). Granted, the DEIS is not as interesting or as quick a read as her world-weary cynicism, but it does have a lot to say.

Ms. Cataluna’s column makes compelling reading, but in fact, Instagram did not fuel the long-running urge to climb the Haiku Stairs, as implied. The city spent nearly $1 million in 2002 to repair them. The city proudly — and very publicly — announced that this magnificent resource was once again safe to climb. However, just as the Stairs were set to re-open, unforeseen legal issues prevented public access to the non-BWS land below the Stairs. It’s not hard to imagine what happened next: an invasion of would-be hikers into the surrounding subdivisions, which continues to this day.

So how do we solve this? As the DEIS notes, rather than having to cast about for a savior, the city is currently in talks with BWS to take over the Stairs. The city would develop a Managed Access Plan — re-opening the Stairs to the public under controlled management and supervision — in conjunction with a vendor who would operate the facility.

And we would not need to cast about for some deep-pocketed developer; the DEIS notes that more than five nongovernmental organizations have already expressed interest. Moreover, the DEIS rates Managed Access as the alternative that best meets BWS’s objectives — even better than removal.

The Managed Access Plan would include provisions for parking, entrance fees, carrying capacity, comfort facilities, waste management, environmental mitigation, cultural education, safety, liability insurance, maintenance, security features (gates, fencing, etc), and after-hours security detail to prevent trespassing. If there is an item that hasn’t been included, we’re sure BWS and the city would like to hear about it; comments on the DEIS are being accepted through Aug. 7.

Have there been a lot of fits and starts over the years? Yes. Does that mean we give up? No. This is far from unmanageable. We have accomplished a lot harder things. People have spent a lot of time trying to make sure this can work. And we don’t just discard our heritage (and spend an additional $1 million to do so, as Stairs removal is projected to cost); or dismiss its value, as if it means nothing to us, as if it is just another disposable piece of junk.

The Stairs have meant a lot to people over the past 75 years, and still do. Besides the breath-taking views, they were crucial to winning the war in the Pacific, and have been determined to be eligible for listing in both the Hawaii and National Register of Historic Places. Experts in botany and natural history have described the Stairs’ hike as an educational resource unique in the Hawaiian islands, and organizations such as National Geographic have recognized it as a world-class resource.

Nearly 1 million people have climbed the Stairs, all of them without serious injury, since they’ve been open. The Stairs are irreplaceable, and future generations should get to see why.

Jay Silberman, who was the Haiku Stairs’ project manager prior to the Omega Station closure, is on the board of directors for Friends of Haiku Stairs.