HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	219
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

Urging the federal government to immediately remove the derelict sailboat "dolphin" from the reef in the hawaiian islands humpback whale national marine sanctuary area facing front street, lahaina, maui.

     WHEREAS, the Front Street area of Lahaina between the Lahaina Small Boat Harbor and the Lahaina Center is the visual centerpiece for the historic district of Lahaina town and is featured in numerous television shows, magazine articles, newspapers, and Internet sites worldwide; and

     WHEREAS, the State has spent millions of taxpayer dollars promoting this area of Lahaina and used it to market Maui as a tourist destination; and

     WHEREAS, in 2003, a recreational sailboat named "Dolphin" ran aground on the inside reef of Lahaina Harbor, in plain view from Front Street, and has remained stranded on the reef creating a permanent blight on this popular, world-renowned view; and

     WHEREAS, the wreckage of the "Dolphin" has given a negative impression on the millions of visitors who visit Lahaina each year and reflects badly on the community and the people of Lahaina, of Maui, as well as of the State of Hawaii; and

     WHEREAS, the "Dolphin," which remains on the reef today, continues to destroy the fragile reef system and contaminate the nearby marine ecosystem; and

     WHEREAS, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) has been unable to remove the vessel from the reef due to the complexity involved in, and funds, equipment, and manpower necessary for the removal of the steel hull; and

WHEREAS, the various agencies of the federal government such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the United States Coast Guard, and the Department of the Navy, have the necessary manpower, equipment, and resources to remove the wreckage from the reef; and

     WHEREAS, the wreckage of the "Dolphin" lies within the waters of the federal Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and the environmental damage to the reef and surrounding ecosystem caused by the vessel compromises the integrity of this habitat; and

     WHEREAS, the visual blight caused by the "Dolphin" and the aesthetic damage caused by this derelict vessel is also damaging to the reputation of this important National Marine Sanctuary; and

     WHEREAS, the federal government has the authority to provide for the protection of National Marine Sanctuary areas and has conducted various federal operations in this and other National Marine Sanctuaries in the past; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, that the federal government is urged to immediately execute operations to remove the sailboat "Dolphin" from the reef in the National Marine Sanctuary area facing Front Street, Lahaina, Maui; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the members of Hawaii's Congressional Delegation, the United States Secretary of Commerce, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, the Secretary of the Navy, and the Chair of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale Sanctuary Advisory Council.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Vessel removal; Maui