RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, for years the State of Hawaii has had a pent-up demand and a continued increase in demand for quality berthing and moorage space in both public small boat harbors and private marinas throughout the State;

WHEREAS, in 1990, the final environmental impact statement for the Keehi Lagoon Recreation Plan, which proposed a significant increase in the number of needed recreational and commercial boating berths, was completed by the Department of Transportation and accepted by the Governor; and

WHEREAS, the development objectives for Keehi Lagoon proposed the use of private sector funds to implement the recommendations of the updated Keehi Lagoon Recreation Plan by leasing unimproved and unused areas to a private developer and generating lease rent revenues to the State; and

WHEREAS, although the State has continued to encourage development of marina facilities by the private sector to help meet the demand for berthing space over the last twenty years, only Ko Olina Marina has been completed and placed in operation, due to the prolonged and costly process for obtaining necessary county, state, and federal permits and approvals and the resulting lack of available capital financing; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Land and Natural Resources is actively exploring various alternative means of improving and redeveloping state boating facilities without reliance on state resources, including participation by the private sector; and

WHEREAS, boating funds are and will continue to be insufficient to meet the increasing backlog and demand, and general funds are not available in these strained financial times for this purpose; and

WHEREAS, private companies continue to express an interest in developing boating and ocean recreation facilities in Keehi Lagoon and, in the absence of state funds, may be the only means to effect the development of this valuable resource to its maximum potential; now therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, the Senate concurring, that the Board of Land and Natural Resources is requested to meet with all stakeholders and registered users of Keehi Lagoon, including canoe-paddling clubs, to review and update the 1990 Keehi Lagoon Recreation Plan and, in particular, to discuss the feasibility and means by which unutilized and underutilized areas of Keehi Lagoon may be productively used; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Land and Natural Resources is requested to actively pursue the leasing of unutilized fast and submerged lands (excluding those areas within the State's Keehi Small Boat Harbor or currently used by canoe paddlers) for private development of boating and ocean recreational facilities; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor is requested to consider transferring lands in or around Keehi Lagoon from the Department of Transportation to the Department of Land and Natural Resources should any of those fast and submerged lands be identified as land suitable for the development of small boat and ocean recreational facilities; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the Director of Transportation, and to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, who in turn is requested to transmit copies to all listed lessees, licensees, and other registered users of Keehi Lagoon.

Report Title:

BLNR; Keehi Lagoon; Submerged Lands; Develop Master Plan