A documentary that spotlights problems tied to illegal camping on Kauai’s Na Pali Coast is slated to air on KFVE to educate the public about the need to protect natural and cultural resources, particularly at Kalalau.
“Renegades, Risks & Rewards of the Na Pali Coast,” presented by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, will air at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday.
Illegal camping is a decades-old problem at Kalalau, which attracts backpackers worldwide with its breathtaking scenery.
At a news conference Wednesday, Suzanne Case, DLNR chairwoman, said the state agency is determined to shut down illegal activity, including unpermitted commercial activity and unpermitted campsites that continue to surface throughout the valley and the Na Pali Coast.
The documentary features footage of enforcement sweeps conducted by the state in recent months.
Since Jan. 1, conservation enforcement officers have cited 104 people for unpermitted camping or hiking. The state Parks Division issues up to 60 camping permits per night for a designated campsite near Kalalau Beach, 11 miles away from the trailhead in Haena. The maximum stay for each permit is five days.
Only people with camping permits are allowed to hike beyond the 2-mile mark on Kalalau Trail.
Thomas Friel, enforcement chief of DLNR’s Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement, said officers are working hard to enforce regulations but logistics and the high costs of contracting a private helicopter to transport officers to and from the remote valley pose challenges.
In 2015 the division issued 5,823 permits, with each permit covering two people, sometimes more. Since January the division has issued 2,317 permits.
Curt Cottrell, administrator of the Division of State Parks, said illegal campers, often transported to Kalalau by commercial boat or watercraft, are wreaking havoc on cultural and natural resources. Commercial operators have charged between $120 and $150 for a ride to the beach, he said.
Illegal campers bring surfboards, mattresses, tables, plastic lawn chairs and coolers to Kalalau and hold large parties, disrupting permit- holding backpackers seeking a quiet wilderness experience.
Parks Division crews are removing huge piles of trash left behind. In January and early February, 2,400 pounds of trash were hauled out by sling-load.
Composting toilets are also overtaxed because of the influx of people.
“During the summer, at any given time on the beach we can have upwards of 200 people. So you can imagine the impact that places on our infrastructure,” Cottrell said at the news conference.
Most disturbing to state officials and volunteers who help the state to preserve resources is damage to cultural and historical sites. Illegal campers have removed rocks from heiau to create fire pits.
John Fink, KFVE vice president and general manager, said it was a “no-brainer” for the network to screen the documentary when approached by DLNR about the plight of Kalalau.
“We just feel like there’s a real need for people to understand that the precious resources and the abuse of the aina are just not permittable,” he said.
The documentary will be posted on DLNR’s website and Facebook page after it airs on KFVE.