Bill Text: HI HR62 | 2014 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Haiku Stairs; Working Group; Public Access

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-04-02 - The committee(s) on FIN recommend(s) that the measure be deferred. [HR62 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2014-HR62-Introduced.html

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	62
TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2014
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO CONVENE AND CHAIR A WORKING GROUP TO DEVELOP THE MEANS TO ALLOW PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE HAIKU STAIRS AREA.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, in 1942, the United States Navy built a staircase, which became known as the "Stairway to Heaven" or "Haiku Stairs" (Stairs), as a means to access its transmission facilities at the ridgeline of the Koolau Mountains above Haiku Valley; and

 

     WHEREAS, in 1972, the transmission facilities were transferred from the Navy to the United States Coast Guard for operation of both LORAN and OMEGA navigational systems used by ships crossing the Pacific Ocean; and

 

     WHEREAS, after newer navigational systems were employed in 1987, the OMEGA station became obsolete and was shut down by the Coast Guard, eventually leading to the disrepair of the Stairs, and restricting access to the Stairs that had been granted to hikers since 1982; and

 

     WHEREAS, the area has not been officially opened to the public since 1987; and

 

WHEREAS, the Stairs is composed of 3,922 steps that lead up to the Koolau Pali and the summit of Puu Keahiakahoe that overlooks Haiku Valley, and on a clear day the view at the top includes most of Windward Oahu, Pearl Harbor, and parts of Leeward Oahu; and

 

WHEREAS, the area has many miles of hiking trails, paved roadways, a scenic climb to a lookout on the Koolau Mountains, and many sites of historic, cultural, and archeological significance; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Stairs ascend through the cliffs and hillsides of the Haiku Valley, which is inhabited by native plant species and contains natural habitats for a number of native birds; and

 

     WHEREAS, numerous public and private entities claim an interest in the lands surrounding the Stairs; and

 

     WHEREAS, the area of the Stairs due to its historical, aesthetic, environmental, and recreational significance should be open to the public; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2014, that the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, or the Chairperson's designee, is requested to convene and chair a working group to develop the means to allow public access to the Haiku Stairs area; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group include representatives from state and county agencies, community organizations, and private entities and individuals, deemed necessary by the Chairperson to achieve the purpose of this Resolution; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chairperson report the findings and recommendations of the working group, including any necessary proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2015; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, and the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Haiku Stairs; Working Group; Public Access