Bill Text: HI SCR174 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced

Hawaii Senate Concurrent Resolution 174 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Supporting The County Of Hawaii's Efforts To Pursue United States Army Corps Of Engineers Continuing Authorities Program Funding For The Restoration Of Kahaluu Bay In Hawaii Island.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2022-04-19 - Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on JHA with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Hashimoto, McKelvey, Ward excused (3). [SCR174 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2022-SCR174-Introduced.html

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	174
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

supporting the county of hawai�i's efforts to pursue united states army corps of engineers continuing authorities program funding for the restoration of kahalu�u bay in hawai�i island.

WHEREAS, Kahalu�u Bay, Hawai�i Island is located 4.5 miles south of the town of Kailua-Kona situated in a major resort area, recording over four hundred thousand visitors annually; and

WHEREAS, 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; and

WHEREAS, resulting from 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; and

WHEREAS, the Senate adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 52, Senate Draft 1, Regular Session of 2021, 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; and

WHEREAS, while an interagency Kahalu�u Bay Restoration Working Group, comprised of state and county officials and community leaders, planned for the restoration of the Kahalu�u Beach Park, the Kahalu�u Bay Restoration Working 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; and

WHEREAS, scientific research and professional planning are additionally needed to augment ongoing stewardship activities if the Kahalu�u Bay and Kahalu�u Bay Beach Park are to remain natural resource assets for all of Hawai�i's people and visitors to enjoy; and

WHEREAS, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) can partner with a non-federal sponsor to develop aquatic ecosystem restoration and protection projects that improve the quality of the environment; and

WHEREAS, the Corps' Continuing Authorities Program is a group of nine legislative authorities under which the Corps can plan, design, and implement certain types of water resource projects without additional project specific Congressional authorization; and

WHEREAS, to secure funding under the Continuing Authorities Program, the County of Hawai�i must undergo a lengthy process that includes a feasibility study, support for the study under the President of the United States' budget, and appropriations by Congress to initiate the project; and

WHEREAS, as the Continuing Authorities Program has a delay of two fiscal years, the County of Hawai�i must act prudently to protect and preserve Kahalu�u Bay and the surrounding beach park area from impacts caused by climate change and tourism; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, the House of Representatives concurring, that this body supports the ongoing efforts by the County of Hawaii to pursue funding by the United States Army Corps of Engineers Continuing Authorities Program for the restoration of Kahalu�u Bay in Hawai�i Island; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the members of the Hawai�i congressional delegation, Mayor of the County of Hawai�i, and members of the Hawai�i County Council.