SCR190 SD1

WHEREAS, a 6.8 mile stretch of Kalanianaole Highway (State Highway 72) that runs through the Kaiwi coast lands and wraps around the eastern tip of Oahu between the communities of Maunalua (Hawaii Kai) and Waimanalo have been designated the Maunalua-Makapuu Scenic Byway; and

WHEREAS, the lands of the Kaiwi coast are an invaluable natural asset for the people of Hawaii, framed by dramatic mauka-to-makai views and natural landscapes, cultural and historic features, popular recreational areas, and landmarks such as Koko Crater, Hanauma Bay, Makapuu Lighthouse, the lava tube known as Halona Blowhole, and the last wild and undeveloped coastal lands in east Oahu; and

WHEREAS, numerous community members and organizations such as the Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board, Ka Iwi Coalition, Liveable Hawaii Kai Hui, and many others have fought long and hard over many decades to protect and preserve this unspoiled area for future generations and secure the scenic byway designation; and

WHEREAS, a growing interest in this area of Oahu has brought a rapid increase in visitors to the Kaiwi coast, and without proper management the area will inevitably become overrun by parking, invasive species, commercial interests, or become subject to other future challenges; and

WHEREAS, the Kaiwi coastal area and the Maunalua-Makapuu Scenic Byway is a patchwork of disparate landowners, managers, and conflicting jurisdictions; and

WHEREAS, collaboration between community organizations and government agencies is necessary to develop a plan to consolidate management to address these myriad issues, such as managing human impacts, preventing invasive species, and restoring the Wawamalu dune system, to better protect and preserve this area for future generations; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2021, the House of Representatives concurring, that a Maunalua-Makapuu Scenic Byway and Kaiwi coast working group be convened to develop a plan to address ongoing issues in the Maunalua-Makapuu Scenic Byway and Kaiwi coastal area and consolidate management to better protect and preserve this critical resource for future generations; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Maunalua-Makapuu Scenic Byway and Kaiwi coast working group be comprised of the following members or their designees:

(1) The Administrator of the Division of State Parks, who shall serve as co-chair;

(2) The Chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Transportation, who shall serve as co-chair;

(3) The Director of Transportation;

(4) Three representatives of different community groups who helped create the Maunalua-Makapuu Scenic Byway and Kaiwi Coast Master Plans; and

(5) A member with knowledge of the cultural history of the area; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the co-chairs of the Maunalua-Makapuu Scenic Byway and Kaiwi coast working group are requested to invite representatives of the City and County of Honolulu and any other parties to participate on the working group as necessary; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Maunalua-Makapuu Scenic Byway and Kaiwi coast working group is requested to develop a plan to:

(1) Consolidate management of the Maunalua-Makapuu Scenic Byway and Kaiwi coast area;

(2) Address unauthorized vehicular access in the Maunalua-Makapuu Scenic Byway and Kaiwi coast area;

(3) Provide for safe and protected pedestrian and bicycle access across the length of the Maunalua-Makapuu Scenic Byway through the Kaiwi coast scenic shoreline from Makapuu lookout to Hanauma Bay;

(4) Provide for proper signage, narrative, and education about the Maunalua-Makapuu Scenic Byway and Kaiwi coast area and its history; and

(5) Take appropriate steps to preserve and protect the Maunalua-Makapuu Scenic Byway and Kaiwi coast area in its wild and natural state, and to provide or limit access and manage visitors as may be necessary; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Maunalua-Makapuu Scenic Byway and Kaiwi coast working group is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations regarding the status and progress of plans to consolidate management and address ongoing issues in the Maunalua-Makapuu Scenic Byway and Kaiwi coast area to the Legislature prior to the convening of each Regular Session; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the Maunalua-Makapuu Scenic Byway and Kaiwi coast working group serve without compensation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Maunalua-Makapuu Scenic Byway and Kaiwi coast working group be dissolved on July 1, 2023; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, Director of Transportation, and Chairperson of the Hawaii Kai No. 1 Neighborhood Board.

Report Title:

Maunalua-Makapuu Scenic Byway; Kaiwi Coast; Task Force; Master Plan

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	190
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII