The distance from the state’s most
remote spot of land to the shoreline is about 28½-miles; almost half of Hawai‘i
is within only 5-miles of the coastline.
Hawai‘i’s historical, cultural,
religious, environmental, social, recreational and economic foundations are
centered on its coasts.
While it is such an important resource
for us, we continue to have conflicts within this area. We need to address coastal concerns from
these same broad, interconnected perspectives.
On the local level, I think we should
expand our discussions to look at the myriad coastal concerns. Here are just a
few of the initial discussion points and introductory questions I think we
should consider:
•
Traditional
and cultural practices (How should we assure that these rights are protected?)
•
Public
access (How should we enhance opportunities for access to and across our island
coastlines?)
•
Use
of public property (How should we deal with the inherent conflict between
wanting to increase the opportunities for the public to use and enjoy public
resources, while not over-burdening these fragile resources?)
•
Commercial
activities (Many commercial operators provide services residents and visitors
want and/or need - how should we balance these activities with other coastal
uses?)
•
Economy
(How should we accomplish the essential balance of preserving and protecting
our natural and cultural resources, while enhancing our economic
opportunities?)
•
Private
versus public interests (How should we balance private and public rights and
interests?)
•
Carrying
capacity of our coastlines (How should we deal with increasing numbers of
residents, visitors and commercial users wanting to enjoy our coastal
resources?)
•
User
conflicts (How should we address user conflicts, not only from the perspective
“between” different coastal user groups, but also conflicts “within” groups?)
•
Natural
hazards (How should we mitigate impacts by natural causes, such as erosion,
high surf, tsunami, hurricanes, etc?)
•
Marine
ecosystems (How should we protect our marine habitats, coral reefs, fisheries,
etc?)
•
Land-based
influences on coastal resources (How should we deal with near shore
improvements (public and private,) protecting open space, shoreline hardening,
irrigation and storm run-off, etc?)
•
Encroachment
onto public lands (Whether they involve structures, landscaping or irrigation,
storage of personal property or other, what are the responsibilities of private
property owners encroaching onto state (public) property?)
•
Shoreline
modification (What responsibilities do people have to the public trust and
their neighbors when they put up seawalls or other shore-hardening or altering
structures?)
•
Enforcement
(Given the size and distribution of state resources, it is impossible for
enforcement officers to be in all places at all times - how should we work
better to enforce state laws and rules?)
•
Setbacks
(Given the diversity of shoreline characteristics (sandy beach, rocky coast,
lava cliffs, manmade structures, etc,) should we consider alternative setback
approaches, rather than the typical “one size fits all” process we have now?)
•
Jurisdiction
(Should more authority be delegated to the Counties? Since shoreline certifications address County
setbacks, should we assign the certification process to the Counties? How should we work better with the
community?)
•
Impacts
on natural resources (Given all these concerns, how should we preserve and
enhance what we have? What is the future
of our shoreline, beaches, coral reefs, biodiversity of the near-shore waters,
etc?)
•
Responsibility
(What are our individual and collective responsibilities? How can we all work better together?)
Our natural and cultural resources
form the foundation of our quality of life and they are the backdrop to our
economy. They are the essence of our
sense of place; they make Hawai’i, Hawai’i.
Coastal concerns are complicated and
connected.
There are, obviously, a variety of
coastal controversies, conflicts and concerns, as well as equally complex
solutions to these matters. In
addressing one concern, we cannot overlook how solutions for it may impact others.
We need collaborative solution-based
dialogue and action, involving all constituency and user groups, to make sure
we continue to make Hawai’i a great place to live - not just for now, but for
the generations to come.
I am proud to have represented Hawai‘i
on the Coastal States Organization, as well as now serve on the Coastal States
Stewardship Foundation.
We share a lot of challenges related
to the coasts across the country. We can
learn from each other in addressing them.
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