Beach Access Hawaii

Kauai Access Problems

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:04:00 +0000

Two good pieces worth reading about the controversy over shoreline access on Kauai. First, there's this article from The Hawaii Independent, which begins:

An outcry over plans to fence off a trail to Larsen’s Beach is causing Kauai residents to revisit two longstanding issues: Should concerns about liability restrict access; and is the county properly recording public easements?

The controversy arose over cattle rancher Bruce Laymon’s plans to install a fence on northeast Kauai coastal land that he leases from the Waioli Corp., a kamaaina landowner whose holdings include the historic Waioli Mission House and Grove Farm Homestead Museum.

The fence would block the widest and easiest of two trails that lead down to the long, relatively secluded beach. Laymon maintains the more popular trail is not the easement that Waioli Corp. deeded over to the county. Instead, the public access runs through an outcropping of rocks along a steeper, rougher trail that is less favored by beach-goers.

But during a site visit last Friday, concerned citizens said they were stunned to hear surveyor Alan Hironaka claim there’s no public access to Larsen’s Beach at all...

Click here to read the rest.

Then we have Andy Parx's "got windmills?" blog post, which also goes into the history and politics behind the Larsen Beach access issue.

Check out Andy's piece, The Road More Traveled (Mon., Oct. 26) here.

So has the Honolulu Advertiser or Star-Bulletin been on top of this story? I could be wrong, but I don't think so. More and more we're seeing independent news sources and bloggers picking up the slack while TV news and the dailies cut back on actual reporting, and run more Mainland-generated content.

B&B Pros and Cons: Trick or Treat?

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:50:00 +0000

Is the bed and breakfast debate in Hawaii a beach access issue?

As many of you know, I have mixed feelings about the arguments for and against B&Bs. Some of our friends and BAH supporters own B&Bs in Kailua. But I also know people who have been negatively affected by B&Bs.

Ironically, some of the most vocal opponents of B&Bs are people who live on gated roads. They even claim the influx of B&B tourists are one reason they don’t want anyone using “their” private lanes to get to the beach. They want the City Council to tell others what they can or can’t do with their homes.

Yet those same people don’t want anyone telling THEM what they should do with their “private” roads -- despite the fact they receive public services such as trash pick-up and mail deliveries.

Moreover, some of those mini-hotels that are marketed as B&Bs are on gated roads. Which means tourists who rent them have their own private access to the beach, while residents who live nearby must trek as much as half a mile to find a public right of way.

Personally, I’d like to see B&Bs restricted to owner-occupied homes. Most of the problems I hear involve properties where the owner lives out of state or somewhere else. If the owner is present, at least you know who to complain to. I think owner-occupied B&Bs can fit into residential areas if they are regulated and stay true to the spirit of real mom-and-pop operations.

It’s a thorny issue. I’ve had family visiting from the Mainland, and I wanted to set them up with a B&B in Kailua. However, I have friends who have had trouble finding affordable rentals, in part, because B&Bs are more profitable for property owners. If I had an extra room to rent, I'd want to get top dollar for it too.

Is there a middle ground? I’m all for keeping Kailua residential. But without tourists, I think many of the small businesses in town would suffer or close down. Then we all lose out -- the biz owners and residents who shop or dine at those places.

You can post public comments here, but you must register so we don’t get nasty “anonymous” comments. As we’ve seen in the past, those kind of personal attacks don’t get us anywhere.

Ocean Policy Task Force

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 23:47:00 +0000

For some time now, I've been harping on the need for a Hawaii Coastal Commission or joint State/Counties Task Force to oversee shoreline management. This week it was announced that the Obama Administration is recommending the creation of a National Ocean Council to coordinate and oversee "myriad federal agencies in conservation and marine planning efforts."

Why? Because ocean policy is being done in a "piecemeal basis"... just as in Hawaii, where public beach access, shoreline setbacks, ocean-related commercial activities, are all regulated (or not) in the very same piecemeal fashion.

But the proposal for creating a task force that could pave the way for a Hawaii Coastal Commission got shot down by people like the DLNR's Sam Lemmo! The UH Sea Grant people didn't give us any support either. Yet they complain about the difficulties in dealing with split jurisdiction between the State and counties. So what's their alternative plan to create a better, more efficient system of shoreline management?

Here's the link to the AP article on the National Ocean Council proposal. Gee, isn't it nice to have a president and officials who use some common sense in streamlining agencies for efficiency, instead of simply ignoring environmental issues such as sea-level rise and industrial pollution? Of course some wing-nut will scream that this is socialism.

UPDATE: Better article from the New York Times...

"The Obama administration called Thursday for a comprehensive national system for regulating the use of federal waters along the nation’s marine and Great Lakes shores, now administered by a hodgepodge of federal, state or other agencies with often-conflicting goals..."

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 22:37:00 +0000

From our allies on the North Shore of Oahu, comes this urgent appeal below. Plans to develop the Turtle Bay resort could have an adverse impact on shoreline access in that area...

The Honolulu Advertiser’s wrote in today’s editorial, “Court should clarify worth of years-old EIS”

If the high court decides to take the appeal, as it should, the state will get clearer direction of how environmental law should apply to development that has languished on the drawing boards for years.

And although the Kuilima Resort Co. project is at the center of this case, there are other projects with environmental impact statements prepared long ago. The original proposal for Makena Resort on Maui, for example, was based on an EIS completed in 1974.

It is not right that the developers should be allowed to begin development 20 or 200 years after an EIS is accepted without having to reconsider potential impacts. Keep the North Shore Country and Sierra Club have been seeking a Supplemental EIS for the Turtle Bay Resort in the courts since 2006. If the Supreme Court does not accept the case, our challenge of the environmental review will probably be over.

Meanwhile, Stanford Carr continues to press ahead with the expansion plan and continues to seek final subdivision approval from the City and County of Honolulu. They are very close.

We are near the end of the process. Now is the time to speak up!

This editorial gives you an excellent opportunity to share your concerns about the Turtle Bay Resort Expansion Plan and the City’s refusal to order a supplemental EIS. Please take a moment to send your comments to the Letters to the Editor and also post an on-line comment. Letters to the Editor are more effective.

Advertiser Letters to the Editor Include your name and contact information so they can confirm your identity and publish your letter.

You can read all of the court filings and follow the action at www.KeepTheNorthShoreCountry.org

Mahalo,
Gil Riviere
Keep the North Shore Country

Mainland Beach Access Cases

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 02:38:00 +0000

Not much local news to report, since the Hawaii State Legislature and Honolulu City Council are more concerned about tax revenue shortfalls than matters such as shoreline access or environmental issues. So our most valuable natural resource -- the ocean and beaches of Hawaii -- are being neglected while plans are being put into place to have residents and visitors "pay to play"... things like increasing the cost for metered parking at popular surfing spots, increasing camping permit fees, and so on.

Some of those steps are probably necessary though, and if the money goes to improving and maintaining facilities and beach parks, well, that's all right with me. But crucial things like shoreline building setbacks are being ignored as "seaward creep" by beachfront homeowners is becoming a visible problem on Kailua Beach! Does anyone care? Not enough, apparently.

On the mainland, however, there are important court cases in Texas and Florida that could set precedents for public beach access throughout the country. Unfortunately, our ever-shrinking local news media doesn't cover issues like this unless we wave protest signs at a rally... or someone files a lawsuit.

Here's the link to activist Rob Nixon's blog, Waiting for the Next Swell, which recaps the legal implications of the Texas and Florida cases.

From Rob's post on the subject:

2009 may very well go down as THE pivotal year for Public Beaches and Public Beach Access in the United States. Starting in November, three very important public beach issues will come up for decision in Texas and Florida. What is at stake is no less than the public's right to access and use the beaches of these states. The decisions on these issues by the voters and the courts may also have an impact on all the coastal states of the United States as they will definitely set precedent for future challenges and cases....

Big Island Plea for Access Help

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 08:14:00 +0000

An email from Betty Jung on the Big Island was forwarded to us from someone in the State DLNR... in other words, the state can't do anything about beach access problems and it seems like the county "no can" either. So they refer people like her to groups like ours. Unfortunately, all we can do is continue to lobby for better laws and try to drum up more public support.

Here's her email and links to the West Hawaii Today newspaper articles about the situation:

Subject: Big Island "Pines" surf and beach

Aloha,

In the local newspaper, West Hawaii Today, on the dates of 7/16 and 7/19 there were articles regarding the closing off of gates to a road that leads to a locally popular beach and surf area known as "The Pines." The current access is through the National Energy Lab of Hawaii road. Due to the economy, as reported in the newspaper, NELHA is planning to close the gate at 4:30PM on Fridays and not reopen until Monday mornings. One newspaper article claimed that a paved road through an incomplete housing area to be known as Kohanaiki, is supposed to open their gate to the local traffic as access. All this is supposed to begin on August 1. As has happened in the past on this island, we have had the same type promise and then have been locked out for as much as two years. Since this area is so widely used by locals, not just for surfing, but for camping, family reunions, birthdays, weddings etc., we would like some guidance on writing a petition to the Hawaii County office or State office that might be of aid to us in keeping this area open. The locals who use this area are inclined to due diligence in maintaining the area for family use. Please help us keep this area open.

Mahalo, Betty Jung

Click here for the July 16 article, and here for the July 19 story on the energy lab gate closing.

I don't know enough about it to comment, other than to say they need to get organized and try to get some TV news coverage that might wake up the Big Island council. The state DLNR will do nothing as usual.

Guest Blogger: On Perseverance

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:12:00 +0000

Shannon Wood of the Windward Ahupua`a Alliance, sent this timely message about the need to stay the course when lobbying for changes in state law. The bill she writes about relates to climate change, which could affect sea levels and shoreline access. More importantly, it points out that our system of government requires persistence and patience.

On July 15, 2009, the Hawaii State Legislature overrode Governor Linda Lingle's veto of SB 266 CD1 (now ACT 20, Special Session 2009) to establish a Climate Change Task Force.

It took me four legislative sessions to get this on the books. I first started talking to lawmakers in late 2005, but no one was even willing to sponsor a resolution, let alone a bill, in the 2006 Session.

Then along came "An Inconvenient Truth" in the summer of 2006, and suddenly the political environment changed significantly; however, for a variety of reasons, it still took another three years to get the legislation enacted.

Many, many people worked together on Hawaii's climate change legislation -- including faith-based organizations and labor unions -- but this one was really my "baby." Twice this past Regular Session, I kept the bill alive by meeting with key legislators in both the State House and Senate who had major concerns about the costs given the slowdown in the economy.

I particularly want to thank four Hawaii environmental groups for their support: The Nature Conservancy, the Sierra Club, the Trust for Public Land, and the Blue Planet Foundation. Additional critical support came from the Environmental Law Program at the Richardson School of Law and the Center for Climate Adaptation & Policy at the University of Hawaii.

In all my years of political activism, only one other bill (establishing criminal penalties for owners of dogs legally designated as "dangerous") has kept me going... and going... and going as this one did. In that case, I was driven by the deaths of my cats by two dogs who came into our yard and killed them -- and all the owners were charged with were two leash law violations! Getting that bill on the books took 1,199 days.

And don't forget that it took over 30 years to get a beverage container deposit fee bill passed.

PATIENCE, PERSEVERANCE, PERSISTENCE, PARTNERSHIPS, PASSION... they really do work when it comes to making changes in How We Do Things Around Here.

I also believe that this climate change legislation could be a model for other states. Obviously, not all states will have to deal with sea level rise nor would they necessarily have the same the same entities or organizations on their task force, but the concept and the goals underlying the legislation would be the same.

As for public access issues, I've been told by Abbey Seth Mayer that his staff is working on a plan; however, Robert Harris from the Sierra Club feels that it will be years before any solid recommendations will be forthcoming. That's something we can change if there's enough interest in doing so.

Shannon Wood, President & Co-Founder, Windward Ahupua`a Alliance /Plug In & Power UP!/RECYCLING FOR CHANGE/BUST-A-DUMPER Campaign

Click here for SB 266 legislation text.

Interesting article on Lanikai Beach woes

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:07:00 +0000

While Lanikai currently has more open public access to the beach than Kailua Beach, the lack of public parking and commercial activities are pushing residents to take action against the daily intrusions. And regular problems with drunk or rude idiots has some of them talking about closing off access ways.

What's the solution? I don't know... again, I think this is another reason we need a Hawaii Coastal Commission that would oversee issues such as commercial activities and public access, while creating long-term shoreline management policies for the entire state. Think the City Council or DLNR will do anything on their own? Right...

Anyhow, here's the Hawaii Independent link. Bookmark the site and check out their other local stories!

Home page: http://www.thehawaiiindependent.com/

Mahalos for a fun 4th of July!

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:55:00 +0000

Special thanks to Christine Crosby and Amy Hammond for putting together the Beach Access entry in this year's Kailua 4th of July parade! Christine is the one wearing the Magic Sandman costume, who is a character created by Amy for her popular children's book.

Although our group was small in numbers, we got huge cheers all up and down Kainalu Avenue from the thousands of people who lined the parade route. Many walked up to us and said "mahalo" for our efforts to protect beach access.

But to continue the fight, we still need your help and financial support. Please donate $5, $10 or whatever you can spare by using the PayPal link on the right side of the page. And keep spreading the word about our group!

Watch Your Step

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:11:00 +0000

It's been well over a year since I contacted our City Council representative to do something about the unsafe conditions on Kalaheo Avenue, since residents must now walk along long stretches of road to reach the closest public right of way. We were told that the area next to the street is the responsibility of the HOMEOWNER -- not the City or State.

Supposedly the City sent notices to those homeowners, informing them they were supposed to clear the pedestrian/biking paths of debris and dirt, or the City would do it and then send the property owners a bill for that service. But as you can see in the video I took with my new Flip camcorder ("shaky-cam") nothing has been done. There is now less than a foot of walking space in spots. Cars have to veer toward the middle of the road to avoid walkers and bikers.

This is an accident waiting to happen. One resident has already been "clipped" on his elbow by a car's mirror. Further down the same street, a woman on a bike got hit last year. Is the City waiting for someone to get killed before it fixes the problem?

Fourth of July Kailua Parade Is ON!

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:24:00 +0000

Christine Crosby has volunteered to coordinate a Beach Access entry in this year's Kailua parade. If you'd like to participate, please call her at 780-4555 or email her at: lanikai@gmail.com

Last year was a lot of fun, but I just don't have the time to put together a float and organize everything... so I'm really happy when people like Christine take up the cause and keep it going! I hope you will too, in whatever way you can.

BTW, kind of funny that one of the people trying to save the Kailua fireworks show happens to be the son of the people who put up the gate on L'Orange Place. They and others who live on "private" beachside lanes don't want anyone walking down their roads to see those fireworks!

In fact, many people will have to take their chances walking long distances on unsafe Kalaheo Avenue to find an open public access. I just met an older man this weekend who told me he got "clipped" by a passing car's mirror because there is so little space to walk on the side of the road -- about half a foot in spots. It won't surprise me if someone gets hit trying to go see the fireworks because of the gates situation.

Yet ANOTHER Study and No Action

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 23:08:00 +0000

The Honolulu Advertiser ran another cursory article about the latest beach erosion study, without questioning whatever happened with prior studies or asking why different agencies and counties don't share information they already have!

For what it's worth, click here for the story link and reader comments.

Meanwhile, UH Sea Grant and the State DLNR are doing a separate study of Kailua Beach, which will cover similar ground. In recent years, both Kauai and Maui also commissioned studies pertaining to erosion and setbacks. Each time they develop their own criteria and pay someone to create reports that could have been standardized and used as templates for all islands and beaches. Instead, they reinvent the wheel over and over. So there goes another $100,000 of taxpayer money down the drain for a report that will probably be put on a shelf with all the other studies done over the past 10-20 years.

But according to the same people who get hired to do these studies, we don't need a joint State/Counties task force or coastal commission to coordinate this stuff. Well, I guess if your main concern is job security, that makes perfect sense. At the rate they're going, by the time their studies are complete, many of our beaches will be severely diminished due to inaction. And they'll all be retired with generous civil servant benefits.

We don't need more studies to confirm what our eyes tell us is happening right NOW. Just walk along Kailua Beach and count the number of houses being rebuilt closer to the ocean! In five years or less, those parts of the beach will begin to look just like the shrunken shoreline along Lanikai and Kahala Beach.

BREAKING NEWS: Rep. Cynthia Thielen says she's working on another angle to halt "seaward creep" since the State Legislature failed to pass her bill to freeze setbacks on Kailua Beach. New City Councilman Ikaika Anderson says he will bring up the subject this year, but was vague as to when. I'll believe it when I see it.

Vote for Beach Access!

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:44:00 +0000

Surfrider Oahu has just received a $5,000 donation from Barefoot Wine for their "Clear the Path for Beach Access" campaign here in Hawaii. But wait! There's more...

The good folks at Barefoot Wine are donating an additional five grand to the cause that gets the most votes on their web site. Just click here or go to:

http://republic.barefootwine.com/beachrescue/

Voting ends on August 15. As of today, however, we're way behind in the votes so please take a minute to visit the site. You can vote once per day.

Mahalo!

Bellows Beach Closure

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:24:00 +0000

I've said it before, I'll say it again: unless the public takes responsibility for policing itself and reporting the idiots who trash our beaches or break other laws, we will lose access to places like Bellows, which is under military control.

I don't doubt there is validity in the reasoning for closing it off to the public. But this is the U.S. Marines we're talking about! Couldn't they station some MPs in a non-threatening way to discourage scofflaws? Sometimes it just takes the presence of authority figures to send a message, or issue a "friendly" warning about throwing away garbage. It doesn't have to be all-out war on the public just because of a small number of inconsiderate morons. The problem is too many of us just sit back and do nothing when we see rude kids and adult slobs ruining it for everyone else.

Here's the links to the Advertiser and Star-Bulletin articles.

What do you think should be done?

Kahala Beach Vegetation Update

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:23:00 +0000

The Honolulu Advertiser ran a follow-up story today about the overgrown vegetation that is impeding shoreline access along Kahala Beach. A year ago, the State DLNR notified 12 landowners that they had to cut back the naupaka and other plants that were growing right down to the high water line. To date, only one has complied.

And what's the State's response? Um, well, we don't have the time or money to do anything about it. That's according to Sam Lemmo, the same DLNR guy who opposed my proposal to create a joint State/counties task force to address issues such as this! Why? Because the State and counties both are unwilling (or unable due to jurisdiction problems) to take responsibility for management of our coastlines and beaches.

Unfortunately, the article didn't do a very good job of framing the bigger issues of shoreline management and the need for a Hawaii Coastal Commission to oversee statewide policies. The reporter also took a comment I made about vegetation speeding up erosion out of context, because it made it sound like I was saying natural vegetation increases erosion. That is NOT what I said. I was referring specifically to plantings by landowners in front of homes that were built TOO CLOSE TO THE OCEAN. Besides disturbing the natural ebb and flow of sand and water, just as seawalls do, these artificial plantings are a blatant land grab by those homeowners.

Sheesh. But it was apparent from talking to this reporter that she had no intention of going out herself to check any of the beaches or problems I was talking about. She also didn't bother to speak to Rep. Thielen about the Kailua setbacks bill defeat, which is related to shoreline conservation efforts. Nor did she bother to speak to newly-elected City Councilman Ikaika Anderson, who presumably should have something to say about shoreline setbacks and vegetation, since those matters currently fall under county jurisdiction.

Anyhow, you can read the article by clicking here. Half-assed reporting is better than no follow-up at all, I suppose.

Advertiser link:
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090601/NEWS01/906010331

Beach Access at Ko Olina Resort Impossible

noreply@blogger.com (Roxanne Darling) — Thu, 28 May 2009 20:50:00 +0000

This is a guest post from well-know podcaster and Hawaii resident, Todd Cochrane. You can read his personal blog here and his business blog, Geek News Central.

Hawaii has an Open Beach Access law that provides the public access to “all” Hawaii beaches. But over the years different land owners have done their best to make it very hard for Hawaii residents to get to some of the premium beach locations.

My family and I have tried no less than 10 times over the past month to get to the public beach at the private resort, Ko Olina. In order to gain entry, you show ID to the resort gate sentry and then proceed to the highly-limited public parking area. But we have repeatedly been turned away at the gate the last two months. On Sunday, I pulled off the road from the entrance and watched as Ko Olina Resort security turned away 23 cars in a row.

Something is really amiss at Ko Olina. While I know the beach is popular, it makes me wonder if they do not have an internal policy that is meant to discourage the public from going there. You used to be able to at least "scout" the parking lot and wait in your car until someone left. But they are not even allowing this. Plus, with the number of signs warning people they will be towed if they park any place but the designated public parking spots, it shows they mean to play hard ball with locals. If they really cared about the public, they would have allocated more parking.

As a resident of Hawaii, I feel my rights are being violated and that the Ko Olina resort has some explaining to do.

Even sadder, most of the public beaches in the Kapolei area have been overrun by homeless people. Personally speaking, it's pretty sad when I do not feel it's safe to take my family to some of the other beaches in Hawaii that are not located on private resorts.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Ko Olina gets away with this because they do provide public beach access -- however, it's limited to eight parking stalls per lagoon! Guards have routinely turned back locals even when there was plenty of open "non-public" parking spaces available. Nice of 'em, eh?

When the Disney Resort opens out there, will they have more than eight parking stalls for public beach access? Anyone who goes to the beach at Ko Olina should contact their Neighborhood Board and City Council reps in that district to make sure more spaces are alloted for locals and residents! - Rich Figel (richfigel@gmail.com)

Support Our Supporters: Gary Hooser

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Thu, 21 May 2009 23:33:00 +0000

State Sen. Gary Hooser has personally backed our beach access efforts from the very start. On Groundhog Day 2008 (above photo) he was the only elected official to show up at our rally in front of the Capitol building. This year, he again worked with us in trying to get legislation passed that would protect shoreline access -- but other legislators chose to do nothing, as usual.

Gary has announced that he is running for Lt. Governor in the 2010 elections (click here to visit his home page) and will be holding a kick-off rally on Tues., June 9 at Ke'ehi Lagoon, DAV Hall. Although he's asking for $25 per ticket for the fundraiser, I can give you FREE tickets that he has offered to Beach Access Hawaii.

Email me at richfigel@gmail.com, if you'd like tickets. There will be food and entertainment, and Gary promises to put the "fun" back in fundraiser. As our future Lt. Governor, maybe he can help persuade the next Governor to take action on protecting our beaches and shoreline access... something our current Governor apparently doesn't think is worth her time.

For more information about Gary's campaign, go to: http://www.garyhooser.com/

FREE Bumper Stickers Available!

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Thu, 21 May 2009 23:18:00 +0000

Just a reminder: if you'd like to get a "No More Gates!" bumper sticker to put on your vehicle, rubbish bin, beach gear or whatever, drop me an email with your snail mail address to: richfigel@gmail.com

Donations are still needed to keep our group going, however, so if you can spare $5 to $10, please make a small contribution using our Paypal link on the right hand side of the page. But if you can't swing it right now, no problem -- we'll send you as many bumper stickers as you want, anyway. What goes around, comes around, right?

Mahalo for your support!

Speak Out Against Shoreline Development!

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 01:13:00 +0000

For some time, we've been asking you to support bills that would put a moratorium on shoreline setbacks to prevent new homes -- and commercial properties -- from being built closer to the ocean. Well, somehow amendments got tacked on to one bill that would allow hotels to do just that by giving them special treatment. And then those same hotel owners will ask the taxpayers to foot the bill for beach "restoration" or replenishment when it's their very actions that have contributed to erosion problems!

Our friends at Surfrider have set up a link on the Hawaii Policy Portal to submit testimony in support of the Senate version of SB 468. Please take a moment and use the link below to tell the State Legislature that this is not the time to kowtow to special interests at the expense of potential long-term damage to our beaches and shorelines.

Talking points and a sample letter are already provided on the HPP page...

http://my.hawaiipolicyportal.org/bill/26/testimony/new

State Legislature Fails Again

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 18:17:00 +0000

Thought we had a chance to get bills passed that would protect beach access and shoreline setbacks. I was wrong... bills we supported died in committee the final week, or were amended in such a way that they could actually weaken existing setback standards!

Why? Frankly, it's because we didn't have enough public support. Our politicians kowtow to business interests and individuals who pony up the biggest campaign contributions, or pander to factions that are organized enough to make the loudest noise.

For instance, State Legislators caved in on equal rights for gays because the religious right mobilized their forces and turned civil unions into a referendum on traditional marriage. It made me ashamed of my upbringing as a Christian to see these red-shirted church-goers say gay people were somehow "defective" and didn't deserve the same legal rights as straights.

I once thought Hawaii took pride in our culture of "aloha" and tolerance. The beaches symbolized the open nature of people here... but now it's a place where people put up walls, fences and gates to keep anyone out that is "different" or not as wealthy as they are.

These are sad times, and I'm not willing to fight for any cause, unless it's for the benefit of ALL people in Hawaii -- regardless of race, religious views, income level, place of origin, and yes, sexual orientation. As long as we let differences divide us, nothing positive can be achieved on bigger issues that affect everyone.

End of rant. Don't know when I'll be back. It's up to YOU to do something if you want to see real change.

More Good News!

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 08:29:00 +0000

We're on a roll... HB 593, Rep. Thielen's setbacks moratorium bill for Kailua Beach cleared the State Senate WTL committee on Fri., March 20. Then today (March 23), Sen. Hooser's bill, SB 1088, which re-defines obstructions to public access and gives citizens more ammunition to file lawsuits if access is blocked, also was approved on the House side by the WLO committee.

What's more, a bill many groups opposed that would have put Coastal Zone Management under the DBEDT as a cost-cutting measure, was gutted and replaced with language from HB 593 to give the DLNR authority to implement shoreline setback moratoriums throughout the entire state! So instead of a potential step backwards with SB 1318, the House WLO committee actually took the initiative in doing something to protect our beaches.

In other political news, Honolulu City Council candidate Steve Holmes emailed our group and wants you to know he would do all he can to support public beach access if elected. Candidate John Felix has said public access is one of his top concerns as well. The fact that they are discussing this issue shows how far we've come in the past year. Keep up the pressure, and we WILL see more positive changes in the near future!

Update on State Legislation

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 19:23:00 +0000

HB593, which would give the State DLNR the authority to implement a 2-year moratorium on Kailua Beach shoreline building setbacks, will be heard by the Senate Water, Land, Ag committee on Friday, March 20 at 3 pm. You can submit testimony online by going to this link: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/emailtestimony/

We've also received word that SB1088 should be getting a hearing date by next week. That's the bill our alliance helped draft to re-define obstructions to public access, and make it more feasible for citizens to file lawsuit to stop gates from going up in areas with limited beach access for residents.

I'll be sending out a group email as soon as we get confirmation on the hearing dates. Mahalo to all who submitted testimony these past couple of weeks! Your emails and letters made a difference, and will continue to do so. Keep up the good work, folks.

Rep. Thielen Setback Bill Moves Forward

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:32:00 +0000

Quick update: HB593, which would establish a two-year moratorium on Kailua Beach shoreline building setbacks, cleared the House Finance Committee hearing on Thurs., March 5. There were 15 "ayes," and no votes against.

It will now cross over to the Senate side, where the bill will be assigned to the appropriate committees for more hearings. But so far, looking good!

However, we must continue to lobby the Honolulu City Council to do something quickly to protect Oahu's vanishing beaches. Building setbacks are really in their jurisdiction. A special election will be held to fill the seat of Barbara Marshall, who recently passed away. Our condolences go out to her family and many friends.

Although we may have disagreed with her stand on certain issues, she did work hard for what she felt was best for the citizens she represented. She also had to deal with a divided City Council. Hopefully, her replacement will be able to do more to protect shoreline access, and persuade the City Council to be proactive on beach conservation.

After all, if we continue to lose more of our beaches, and make it harder for people to reach the beach, what will happen to Hawaii's appeal as a world class travel destination?

Legislation Update

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:25:00 +0000

Two bills we've been lobbying for are still in play. SB1088, which re-defines obstructions to public access and makes it more feasible for citizens to file suits against the gating of existing beach access, cleared the Senate judiciary committee last week and is heading for "cross-over."

That means it will go to the House side of the State Legislature and be assigned for committee hearings. One will probably be the Water, Land & Ocean Resources committee, which already declined to schedule a hearing of the House version of that same bill. Why? You'll have to ask the committee chair and vice-chair, Rep. Ken Ito and Rep. Sharon Har. They decide what gets heard or not. They also killed the joint state/county task force bill we proposed. We have to convince Ito and Har that more must to be done to protect our public rights of way.

But first, we need to get the House Finance Committee to schedule a hearing on Rep. Thielen's bill to establish a two-year moratorium on Kailua Beach's shoreline building setbacks (HB593), which did clear the House WLO committee. Please contact the Finance Chair Rep. Marcus Oshiro and respectfully ask him to grant a hearing on HB593. You can email him at: repmoshiro@Capitol.hawaii.gov

I have no idea why this bill was sent to the House Finance Committee. But we gotta play with the cards we're dealt. In the meantime, here's a reminder why we need action on shoreline setbacks. Sadly, Kailua Beach is beginning to look more like Lanikai every day as houses get built closer and closer to the ocean...

Advertiser Story on Scott Werny

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:28:00 +0000

Former Surfrider Oahu co-chair Scott Werny was one of the reasons I took up the fight to protect and improve public shoreline access. Without his support, there would not have been a state-wide Groundhog Day rally or the alliance we now have built.

Recently Scott was diagnosed with Parkinson Disease. He sent an update saying he's coping well and appreciates the outpouring of support. But he'd like more people to get behind current Surfrider co-chair Tim Tybuszewski's efforts to raise funds for PD research. Tim is doing an Ironman event in Scott's honor. Please pledge by visiting Tim's blog site, where you'll find more details on how to give.

Here's the Advertiser article link.

Mahalo to Scott for all he's done -- and all he continues to do for the beach access cause!