HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	300
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

urging the department of land and natural resources to classify ka iwi shoreline as A state wilderness preserve.

     WHEREAS, one of the visions of the East Honolulu Sustainable Communities Plan is to preserve the Koko Head-Makapuu scenic district, the area known as Ka Iwi; and

     WHEREAS, the rugged coastal lands of Ka Iwi are among Oahu's most unique and spectacular scenic resources, offering views of mauka and makai from many vantage points; and

     WHEREAS, protection of the scenic value of this treasure has island-wide importance because of its attraction to both residents and visitors; and

     WHEREAS, preserving one of Oahu's most popular visitor resources is critical to our economy and vital to attracting new and returning travelers to the State; and

     WHEREAS, nowhere else on the island, with the exception of the Kaena coastline, as there elements of a natural environment on one large, contiguous area of undeveloped open space; and

     WHEREAS, overuse, misuse, and potential urban encroachment, particularly in the Queen's Beach vicinity, are pressures that threaten the integrity of this coastal area; and

     WHEREAS, the State Office of Planning intends to file a petition with the State Land Use Commission to reclassify the Kai Iwi shoreline from an urban to conservation district; and

     WHEREAS, state law requires that conservation districts include areas necessary to preserve scenic and historic areas and provide wilderness preserves; and

     WHEREAS, by moving to classify the Ka Iwi shoreline as a conservation district, or more expressly, a state wilderness preserve, the area would be protected from any development or construction; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is urged to preserve and protect the Ka Iwi shoreline by classifying the area as a state wilderness preserve in a conservation district; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, the Director of the Office of Planning, the Chairperson of the State Land Use Commission, and the Chairperson of the Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Ka Iwi; State Wilderness Preserve