Honu'apo Park Resource Management Plan

Honuÿapo Park Final Resources Management Plan
� Additional park improvements include BBQ pits at picnic tables and
campsites, and replacement of the current restroom on septic system with a
more environmentally-friendly composting or vault toilet. The construction
of the restroom should include breakaway walls that would not impede the
flow of waves in the event of coastal flooding.
� Landscaping near the estuary is done with native plants compatible with the
estuary ecosystem and is aimed at retaining good views of the estuary from
the park area.
� Park regulation signage is consolidated on one sign at the main parking area
for the Whittington section and includes information on wildfire and ocean
safety.
� This park section is accessed via a new and safer road around the back of
the estuary that connects with the paved Mill Ditch Road. The park’s new
access road and new parking areas are paved using low-impact pavement
such as porous asphalt or concrete. Note: State Department of
Transportation (DOT) approval will be required for this new intersection
with the Hawaiÿi Belt Road.
Honuÿapo Estuary
The Honuÿapo Estuary has a unique ecosystem that is protected through
preservation and restoration of native habitats for shorebirds and marine species.
Preservation strategy and measures for Honuÿapo Estuary will be detailed in the
Wetlands Study and Preservation Plan to be conducted by Ka ÿOhana O Honuÿapo
in 2010.
Elements of the Preservation Plan may include but not be limited to the
following measures:
� Native plant restoration in wetlands and along the edges of the estuary and
selective removal of non-native and invasive plant species.
� Predator control, which may involve a trapping program or a “predator
excluder fence” extending around a large portion of the estuary. The
“predator excluder fence” is a specially designed fence that effectively
prevents entry of rats, mongooses, cats, dogs, and other noxious species.
This fence may be a preferable and more effective alternative to repeated
intensive trapping. However, the “predator excluder fence” can be visually
obtrusive and should be concealed, to the extent practicable from estuary
viewpoints at the Whittington park section. Additionally, if the fence is
implemented, access to kuleana parcels near the estuary will need to be
maintained.
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