Bureaucratic inaction? In Hawaii? No way.
Joan Conrow’s “Shrinking beaches” [12/2] did a good job of dredging up some of the long-standing problems related to Hawaii’s shoreline conservation efforts and beach access. However, the reasons behind the lack of action aren’t really spelled out: the jurisdiction for shoreline management literally overlaps between the State and counties.
The State controls the beaches up to the high water wash (or possibly the vegetation line–it’s not really clear) while the counties make their own rules above that shifting boundary for shoreline setbacks and public beach access. So whenever disputes arise, the counties and State just pass the buck back and forth.
Sam Lemmo, administrator of the State’s Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands, is quoted as saying: “It’s not the easiest thing to enforce.” He’s right–and he’s partly to blame for the status quo policies of the State Dept. of Land and Natural Resources.
In the last legislative session, Lemmo testified on behalf of the DLNR against a bill introduced by State Rep. Chris Lee that would have created a joint State-counties task force to lay the foundation for a Hawaii Coastal Commission. Similar to California’s coastal commission, this would give us an agency that has actual authority over shoreline management policies that affect us all.
Instead, issues such as beach access, shoreline setbacks and regulation of commercial activities, are all handled in piecemeal fashion–with no one taking responsibility for long-term planning!
Unfortunately, until we have a Hawaii Coastal Commission with some real authority to make and enforce statewide rules, the only alternative is to sue somebody in court. The State DLNR won’t do anything and neither will the Honolulu City Council.
Rich Figelco-Founder
[beachaccesshawaii.org]
