Bill Text: HI SB1068 | 2020 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relating To Trails.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-12-01 - Carried over to 2020 Regular Session. [SB1068 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2020-SB1068-Amended.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
1068 |
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THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO TRAILS.
BE IT
ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the division of forestry and wildlife of the department of land and natural resources has a current statewide inventory of one hundred twenty-eight trail and road features spanning approximately eight hundred fifty-five miles. Trails include parking areas, comfort stations, pavilions, picnic areas, and other facilities that are regularly used by the public.
According to the Outdoor Industry Association, fifty-nine per cent of Hawaii residents participate in outdoor recreation each year. Outdoor recreation, which includes hiking, contributes to a high quality of life and attracts and sustains employers and families. Outdoor recreation in Hawaii generates $7,800,000,000 in consumer spending annually, sixty-eight thousand direct jobs, $2,400,000,000 in wages and salaries, and $604,000,000 in state and local tax revenue. Investing in outdoor infrastructure, such as hiking trails, attracts employers and active workforces, thereby ensuring communities in Hawaii thrive economically and socially.
However, keeping up with the rising demand for trail use remains a constant challenge for the department of land and natural resources. Heavy use and limited operational capacity have curbed the level of maintenance on trail features. For example, Manoa falls trail on Oahu requires frequent staff visits to maintain dated facilities, which diverts staff and maintenance resources away from other trails located statewide. Furthermore, remote trail locations raise the cost of maintaining facilities and stretch operation capacities while vandalism and irresponsible trail use also draw from the limited pool of available resources. Thus, additional funds to manage these trails should be expended to keep pace with the growing demand for trail use and ensure public safety.
Furthermore, along with the popularity of wilderness hiking has come a growing number of mountain rescues occurring each year. Various internet adventure websites have promoted wrong or misleading information that places hikers in danger, leading to uninformed hikers getting injured while on the trails, or hiking on trails that are unmaintained or prohibited. The number of Honolulu fire department rescues in mountainous areas on Oahu nearly tripled between 2006 and 2016. The Honolulu fire department reported that crews responded to fifty-one mountain rescues during the first three months of 2017 after making two hundred sixty rescues in 2016 and one hundred eighty-seven rescues in 2015. According to the department of land and natural resources, if this trend continues, the number of annual mountain rescues will double by 2024. Hiker safety education can promote this popular recreational activity while decreasing the number of mountain rescues, which have a search and rescue operational price tag of $1,500 per hour, including helicopter rescue.
Lastly, the popularity of hiking has also resulted in the need for hiker etiquette education and outreach. For example, some trails that are located in residential neighborhoods have gained immense popularity and have resulted in a dramatic increase in complaints regarding naive or disrespectful trail users. Complaints include loud noises and talking during late hours of the night or in the early morning hours, blatant littering, tracking of mud on neighborhood residents' lawns, and illegal parking. As a result, some frustrated neighborhood residents have proposed the closure of some trail heads to prevent the nuisance that disrespectful hikers have caused. Thus, the exercise of appropriate hiker etiquette will help to promote hiker safety and the continued use of the hiking trails.
Therefore, the legislature further finds that maintaining trails and facilities requires reliable capital investment for routine repairs and reasonable operational support for regular maintenance. Furthermore, a pervasive public awareness campaign to educate hikers regarding hiker safety, hiker etiquette, and Native Hawaiian culture, history, and traditional and customary practices connected to Hawaii's trails will assist in reducing future hiking incidents.
The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to the department of land and natural resources to improve nā ala hele, the Hawaii statewide trail program, by improving access to and maintaining state controlled recreational trails statewide and promoting hiker safety and education and outreach regarding hiker etiquette, including Native Hawaiian culture, history, and traditional and customary practices connected to Hawaii's trails.
SECTION
2. There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1,800,000 or so much
thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2019-2020 and the same sum or so
much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020-2021 to improve nā ala hele, the Hawaii
statewide trail and access program, by:
(1) Improving access to and maintaining state controlled recreational trails statewide; and
(2) Developing and implementing a public awareness campaign that promotes hiker safety and education and outreach regarding hiker etiquette, including accurate Native Hawaiian culture, history, and traditional and customary practices connected to Hawaii's trails;
provided that the sums appropriated pursuant to this section shall be added to, and shall not supplant any portion of, the annual executive base budget of the department of land and natural resources, and at least the amount appropriated in this section shall be used each year to support the purposes of this Act.
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:
Nā Ala Hele; Hawaii Statewide Trail and Access System; Trail Maintenance and Improvement; Hiker Safety and Etiquette Education and Outreach; Department of Land and Natural Resources; Appropriation
Description:
Makes an appropriation to improve nā ala hele, the Hawaii statewide trail and access program, by improving access to and maintaining state controlled recreational trails statewide and promoting hiker safety and education and outreach regarding hiker etiquette, including Native Hawaiian culture, history, and traditional and customary practices connected to Hawaii's trails. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
