Falls landing permit sought for air tours

By Nathan Eagle

A popular aerial tour company wants the county to approve a helicopter landing area for visitation and viewing of Manawaiopuna Falls in Koula Valley.Residents voiced concerns on the pending permits for Island Helicopters Kauai at the Planning Commission’s regular meeting yesterday at the Mo‘ikeha Building.
Westside Watershed Council Vice Chair Jose Bulatao Jr. asked the commissioners to keep in mind the island’s “finite resources” and to be good stewards of the ‘aina.The proposed landing area sits on an existing access road — a grassy strip of agricultural land owned by the Robinson family.Commissioner Steven Weinstein was recused due to his connection with the property.The landing area would offer customers easy access to the falls featured in the movie “Jurassic Park”, Island Helicopters Kauai owner Curt Lofstedt said in an interview yesterday.“There is no other way for the public to see these falls from the ground; there are no public roads or trails,” he said in a statement.Robinson Family Partners gave the tour company exclusive permission, on a limited basis, to land on their property at Manawaiopuna Falls, Lof-stedt says.“We’ve been working on this for over four years and have done much of an environmental assessment already,” he said.Evaluating the use of the landing area has included cultural, geological, flora and fauna independent studies, Lofstedt said, and “no impact” findings were found across the board.“The impact of a helicopter landing is minimal, especially when compared to the impact that the approved ziplines, ATV, tubing, horseback riding and biking tours have on other agricultural lands,” he states in the release.Hanalei Watershed Hui Executive Director Maka‘ala Kaaumoana questioned if the landing area and its use would cause erosion into nearby streams and if passengers might unintentionally spread invasive species.Kapa‘a resident Ken Taylor said he was concerned about permitting the landing area prior to restoring the streams to “pristine order.”The nearest resident to the proposed landing area is 3.5 miles away, Lofstedt said, negating any noise impact.He said no food, drinks or swimming would be allowed and no structures would be built.“There will be no effect on the watershed at all,” the long-time pilot said, adding that the path to the falls is an existing trail.“The tour will include a very short walk up the existing and accessible maintenance trail adjacent to the existing agricultural ditch,” he says in the release.The Federal Aviation Administration was taken to the site, he said, and approved the landing patterns.Some guava trees next to the stream near the access road “may have to be trimmed back,” he said, but otherwise it is ready.Lofstedt and his wife Bonnie, of Po‘ipu, have owned and operated Island Helicopters since 1980.The company maintains two helicopters, which fly out of a heliport at Lihu‘e Airport, and employs 18 local residents, he said.“The tour will lessen the number of flights that Island Helicopters can take around the island, due to the ground time,” Lofstedt says in the release. “The stop will be for approximately 20 minutes.”The commission received a report from Planning Director Ian Costa to permit the helicopter tour landing area.The public will have an opportunity to testify on the matter at the commission’s next meeting, Nov. 24.