HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	174
TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2014
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

URGING THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU TO REPAIR AND MAINTAIN THE BEACH ACCESS POINTS AT SUNSET BEACH ON THE NORTH SHORE OF OAHU

     WHEREAS, beaches are central to cultural, recreational, and subsistence practices in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, beaches are a key part of the coastal environment, providing essential habitat for many species; and

WHEREAS, healthy beach and dune systems provide natural protection from coastal flooding and property loss during high waves and storms; and

WHEREAS, beaches are also a major attraction for Hawaii's $14,400,000,000 visitor economy, and Hawaii's beaches consistently rank among the most popular beach destinations in the world; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii's beaches are being lost through a process known as coastal erosion or shoreline retreat; and

     WHEREAS, studies by the University of Hawaii and the United States Geological Survey find that seventy per cent of beaches have eroded and over thirteen miles of beach have been completely lost to erosion in Hawaii over the past century; and

     WHEREAS, the percentage of beaches eroding and rates of beach erosion will only increase with projected increases in rates of sea level rise; and

WHEREAS, the swells from the northeast highly contribute to the rapid erosion of the Northern shoreline of Oahu, and the eroding shoreline severely impacts the health and safety of residents and recreational users, such as those affected by the compromised beach access points at Sunset Beach; and

     WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of the City and County of Honolulu to properly maintain safe public access to shorelines and beaches on the island of Oahu, including public access to Sunset Beach; and

WHEREAS, there is currently a hazardous condition at Sunset Beach, due to the disrepair of the public access path; at one point City workers put up yellow "caution" tape across the path, but beachgoers have since removed the tape in order to gain access to the beach; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2014, the Senate concurring, that the City and County of Honolulu is strongly urged to repair and maintain the damaged beach access points at Sunset Beach on the North Shore of Oahu; 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 Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, the Director of Department of Parks and Recreation for the City and County of Honolulu, and the Councilmember for District 2, Honolulu City Council.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Sunset Beach Public Access; Repair and Maintenance