4/25/25 – DOZENS OF CAMPS CLEARED FROM DIAMOND HEAD STATE PARK
|
JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR |
DAWN CHANG |
DOZENS OF CAMPS CLEARED FROM DIAMOND HEAD STATE PARK
HONOLULU – This week, a state contractor and officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) cleared 45 illegal encampments from the slopes of Diamond Head. This morning, DOCARE cited three individuals for being in a closed area.
This was a regular cleanup operation that DLNR conducts on Division of State Parks (DSP) lands at least once each quarter. The department’s homelessness coordinator regularly coordinates operations with the City and County of Honolulu, which has jurisdiction on the makai lands off Diamond Head Road, and service providers.
Today, Honolulu Police (HPD) were on stand-by as crews cleaned up makai lands, and the Hawai‘i Department of Law Enforcement (DLE) and multiple social service agencies provided additional support by establishing an intake area in a nearby park. Anyone who was moved off either city and county or state land was given the opportunity to learn about various programs and pathways for assistance.
DOCARE Chief Jason Redulla said, “Entry into closed areas on Diamond Head is difficult to enforce without circling the entire crater with an impenetrable barrier. The mountain is porous, and there are countless routes for people to use.”
DLNR has been conducting regular cleanups for more than a decade. Pua Aiu, the department’s homeless coordinator, explained that even if people who’ve lived on Diamond Head for, in some cases, many years wanted to move into a shelter or transitional housing, there are not enough beds to support all of them at one time.
“There is also a severe lack of beds on O‘ahu for people needing mental health services or addiction treatment,” Aiu explained.
In addition to the large volumes of stuff campers leave behind, there are concerns about human health and safety. Buckets used to hold human waste litter the crater’s slopes, and no one knows if this material will flow into the ocean during rain. Work crews will not remove soiled buckets due to safety concerns.
Another major concern is a wildfire sparking on the slopes overgrown with non-native trees and grasses. DSP has just inked a contract with the Hawai‘i Wildfire Management Organization (HWMO) to create a comprehensive wildfire mitigation plan for the entirety of Diamond Head. Community meetings are in the process of being scheduled.
Redulla added, “We appreciate the community’s patience with this issue. On O‘ahu, elsewhere around the islands, and across the country, hundreds of places grapple with these same issues. We wish we could say there is an easy or ready solution, and unfortunately, that’s not the case.” He said DOCARE appreciates the additional patrols HPD and DLE are doing this weekend to try and prevent re-entry.
DLNR leadership says without broad-based community support, political will, and funding for more permanent solutions, regular cleanups will continue to be necessary.
# # #
RESOURCES
(All images/video Courtesy: DLNR)
HD video – Diamond Head crater cleanup (April 25, 2025):
Photographs – Diamond Head crater cleanup (April 25, 2025):
Media Contact:
Dan Dennison
Communications Director
Hawai‘i Dept. of Land and Natural Resources
Distribution channels:
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Submit your press release