HCR267

WHEREAS, sea-level rise is well documented in the Hawaiian Islands because historical tide gauge data provides clear evidence of long-term change in mean sea-level at all record keeping locations statewide; and

WHEREAS, the Brunn Rule provides a generic ratio for sea-level rise to shoreline retreat with average values of one inch of rise to one hundred inches of retreat for sandy shorelines; and

WHEREAS, exposure to coastal hazards is directly related to proximity to the shoreline, and preparing for the migration of hazards requires understanding the rate of sea-level rise and localized erosion rates; and

WHEREAS, current shoreline setback requirements have been established without adequate data on historical shoreline positions and trends, which has resulted in designating high wave and flood zones closer to developed areas, and increasing the risk of exposure to and damage from storms, hurricanes, or tsunamis for these areas; and

WHEREAS, there has been widespread construction of shore protections projects structures such as seawalls and revetments because chronically retreating shorelines eventually threaten these improvements; and

WHEREAS, it is important that information regarding natural hazards such as coastal erosion data be incorporated into the planning and permitting processes at the earliest stages of development; and

WHEREAS, state and county agencies that are responsible for land use planning and permitting need to be more diligent when reviewing and processing land use entitlements in the shoreline area; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, the Senate concurring, that state and county agencies are urged to account for sea-level rise and minimize risks from coastal hazards such as erosion, storm inundation, hurricanes, and tsunamis; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Land and Natural Resources establish a task force that includes the following members or the member's designee:

(1) The Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources;

(2) The Director of the Office of Planning;

(3) The Director of the City and County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting;

(4) The Department Head of the County of Hawaii Planning Department;

(5) The Planning Director of the County of Maui Department of Planning; and

(6) The Director of the County of Kauai Planning Department; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Land and Natural Resources will form the task force to:

(1) Investigate and identify best practices to mitigate coastal hazards;

(2) Identify and adopt best practices for state and county agencies to plan for coastal hazards such as erosion, sea-level rise, storm inundation, hurricanes, and tsunamis by considering future movements of the shoreline that can threaten structures;

(3) Investigate, study, and acquire erosion data from each county;

(4) Identify any alternate procedures or methods to determine average annual shoreline erosion rates for individual shoreline locations statewide;

(5) Identify and adopt best practices to consider average annual erosion rates before zoning, community planning, and subdivision changes are made; and

(6) Identify and adopt best practices to incorporate information regarding natural hazards such as coastal erosion data into the planning and permitting processes of each state and county agency responsible for land use planning and permitting at the earliest stages of development; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Land and Natural Resources submit a written report to the Legislature of the task force's findings and recommendation, including any proposed legislation, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2008 Regular Session; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of the Office of Planning; the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; the Mayor, City and County of Honolulu; the Mayor, County of Hawaii; the Mayor, County of Maui; the Mayor, County of Kauai; the Director of the Planning and Permitting Department, City and County of Honolulu; Department Head of the Planning Department, County of Hawaii; the Planning Director of the Department of Planning, County of Maui; and the Director of the Planning Department, County of Kauai.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Coastal Zone Management; Task Force

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	267
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII