City to Stairs: Tear Them Out

As many of you may have heard, despite overwhelming testimony opposing removal of the Ha‘ikū Stairs, on September 11th the City Council voted 9-0 to remove. Four days later, Mayor Blangiardi said he would do just that.  Echoing the City Council’s talking points, the mayor said that managed access won’t work – probably because neither one of them ever bothered to learn what managed access is.  A profile in courage it was not.

Unlike them, we are not going to quit on you.  Until all the approvals are obtained, it will probably be 1-2 years before they can tear the Stairs out.  We still have time to save the Stairs, but we have to act now, and act decisively. The Friends of Ha‘ikū Stairs will shortly be announcing a serious fundraising campaign, with funds to be used to develop and implement a worldwide print and social media campaign--including a short documentary--to rally the public to save the Stairs (you can, of course, already donate through our web site).  And we will be organizing a demonstration in the very near future to kick things off, to let our public officials know they can’t blow off their responsibilities to protect our resources.

Obviously, the situation is very dire.  We have an urgent need for volunteers to help us with the above, particularly those of you with skills in social media and event organizing.  Please contact us using the form below to let us know how you can help.  Mahalo.

Managed Access to Save the Stairs

The following Concept Plan outlines how The Friends of Ha'ikū Stairs would run the Stairs under managed access in order to save the Stairs, mitigate potential risks, and best serve the public interest.

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Please feel free to download the Plan and see for yourselves how managed access is not only feasible, but also the best way forward for the Stairs.
 

Imagery ©2015, DigitalGlobe, Public Laboratory

Ha'ikū Stairs: IN THE NEWS

As we work hard to save the Haʻikū Stairs from imminent destruction, see how our message in support of a managed access solution is making news. Click on each image to link to the original article.

**Please Note: The stairs are currently closed and illegal to access, no matter how you access them. We do not provide information that will aid people in breaking the law**

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Why Save the Stairs? 

Here are some key reasons:

1. As per the findings of the BWS's DEIS: “The Haʻikū Stairs was built in the 1940s, is defined as a historic property per §6E-2, HRS, and retains its historic integrity.” (Vol 2, p. 701). Why would you destroy a historic structure, especially if you could repair it for less?

2. The Haʻikū Stairs represent one of the safest hiking trails in Hawaii. There having been no documented serious injuries or deaths resulting from accidents on the Stairs

3. Reopening the Stairs under managed access would provide unique, internationally recognized, educational, cultural, and recreational opportunities and save one of the world’s top 10 best hikes on the National Geographic Endangered Trails list.

4. The Kāneʻohe Neighborhood Board resolved in May 17, 2017 to support reopening the stairs under a controlled and managed access plan that respects the privacy rights of residents of the Haʻikū Village neighborhood

5. We have read the DEIS report and we agree that managed access (conveyance alternative) is by far the best alternative with a total score of 7 good as compared to removal with a score of only 4.

6. FHS has a managed access plan in place that is in alignment with the recommended Poʻokela Street access route and can be adjusted to meet all the listed concerns.

7. FHS has years of experience leading people on legal maintenance climbs on the stairs, carrying out repairs to individual modules, controlling invasive species, and mitigating run-off concerns. 

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What We Do

PETITION the Board of Water Supply & the Mayor

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We started a petition on Change.org in 2015 in order to garner support for Saving the Stairs. By July 2nd 2019 when we delivered our petition to the Board of Water Supply, and handed a second copy to the Mayor's office, our petition included 11,650 signatures of support, as well as 171 pages of comments from supporters. Mahalo to all of you who contributed towards this effort.

REACH OUT to the community and to local representatives

Our board members sit on community groups and liaise with local representatives to promote managed access as a sensible alternative to destruction. We make presentations at conservation group meetings and discuss our vision for the future of the Stairs and Ha'ikū Valley with local community groups with with the goal of Saving the Stairs and its environment for current and future generations.

RALLY FOR SUPPORT 

We hold rallies and events in order to raise awareness for the plight of the Stairs. Through sign-waving and public events such as the Save the Stairs rally at Hawaiian Brian's in 2019, we show that there is widespread support for saving this historic and much-treasured monument.

How We Do It

THROUGH THE SALE of Merchandise

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Friends of Ha'ikū Stairs is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) organization. All proceeds go directly to our mission to protect the Ha'ikū Stairs and its environment for current and future generations. Your purchases are tax-deductible. Prices include shipping and packaging to all US locations. Please contact us for international orders.