Bill Text: HI SR35 | 2023 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Designating Hawaii's Coral Reefs As Critical Natural Infrastructure And Strongly Supporting Nature-based Solutions Such As Coral Reef Restoration For Risk Reduction.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-1)

Status: (Passed) 2023-05-22 - Certified copies of resolutions sent. [SR35 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2023-SR35-Introduced.html

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THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	35
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

designating hawaii's coral reefs as critical natural infrastructure and strongly supporting nature-based solutions such as coral reef restoration for risk reduction.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, the islands of the State include environmental resources such as coral reefs that, if healthy, effectively managed, and functioning, can help mitigate the risks and related loss and damage from floods and the effects of climate change and natural disasters; and

 

     WHEREAS, studies have shown that healthy coral reefs can absorb up to ninety-seven percent of wave energy, protecting coastal properties from the power of the sea by reducing wave energy, trapping sediments, and attenuating storm surge, and one study has estimated that Hawaii's coral reefs protect $836,000,000 worth of coastal infrastructure from flooding annually; and

 

     WHEREAS, in addition to coastal protection, Hawaii's coral reefs provide residents with income from fishing and tourism, food security, recreational opportunities, and a cultural connection to their island home; and

 

     WHEREAS, ten million visitors travel to the State annually to experience the beauty of its beaches, reefs, oceans, and other natural resources, and in doing so contribute nearly $17,000,000,000 to our state economy annually; and

 

     WHEREAS, the State's coastal areas and infrastructure face climate change-related risks and disaster events, including exposure to storms, high wave events, sea level rise, and flooding, and climate scientists and other experts predict an increase in the number and severity of hurricanes, higher levels of rainfall in fewer storm events, increasing sea surface temperatures, and increased ocean acidification, which will negatively impact coral reefs; and

 

     WHEREAS, the health and sustainability of the State's communities and economy are closely intertwined with the health of our coral reefs but are being threatened by global stressors related to climate change, such as sea level rise, as well as coral bleaching and ocean acidification; and by local stressors from land-based sources of pollution, unsustainable fishing practices, and invasive species; and

 

     WHEREAS, coastal ecosystems, such as coral reefs, that serve as a first line of defense are being lost at alarming rates; and

 

     WHEREAS, live coral cover has declined by as much as forty percent in some areas, and Hawaii has experienced three coral bleaching events in the past ten years, including the first statewide mass bleaching event in 2015; and

 

     WHEREAS, storms impact national and local economic productivity, threaten water and food security, increase diseases, damage critical public infrastructure, and impede basic services; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is responsible for responding to natural disasters and providing technical and financial hazard mitigation support, and this support is primarily distributed as grant funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs; and

 

     WHEREAS, there is growing interest in the use of coral restoration for hazard mitigation action to reduce risks to people and property; and

 

     WHEREAS, coral reef restoration for risk reduction is an active restoration strategy with the aim of increasing the structural integrity and complexity of coral reef ecosystems to attenuate wave energy and reduce coastal flooding; and

 

     WHEREAS, a recent report by The Nature Conservancy concluded that coral reef restoration for risk reduction is a cost-effective hazard mitigation strategy in Hawaii; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Federal Emergency Management Agency provides financial assistance to all states, territories, and federally recognized tribal governments of the United States through its Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs, including its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program; and

 

     WHEREAS, legislative recognition of coral reefs as critical natural infrastructure demonstrates political support for nature-based solutions, and the level of a State's political support is an important metric when the Federal Emergency Management Agency directs activities and funding toward coral reef restoration for risk reduction projects; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, that this body designates Hawaii's coral reefs as critical natural infrastructure and strongly supports nature-based solutions such as coral reef restoration for risk reduction; 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 Administrator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Authority.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Hawaii's Coral Reefs; Critical Natural Infrastructure; FEMA Funding