Bill Text: HI SB3380 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating To Beach Park Restoration.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-02-03 - Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM. [SB3380 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2022-SB3380-Introduced.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
3380 |
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THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to beach PARK restoration.
BE IT
ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that Kahalu‘u bay, Hawai‘i island is located 4.5 miles south of the town of Kailua-Kona and is situated in a major resort area. While the State has jurisdiction of the bay's shoreline until the high water mark, the county of Hawai‘i owns and operates the Kahalu‘u beach park facility, which is heavily utilized by both residents and tourists. The legislature further finds that Kahalu‘u beach park is the top visited beach park in the county of Hawai‘i, recording over four hundred thousand visitors annually.
On January 19, 2022, the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa's school of ocean and earth science and technology announced a seven-year $50,000,000 commitment from Dr. Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg, which will support various groups within the Hawai‘i institute of marine biology to research the effect of changing ocean conditions, as well as sea-level rise impacts on coastal resilience. The legislature finds that this funding source can supplement interagency efforts that require sea-level rise studies and reports to preserve vulnerable sections of the State's coastline, including at Kahalu‘u bay.
Kahalu‘u bay has historically been regarded as a sacred place to native Hawaiians, adorned with heiau, fishponds, and barrier rock walls that provided for better fishing conditions for hunter-gatherers in the area. Due to its historic nature and popularity among visitors, there have been recent efforts by the county of Hawai‘i, in partnership with the Kohala Center's Kahalu‘u Bay Education Center, to preserve the beach park for future generations through the promotion of reef-friendly practices. The legislature finds that these efforts have greatly benefited Kahalu‘u beach's ecosystem; however, they do not shield the park from the impacts of global warming.
The legislature further finds that during the 2021 Regular Session, the Senate adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 52, Senate Draft 1, which requested the department of land and natural resources and county of Hawai‘i to collaborate to identify sea level rise at Kahalu‘u bay to avoid further deterioration and damage caused by rising sea levels. The resulting interagency Kahalu‘u bay restoration working group, comprised of state and county officials, as well as community leaders, have been planning for the restoration of Kahalu‘u beach park. However, the legislature believes that the group's findings warrant a prioritization of Hawai‘i island's overall coastal planning, as well as the need for a sea level rise study and coastal engineering input to help guide the planning process. The legislature further believes that as a public resource with intergovernmental jurisdictions, the restoration of Kahalu‘u beach park should be a state and county partnership and can serve as a model for the restoration of other public resources throughout the State.
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to provide match grant-in-aid funds to the county of Hawai‘i to hire an engineering firm to study, plan, assist, and conduct preliminary design and concept work for a two-phase project to restore the Kahalu‘u beach park in the county of Hawai‘i.
SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $75,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022-2023 for a grant-in-aid to the county of Hawaii to hire an engineering firm to study, plan, and assist in phase one of the Kahaluu beach park restoration project in the county of Hawaii; provided that no funds shall be made available under this Act unless the county of Hawaii provides matching funds of $75,000 for the purpose for which this sum is appropriated.
The sum appropriated shall be expended by the county of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $461,379 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022-2023 for a grant-in-aid to the county of Hawaii to hire an engineering firm to conduct preliminary design and concept work, which includes sequencing of events, studies, and plans, to assist in phase two of the Kahaluu beach park restoration project in the county of Hawaii; provided that no funds shall be made available under this Act unless the county of Hawaii provides matching funds of $461,378 for the purpose for which this sum is appropriated.
The sum appropriated shall be expended by the county of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2022.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
County of Hawaii; Beach Restoration; Kahaluu Beach Park; Appropriation
Description:
Appropriates funds for a grant-in-aid to the county of Hawaii to hire an engineering firm to study, plan, assist, and conduct preliminary design and concept work for a two-phase project to restore the Kahaluu Beach Park in the county of Hawaii. Conditions the appropriation on the county of Hawaii contribution of matching funds.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
