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THE SENATE |
S.C.R. NO. |
116 |
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TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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SENATE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO CONTINUE AND EXPAND ITS EFFORTS TO RESPONSIBLY IDENTIFY PLACES THAT CAN SUSTAIN THE IMPACT OF OFF-ROAD VEHICLE OPERATION AND TO EVALUATE THE POSSIBILITY OF EXTENDING THE DAYS AND HOURS OF OPERATION OF EXISTING SITES THAT PERMIT OPERATION OF OFF-ROAD VEHICLES.
WHEREAS, the use and operation of off-road vehicles such as motorcycles, all terrain vehicles, dune buggies, and dirt bikes has the potential to desecrate sacred burial grounds, further threaten already endangered species, and harm the natural ecosystem on public lands; and
WHEREAS, many people have expressed concerns about the ongoing use of off-road vehicles on Hawaii's beaches; and
WHEREAS, the proximity of urban and residential areas in Hawaii make it difficult to provide the kind of off-road vehicle opportunities on public land that are available on the mainland; and
WHEREAS, at present, the use and operation of motorcycles, all terrain vehicles, dune buggies, and dirt bikes is prohibited on unencumbered state land, state parks, forest reserves, and public hunting areas; and
WHEREAS, all motorized vehicles are prohibited from operating on beaches, through vegetation, or on any other area that is not a designated roadway and violators are subject to citation, arrest, or both, and the motorized equipment may be seized and subject to forfeiture; and
WHEREAS, Senate Bill No. 1891, Relating to Land Use, is now pending before the Legislature and would, in addition to existing civil penalties, make violation of chapter 171, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to public lands and rules adopted thereunder a petty misdemeanor; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Land and Natural Resources is charged with the management, administration, and control of public lands and administers state parks, historical sites, forests, forest reserves, wildlife, wildlife sanctuaries, game management areas, public hunting areas, natural area reserves; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Land and Natural Resources has been working to develop relationships with the off-road vehicle community to responsibly identify places that can sustain the impact of the operation of off-road vehicles and to avoid damage to resources in sensitive areas from outlaw-style riding; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Land and Natural Resources manages and has designated for authorized off-road vehicle use fifteen miles of trail on thirty-five square miles of terrain in a portion of the Waiakea Timber Management Area; and
WHEREAS, a riding area on state land in Kahuku, Oahu, was developed in the late 1970s, but the land is subject to a lease agreement with the Army, which restricts public use to weekends and holidays only and closes the area completely during military training periods; and
WHEREAS, the island of Lanai has miles of private lands where, through an agreement with the Lanai Company, off-road vehicles are allowed to ride on game management area roads maintained by the Department of Land and Natural Resources; and
WHEREAS, on the island of Kauai, the Department of Land and Natural Resources manages more than eighty-eight miles of roads that are accessible to off-road vehicles, most of which are located within the State Forest Reserve and are access roads that lead to hunting areas; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Land and Natural Resources has set up an initial working group on Maui to survey off-highway vehicle riders about numbers, riding preferences, and related issues, for identification of suitable riding areas on public lands or private land; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to continue and expand its efforts to identify places that can sustain the impact of off-road vehicle operation; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to assess the feasibility of expanding the days and hours of operation of existing sites that permit operation of off-road vehicles; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to develop and implement an off-road vehicle registration policy and user guidelines for designated sites that permit the operation of off-road vehicles; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources.
Off-Road Vehicles