Support Kapahi: Fund Signage and Community Tools to Protect Our Neighborhood

Aloha, my name is Leila Sivanathan. I’m a Native Hawaiian, born and raised on Kaua‘i, and I’ve lived on Kapahi Road for over 20 years.

On behalf of the local families who live along this road, and the broader community of residents who have called this area home for generations, we are asking for your support.

Kapahi Road is not just a street. It’s part of a neighborhood where people raise their kids, grow their gardens, and try to live simply and peacefully. In recent years, the overwhelming surge of tourism to Hoʻopiʻi Falls has turned this once-quiet place into something unrecognizable.

Even many local and Native Hawaiian families no longer feel comfortable visiting the falls, a place that was once sacred, quiet, and familiar. There’s nowhere to park, crowds line the road from morning till evening, and the environment and community around it are no longer being respected. It’s become a destination for visitors, but a place that the people of this island now avoid.

After months of frustration, hundreds of signatures, and rising safety concerns, we’re ready to take the next step. This fundraiser supports the tools we need to protect Kapahi, starting now.

Our quiet, rural neighborhood is being overwhelmed by the impacts of over-tourism at Hoʻopiʻi Falls. As residents, we’re experiencing dangerous and disruptive conditions that threaten not only our homes but our safety, well-being, and cultural identity.

We’ve already gathered nearly 700 petition signatures calling on County and State officials to take action. But we can’t wait — we’re starting the work ourselves.

What Our Community is Facing Daily:

• Cars blocking driveways, fire hydrants, and narrowing the road, leaving residents stuck or forced to veer off dangerously

• Lack of emergency access: If a resident needs an ambulance or fire crew, responders can’t reach them due to parked tourist vehicles

• Trash, noise, and disrespect: Loud groups arrive early and stay late, leaving behind waste and disrupting daily life

• No bathrooms or infrastructure: The area is rural, zoned as agricultural land, with no facilities to support high foot traffic

• Trespassing and privacy violations: Visitors regularly enter private yards despite posted signs

• Frequent injuries from the falls: Local fire and rescue teams are called multiple times a year to help tourists, using our community’s tax dollars

• Zoning at risk: As a Native Hawaiian born and raised here, I fear that increasing tourism could pressure the County to rezone and build to accommodate visitors, is something we strongly oppose

Our Vision

We are not against visitors, but Kapahi is a residential area, not a tourism destination. This is our home. We want to maintain its quiet, rural nature and ensure that it remains safe, respected, and accessible for the people who live here (locals and Natives).

We are asking for support from each other to take care of what we already know is worth protecting.

How Funds Will Be Used

Every donation, big or small, will directly support:

• Culturally appropriate signage at the head of the trail

• Community outreach tools, including flyers, printing, and visual materials

• Supplies for community meetings, door-to-door efforts, and neighborhood organizing

• Resources to help us bring this issue to the County Council and advocate for lasting changes

Help Us Protect Kapahi

Mahalo for supporting this grassroots effort. Whether you donate, share, or sign the petition, your support helps us stand together in aloha and defend our home.

This land is sacred. This road is ours. And this community deserves to be heard.

With gratitude,

Leila + Concerned Kapahi Residents

Sign the petition today!