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

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

Requesting the Department of Transportation and community stakeholders to improve the Maunalua-Makapuu State Scenic BYWAY AND develop a plan to consolidate management along the Ka Iwi Coast Scenic Shoreline.

 

 

        WHEREAS, a 6.8 mile stretch of Kalanianaole Highway (State Highway 72) that runs through the Ka Iwi 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 State Scenic Byway; and

 

        WHEREAS, the lands of the Ka Iwi 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 Ka Iwi 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 Ka Iwi coastal area and the Maunalua-Makapuu State 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 State Scenic Byway and Ka Iwi Coast task force be convened to develop a plan to address ongoing issues in the Maunalua-Makapuu State Scenic Byway and Ka Iwi 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 Ka Iwi Coast task force be comprised of the following members or their designees:

 

        (1)   The Director of Transportation, who shall serve as co-chair;

 

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

 

        (3)   The Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; and

 

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

 

        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the co-chairs of the Maunalua-Makapuu Scenic Byway and Ka Iwi Coast task force are requested to invite any other parties to participate on the task force as necessary; and

 

        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Maunalua-Makapuu State Scenic Byway and Ka Iwi Coast task force is requested to develop a plan to:

 

        (1)   Consolidate management of the Maunalua-Makapuu State Scenic Byway and Ka Iwi coastal area;

 

        (2)   Address unauthorized vehicular access in the Maunalua-Makapuu State Scenic Byway and Ka Iwi coastal area;

 

        (3)   Provide for safe and protected pedestrian and bicycle access across the Maunalua-Makapuu State Scenic Byway through the Ka Iwi Coast Scenic Shoreline from Makapuu lookout to Hanauma Bay;

 

        (4)   Provide for proper signage, narrative, and education about the Maunalua-Makapuu State Scenic Byway and Ka Iwi coastal area and its history; and

 

        (5)   Make any other improvements to the area as may be necessary to preserve, protect, and provide appropriate access to the Maunalua-Makapuu State Scenic Byway and Ka Iwi coastal area as may be necessary; and

 

        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Maunalua-Makapuu State Scenic Byway and Ka Iwi Coast task force is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2022, regarding the status and progress of their plan to consolidate management and address ongoing issues in the Maunalua-Makapuu State Scenic Byway and Ka Iwi coastal area; and

 

        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the Maunalua-Makapuu State Scenic Byway and Ka Iwi Coast task force serve without compensation; and

 

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

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:  

Maunalua-Makapuu State Scenic Byway; Ka Iwi Coast; Task Force; Master Plan