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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.C.R. NO. |
52 |
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TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2016 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
EXPRESSING endorsEMENT and support fOr a unique and aggressive approach by the department of land and natural resources TO USE DURABLE AND TEMPORARY geo-synthetic materials as necessary for THE protection of the Kaanapali Beach Walk from shoreline hazards until the Beach Nourishment program at Kaanapali beach can be completed.
WHEREAS, section 205A-2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, establishes the objective of providing coastal recreational opportunities that are accessible to the public through policies encouraging the protection of coastal resources which are uniquely suited for recreational activities that cannot be provided in other areas; and
WHEREAS, these policies include providing and managing adequate public access that is consistent with conservation of natural resources to and along shorelines with recreational value; and
WHEREAS, section 171-153, Hawaii Revised Statutes, states in pertinent part, that:
"The department [of land and natural resources] shall prepare and, from time to time, revise plans for the restoration of beach lands of the State. These plans shall guide the board in identifying those beach lands in need of restoration which have been degraded as a result of natural or human actions and shall designate suitable coastal lands for the purpose of generating revenues to carry out the purposes of this section"; and
WHEREAS, Act 117, Session Laws of Hawaii 2015, amends section 237D-6.5(b)(5), Hawaii Revised Statutes, to allocate a part of the transient accommodations tax revenues from the special land and development fund beginning July 1, 2016, for "[t]he protection, preservation, maintenance, and enhancement of natural resources, including beaches, important to the visitor industry" and the "[o]peration and maintenance costs of public lands, including beaches, connected with enhancing the visitor experience", if the allocation is expended in accordance with the Hawaii Tourism Authority's strategic plan; and
WHEREAS, when beaches suffer from erosion, shoreline properties become increasingly vulnerable to numerous coastal hazards; and
WHEREAS, Hawaii is world-renowned for its beaches, which are the backbone of Hawaii's multi-billion dollar tourist economy; and
WHEREAS, visitors to Kaanapali Beach on the Island of Maui contribute over $2,000,000,000 to the State and Maui County economies each year; and
WHEREAS, while Hawaii's beaches provide many recreational opportunities for residents and visitors, they also act as a natural buffer to prevent or minimize property damage from storm waves; and
WHEREAS, the Kaanapali Beach Walk is a significant recreational resource consisting of approximately six thousand lineal feet of contiguous, paved, pedestrian walking pathways, which are accessible to the public and are uniquely situated for recreational activities; and
WHEREAS, recent storm waves have dramatically accelerated the erosion of the shoreline fronting the Kaanapali Beach Walk, undermining the existence of the regional recreational resource in advance of the implementation of the Department of Land and Natural Resources' beach nourishment program at Kaanapali Beach; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-eighth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2016, the Senate concurring, that this body expresses its endorsement and support for a unique and aggressive approach by the Department of Land and Natural Resources to use durable and temporary geo-synthetic materials as necessary for the protection of the Kaanapali Beach Walk from shoreline hazards until the beach nourishment program at Kaanapali Beach can be completed; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources and Mayor of the County of Maui.
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OFFERED BY: |
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Kaanapali Beach Restoration