Lava Tree State Monument on the Big Island near Pahoa is scheduled to get $2 million worth of improvements, with some design work slated to begin later this year.

Facilities at the 17-acre park have suffered from age, weather, vandalism, falling albizia trees and root intrusion, state park officials said.

Gov. Linda Lingle just released money for the project, which will include repaving the parking entrance and parking lot, reconstructing portions of the 0.7-mile loop trail to meet accessibility guidelines, replacing interpretive displays, reroofing the picnic pavilion, fencing portions of the park's volcanic chasm that remain exposed to park users, removing plant hazards and upgrading the comfort station.

This allotment includes $200,000 for design and $1.8 million for construction. Design is scheduled to begin in July and be completed in July 2009. Construction is scheduled to begin in March 2010 and be completed in March 2011.

A separate project constructing accessibility improvements at Lava Tree State Monument is under way and scheduled to be completed in August 2008.