State parks and small boat harbors will be charging more and a new parking fee will be levied on tourists at eight state parks, under rules being considered by the board of land and natural resources today.

When all in place, the state hopes to raise $8 million to pay for routine maintenance and repair at all 69 state parks and reserves, trails, 20 small boat harbors, and 26 boat ramps and landings.
Creating new sources of revenues to pay for repair and maintenance is vital to keeping parks open as state funding continues to dry up due to the economic downturn, an official said today at the state Department of Land and Natural Resources board hearing.
Officials are calling this the Back to Basics Plan B of the Recreational Renaissance plan that was touted in the legislative session as a five-year plan to spruce up state parks, small boat harbors, ramps and piers and hiking trails.
“We need to improve our operations to keep facilities better maintained,” said Curt Cottrell, state parks assistant administrator. “This is critical for us to stay alive.”
Parking fees of $5 per vehicle will only be charged for visitors. A $10- 40 fee will be charged for commercial vehicles. The parks where the parking fees will be charged are: Akaka Falls State Park, Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area, Makena State Park, Iao Valley State Monument, Ka Iwi Scenic Shoreline, Nuuanu Pali State Wayside, Haena State Park and Kokee and Waimea Canyon State Parks.
At Nuuanu the fee will be $3 per vehicle because most people don’t spend a lot of time at the vista area.
No admission fees are being discussed at this time because they would require additional manpower and construction of a toll booth. It will take more than a year before the parking changes would go into effect, Cottrell said.
Other changes include online camping permits, which will increase 140 percent on Oahu where nightly rates will increase from $5 per night per site to $12 a night. For nonresidents the camping rate will be $18 a night.