WHEREAS, the northwest-facing shore of the north shore of Oahu, stretching from the Kawailoa to Waialee ahupuaa, is of primary importance to state residents and visitors for its beautiful sandy beaches, famous surf breaks, recreational opportunities, marine resources, wildlife, and vistas; and

WHEREAS, several important north shore beaches are at increasing risk of erosion and deterioration from a combination of high energy waves, winter surf, tsunami events, sea level rise due to climate change, and intensive use by people accessing the shoreline; and

WHEREAS, most of the shoreline beach parks and coastal access areas along the north shore of Oahu have visibly inadequate infrastructure to handle the high number of residents and the millions of visitors who are attracted to these beaches each year, causing additional erosion and damage to natural resources; and

WHEREAS, recently, homes in the Ke Nui Road area on the north shore of Oahu have been damaged and are still at risk from high surf and eroding beaches, causing significant disruption and calls for government action in the short- and long-term for beachside homeowners; and

WHEREAS, some key sections of Kamehameha Highway, including sections along Laniakea Beach and Chun's Reef, are currently subject to erosion due to high surf, storm events, and loss of sand; and

WHEREAS, The Pupukea Marine Life Conservation District, which stretches from Waimea Bay to Shark's Cove, is experiencing high levels of shoreline erosion due to poor management, severely eroded walkways due to lack of infrastructure and planning, and parking lot and road collapse due to sink holes and over-use; and

WHEREAS, other areas along the coastline are at risk from the lack of overall planning for protection of the beaches, beach access areas, and shoreline uses; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii's beaches and coastline are part of the public land trust, held by the State for the benefit of the people, and the State has a fiduciary duty to affirmatively protect beaches and coastal access; and

WHEREAS, the long-term protection of the northwest-facing north shore beaches from the Kawailoa to Waialee ahupuaa, which are subject to a common wave regime and share common beach erosion characteristics, requires a comprehensive assessment and modern management plan that recognizes the risks of climate change and sea level rise; and

WHEREAS, the large number of government, business, private, and community entities involved in the north shore of Oahu would benefit from participating in the development and implementation of a comprehensive beach management plan for this vulnerable area; and

WHEREAS, in 2010, the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program successfully produced a beach and dune management plan for Kailua Beach, which provided an extensive analysis of the current state of this important beach and recommended management measures for federal, state, and local government, as well as community partners, in response to threats such as climate change and sea level rise; and

WHEREAS, the beach and dune management plan for Kailua Beach serves as a useful prototype for the implementation of beach management plans at other locations and demonstrates the effectiveness of location-specific beach management policies and practices that would greatly benefit the north shore of Oahu; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-eighth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2015, that the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program is requested to, over a two-year period, create a north shore beach management plan for the area of the north shore of Oahu that stretches from the Kawailoa to Waialee ahupuaa; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program is requested to include substantial community input in developing the management plan; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature requests that the management plan consider innovative means to address erosion of private property, including recommendations to set homes and vehicular traffic back from the beach, and to address recreational access, vistas, and traffic issues relating to the receding coastline; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature requests that the management plan include:

(1) Long- and short-term planning and climate change scenarios;

(2) Temporary and emergency erosion management;

(3) Beach and dune management techniques based upon sediment transport;

(4) Shoreline public access management and foot traffic control;

(5) Beach and dune nourishment;

(6) Longer-term coastal land use strategies;

(7) Shoreline protection and erosion management;

(8) Shoreline setbacks, rolling easements, and land acquisition;

(9) Public park expansion, land swaps, and transfer of development rights; and

(10) Innovative means to adapt to coastal hazards; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program is requested to report its interim findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2016, and submit a final report, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2017; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the President and Chairperson of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii and the Director of the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

UH Sea Grant College Program; North Shore Beach Management Plan

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	86
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015
STATE OF HAWAII