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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, July 28, 2002

EDITORIAL
Park upkeep is vital to visitor industry

It has often been said that Hawai'i virtually "sells itself" as a tourist destination.

That is, the job of marketing Hawai'i is primarily a matter of getting people to think about the Islands. When they do, they automatically start thinking of beautiful beaches, clear water, wonderful weather and stunning mountains and valleys.

And then they call their travel agent.

But a story Friday by James Gonser was another reminder that we cannot assume that Hawai'i will always sell itself without our help. That is, our positive image can be damaged in ways we might not expect.

Gonser reports that state officials say our system of state parks is in serious disrepair, with a backlog of at least $84 million in needed repair and maintenance. In fact, if things get much worse, officials said, they may have to close some state parks permanently.

To a degree, the budget shortages in the Parks Department is a reflection of priorities set by the Legislature and the governor. In a stagnant economy, there simply aren't enough tax dollars to go around. And few would argue that spending on park maintenance should come before basic spending on education and social services.

But these decisions come at a cost. State Parks Administrator Dan Quinn points out that shoddy, poorly maintained parks and park facilities are more than an inconvenience for local residents. They also make a poor impression on visitors who arrive here expecting beautiful beaches, mountains and parks.

State lawmakers have already recognized the direct link between maintaining our natural beauty and parkland and our reputation as a visitor destination.

They have ordered a master plan for repair and maintenance of the entire state park system and they asked the Hawai'i Tourism Authority to set aside $1 million of its marketing budget for park maintenance and upgrading.

The authority is scheduled to meet this week to discuss the idea.

We'd argue that the $1 million should be merely a starting point. If Hawai'i earns a reputation as a destination with a rundown, poorly maintained and degraded natural environment, there won't be anything left to market anyway.