HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1885

TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2014

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The Sand Island state recreation area is located makai of the dense urban and key shipping core of Honolulu and represents one of the last remaining public recreational venues in an otherwise hardened and inaccessible shoreline consisting of development and commercial activity.  This one hundred forty acre park has a 2.75 mile long shoreline with access to safe ocean water and channels, comfort stations, picnic shelters, and boat launching features.  While approximately one hundred acres of the park is developed and managed for day use and camping, approximately forty acres is open land with trails and tracks created for authorized and temporary off-highway vehicle use.  This area is adjacent to a shoreline that is well suited for canoe paddling and a variety of other passive ocean uses. 

The department of land and natural resources, through the divisions of state parks and boating and ocean recreation, manages this land area and adjacent water for a variety of passive land and ocean recreational activities including picnicking, camping, running, fishing, swimming, surfing, baseball, off highway vehicle use, canoe paddling, and boating. 

Since 1973, when a plan was first adopted for the area, there have been a variety of alternative and competing proposals for this largely-undeveloped parcel.  However, inadequate operational funds, a harsh physical climate, and an oftentimes damaging social environment have contributed to decay of the area and have caused the need for frequent repairs to its infrastructure. 

The legislature finds that it is imperative to not only preserve the rare pockets of urban recreational spaces, including sand island state recreation area, that serve Oahu's growing population but to also enhance them with fundamentally safe and managed access and infrastructure.  Further, the growing awareness of the imminent, obvious impact that climate change will have on Hawaii as an ocean state makes it imperative that plans for public shoreline use incorporate plans for future adaption to rising sea levels. 

Therefore, the legislature finds that an investment is warranted in both sustainable and fundamental infrastructure such as roadway access, parking facilities, utilities, showers, and comfort stations to establish the basic requirements for ensuring that passive ocean recreation in the remaining undeveloped portion of sand island state recreation area remains available.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $         or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2014-2015 for planning for infrastructure for the passive recreation area of sand island state recreation area. 

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of land and natural resources for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.


 


 

Report Title:

Sand Island State Recreation Area; Appropriation

 

Description:

Appropriates funds to the Department of Land and Natural Resources for infrastructure at Sand Island State Recreation Area.  Effective July 1, 2050.  (HB1885 HD1)

 

 

 

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