Beach Access Hawaii

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!

UH Sea Grant, NOAA helping

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:41:00 +0000

By building alliances and beating the drums for beach access, we've been able to enlist the support of ocean and coastal conservation experts at NOAA and the UH Sea Grant program. We believe we share many common goals -- so why not share information and resources?

For instance, NOAA has been working on a survey of public shoreline access for fishermen. But when they heard that was one of the things beach access advocates were looking for, NOAA contacted us about the study they were doing. You can download a pdf version of their presentation here:GIS%20access%20survey.pdf

Meanwhile, Dolan Eversole of the UH Seagrant program has been working with the DLNR to develop a comprehensive shoreline management for Kailua Beach. Although beach access was not initially a major part of that plan, he's now making efforts to see if grants can be applied to creating a web site for public beach access, modeled on what was done by the Maine Sea Grant program.

To see what kind of info they provide, you can click here or go to:
http://www.seagrant.umaine.edu/accesslaw/

This is precisely the kind of stuff we should have for Hawaii! Why is Maine ahead of us in this area, when we're surrounded by ocean and are famous for our beaches?

IMUA: Another Beach Access Bill Moves Forward

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 00:11:00 +0000

Good news! SB1088, which Marti Townsend from KAHEA, Evan Silbersten (Surfrider extern), Sen. Hooser, and I worked on together, has cleared the first hearing by the Senate Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs with only technical amendments.

This bill adds a citizen suit provision to HRS 115. Hopefully, this will improve enforcement of existing access laws. Groups fighting for access mauka-to-makai can get attorneys' fees for winning, which will level the playing field a bit against wealthy homeowners on both private and public beachside roads.

Marti said the DLNR and State Attorney General's office did testify against the bill, but it was pretty half-hearted in her view.

Mahalo to everyone who submitted testimony -- there was quite a bit, Marti said, adding "a big, special thanks to Robert Harris for coming and eloquently defending the important role of citizen suits."

The next hurdle is the Senate Judiciary Committee. Please call or email Sen. Taniguchi to request that he schedule a hearing of this bill:

sentaniguchi@Capitol.hawaii.gov

You can make it short and sweet. Just say we need SB1088 to help protect and preserve public beach access for future generations!

Two Out of Three Ain't Good Enough

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 03:29:00 +0000

Mahalo to everyone who submitted testimony on the bills we supported! The House Water, Land & Ocean Resources committee passed HB1808, which is an attempt to deal with vegetation being grown in front of beachfront homes (see prior item below). However, there are concerns about enforcement. I'm kind of cynical about this one myself.

In Sam Lemmo's testimony for the DLNR, he noted that a number of Kahala Beach homeowners were notified that they should remove vegetation, but only one has complied so far. So where's the teeth in this law? It says homeowners could be billed for removal of vegetation, but who will go out and enforce this? Again, the onus will be on residents to play beach police.

Rep. Thielen's bill HB593 also passed. This would impose a two-year moratorium on Kailua Beach setbacks (new houses wouldn't be allowed to be built closer than the existing house). However, Committee Chair Sharon Har pointed out -- as I have -- that setbacks are legally in the county's jurisdiction. It really should be the Honolulu City Council acting on this. But if they won't do their job, the state has to step in.

Moreover, as others suggested, this moratorium should apply to all of Oahu -- not just Kailua Beach. We need a comprehensive, joint state/counties plan to address all of this stuff. Which brings me to the one bill that did NOT pass...

HB1447 was deferred without any explanation. That's the Task Force bill I helped draft as a stepping stone to creating a state coastal commission. On behalf of the DLNR, Sam Lemmo actually opposed this bill, calling it a "distraction" from a plan he has been working on. And who is going to implement that plan when it's done? The state or the counties? Probably neither, as is currently the case. Remember, Sam is the same guy who admitted that going after the Kahala Beach homeowners for overgrown vegetation has thus far resulted in only one owner actually complying!

So around and around we go with these bills, and chances are nothing substantive will be passed this session. Again. Until we change the split jurisdiction between the state and counties, not much can be done. Sorry folks, but two out of three ain't good enough.

Why Bill HB1808 is Needed: Land-Grabbers

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:45:00 +0000

One of our members has alerted the State DLNR that the owner of the Kailua Beach property above has installed a sprinkler system and planted naupaka cuttings in an obvious effort to extend the vegetation line -- which technically becomes part of that property.

Not only is this a greedy land grab by that owner, but beach erosion experts say this type of planted vegetation interferes with the natural sand dunes that are vital to conserving our beaches.

HB1808 is an attempt on the state's part to hold beachfront homeowners responsible for such actions, and make them liable if they do not heed warnings about overgrown vegetation -- intentional or not.

Please submit testimony in support of HB1808 before Friday, Feb. 6, by going to this link and following the instructions:

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/emailtestimony/

Hearings Scheduled - Testimony Needed!

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:32:00 +0000

Three bills we should support have been put on the slate for Fri., Feb. 6, 9:30 AM at the State Capitol, House Conference Room 325. The House Water, Land and Ocean Resources Committee will be taking testimony for:

HB1447 - That's the joint state/counties task force proposal. Please tell the committee we need unified action at both levels to create statewide standards for beach access, as well as shoreline management policies. (More on submitting testimony below.)

HB593 - This is Rep. Thielen's measure to stop new houses from being built closer to the ocean on Kailua Beach. There would be a two-year moratorium, which would give the state (and the do-nothing Honolulu City Council, I presume) time to implement a better setback policy that will take into account erosion and projected sea level rise.

HB1808 - Deals with lateral access, meaning vegetation. It would require beachfront homeowners to make sure stuff like naupaka in front of their property is not impeding access. In some cases, it's a blatant land-grab by these homeowners -- but it also interferes with the natural sand dunes that keep our beaches "healthy."

HOW TO SUBMIT TESTIMONY...

It's easy and quick. Just write a short letter or message for each bill, save it as a Word doc or pdf file, then click here or go to:

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/emailtestimony/

Type in the bill number (no spaces) and fill in the requested contact info. Then either upload your testimony (the "Browse" box) or write a short message in the "Additional Comments" box provided. Click on "Submit" and you're pau!

Your Action is Needed NOW!

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:23:00 +0000

A bunch of bills related to beach access and shoreline management issues such as setbacks have been introduced at the State Legislature. Some are ones we had a hand in drafting. Others though were written without our input or knowledge, so we're still reviewing the merits of those...

Priority number one is making sure bills we support get a hearing scheduled. To do that, we need you to contact the committee chairpersons and ask them to schedule it. Below are the bill numbers and contact info. You may find that emails will bounce because of filled mailboxes. If so, please call the office number.

To keep up to date on bill status or legislators' contact info, you can go to the Hawaii Legislator site (click here) and enter the bill number (letters HB or SB for House Bill or Senate Bill, no space, followed by number).

On that same page, if you scroll down you will see a link to SUBMIT TESTIMONY online. When bills get hearing dates, you can plug in the bill number and upload a pdf document or write your comments in the box provided.

BILLS THAT NEED TO BE SCHEDULED...

HB593 is Rep. Cynthia Thielen's bill to stop new houses from being built on Kailua Beach closer to the ocean than the existing structure on that lot for at least two years, to give the DLNR time to create a master plan for shoreline management.

Please email House WLO (Water, Land and Ocean Resources) Committee Chair Ken Ito at
repito@Capitol.hawaii.gov or call 808-586-8470 to request a hearing date. Tell him we need action to protect Kailua Beach before it becomes another Lanikai or Kahala Beach!

While you're at it, you can also ask Rep. Ito to set a hearing for HB971, which we helped draft. This bill amends the definition of obstruction to public beach access, and would allow citizens to go to court to prevent things like gates from being put up in areas with limited beach access.

On the Senate side, that same bill is listed under SB1088 and is sponsored by Sen. Gary Hooser, so we don't anticipate problems with getting a hearing.

TASK FORCE BILL - PLEASE SUPPORT!

There are other bills related to coastal zone management and access. However, until we have a body with the authority to implement changes at the state and county level, the status quo is likely to remain in effect.

Rep. Chris Lee has introduced HB1447, to form a task force which would include state and county officials, along with reps from citizen groups. They would seek to create uniform state-wide standards for access and shoreline management -- something we sorely need.

Email or call Rep. Ito today and tell him we need joint cooperation between the counties and state to resolve these longstanding problems, and protect our shorelines for future generations!

Rep. Thielen Takes Action on Kailua Beach

noreply@blogger.com (richfigel) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 20:14:00 +0000

As first reported in this blog awhile back, KHON News confirmed that Rep. Cynthia Thielen will in fact introduce legislation to stop new houses on Kailua Beach from being built any closer to the ocean than the older homes they would be replacing.

She's asking for a two-year freeze to allow the State Dept. of Land and Natural Resources to come up with a comprehensive shoreline management plan that would take into account projected sea level rise and beach erosion. Why? Because things like shoreline setbacks are currently left up to the county councils. And our do-nothing Honolulu City Council has been MIA on important issues like this, rail, and B&Bs.

Click here for the KHON News story link.

I applaud Rep. Thielen's efforts. However, I believe it underscores the need to create a joint Counties/State Task Force to address the big picture, which includes beach access as well. What we really need is a Hawaii Coastal Commission that would have authority to make and enforce state-wide shoreline management standards -- not just "guidelines" as is the case right now.

Here's another reason why we need a Hawaii Coastal Commission: the Honolulu Advertiser article on Sat., Jan. 24, about a Kauai woman who was literally RUN OVER by a truck driving on the beach! Turns out each county has their own rules for that too. Sheesh. That's stupid -- and dangerous.