Beach Access Hawaii

Note: New Blogger Address!

2010-02-09T22:30:00.002-10:00

Due to Blogger changes, we've exported the BAH site to this URL now:

http://beachaccesshawaii.blogspot.com/

If you had bookmarked the www.BeachAccessHawaii.org site, please update it to the above blogspot address. Mahalo!

Lt. Governor candidate on beach access

2010-02-08T16:44:00.003-10:00

State Sen. Gary Hooser has a good blog post on shoreline access and preservation. To my knowledge, he's the first and only candidate for Lt. Governor who has publicly made this part of his campaign platform.

Moreover, he's actually tried to get laws passed that would help protect public access. And Kauai, Gary's home island, has the most forward-thinking shoreline setback rules of all the counties. Oahu and the other islands should follow their lead.

Here's a link to his post and excerpt:

On shoreline protection and the right to public access
Protecting and preserving our shorelines requires effective and strict integrated shoreline management policies that reach all islands statewide. Presently, Kaua‘i proudly holds the strongest and most prudent shoreline setback for structures, 110 feet from the watermark during a full moon high tide. DLNR officials, working in coordination with the UH Sea Grant Program, estimate the annual shoreline erosion rate at roughly one foot per year. Most homes are rated at a lifetime of 70 years, which under the current state standard setback of only 40 feet means they are likely to be threatened by erosion in coming decades. Though variances are available, our state would be wise to follow Kauai’s lead on this issue and improve shoreline setback distances in all counties...

To read his complete post, please go here:

http://garyhooser.livejournal.com/37609.html

Shoreline Vegetation Gets Attention

2010-02-03T15:22:00.009-10:00

While I'm glad the issue of oceanfront property owners using plants to grab more beach land is getting attention, I wish the State Legislature would address a bigger matter: we still do NOT have any state law for public beach access minimum standards. All we have for Oahu are "suggested guidelines" by the City Council, which are unenforceable.

Anyhow, if you want to put a stop to overgrown beachfront vegetation by homeowners, there is a bill you can submit testimony in support of: HB1808.

Date/Time/Place: Thursday, Feb. 4th, 2:20 PM, State Capitol Room 325

Please submit testimony online at: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/emailtestimony

Type in HB1808 where you're asked to enter the measure for the latest hearing info. If the bill advances there will be more hearings, so save your testimony to resend later!

Also, you can view an Olelo program about this subject or watch it on YouTube. Here's more info below:

Rep. Barbara Marumoto discusses Kahala Beach with long-time resident Lucinda Pyles and Dolan Eversole, Coastal Geology Extension Agent, UH Sea Grant College Program. The show identifies the problem of obstruction of lateral access, recreational use and natural beach processes. It provides a historical reference as to why this needs to be addressed now -- before more beaches are lost forever.

Part 1 Click here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqerUoevrrw

Part 2 Click here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP7fL9ghBHc

Part 3 Click here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTDvb1QRlas

The program will also run on Channel 54:
2/28/10 Sun. 7:00 pm
3/1/10 Mon. 9:00 am
3/2/10 Tue. 8:30 am
3/3/10 Wed. 6:00 pm

Op-Ed Piece on State Gov Reform

2010-01-25T08:34:00.004-10:00

NOTE: THIS IS THE LAST POST ON WWW.BEACHACCESSHAWAII.ORG... NEW POSTS ARE NOW ON:
http://beachaccesshawaii.blogspot.com/

Hawaii's system of government is broken. One only has to look at the way our State legislature dickers over every issue and gets little done each session to see the proof. The bicameral Senate/House of Representatives structure for such a small state makes no sense. It's inefficient and redundant to have so many reps, who all have staffs and cost taxpayers extra money to perform the same tasks!

It allows our elected officials an easy out: oh, don't blame us for inaction -- the other committee killed it... not my fault -- the chairperson didn't schedule your bill for a hearing... blame the House/Senate -- they didn't act when the bill crossed over.

Those are some of the excuses we've heard for the past two years from legislators on why public beach access bills died in committee, despite strong support we had. Here's the link to my op-ed column in Sunday's Star-Bulletin on this topic... please feel free to add your comments on the Star-Bulletin site below my piece!

Excerpt:

Hawaii should adopt unicameral legislature

As the 2010 state Legislature gets under way, it's hard not to have a sense of deja vu. Thousands of bills will be introduced — many of them resurrected from last year, or the session before that. Most will die in committee. About 10 percent of those bills will cross the finish line, amid great cheering or hand-wringing. But the vast majority of citizens who get involved because they care about a particular issue will walk away disappointed or disillusioned...

To read the rest, go here: http://tinyurl.com/yckyokj

My New Venture...

2010-01-20T17:02:00.005-10:00

Although I will continue to do what I can to promote the beach access cause, the reality is I need to make a living too! But times are tough... which is why I came up with the concept for a local TV show called Career Changers TV. Our first program began airing on OC16 last month. It's geared to people who are looking for jobs or thinking about pursuing new careers. If that's you, check out the CCTV web site for details!

www.CareerChangers.tv

I'm also writing a blog for the site, called Squashed Gecko. It's all about me! Well, not entirely... it's more about all the things I've learned from failing at various endeavors. If you're interested in the entertainment biz, especially screenwriting or writing in general, please drop by and post comments here.

As for the current State Legislature session and our prospects of seeing any significant action in regards to shoreline setbacks or beach access, all I can say is don't hold your breath. It's all about money this go-round -- meaning "non-essential" matters will get short shrift.

Kauai Addressing Access Concerns

2010-01-05T09:44:00.004-10:00

Unlike Honolulu's City Council, Kauai is actually DOING something to acquire more beach rights of way through their county's Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Fund Commission. Here's an excerpt from today's Honolulu Advertiser:

A draft of the board's priorities for land acquisition that, once approved, will be sent to Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. and the Kaua'i County Council reveals the board's concern about diminishing beach access routes.

In addition to recommending attempts to acquire land to expand the county Black Pot Park on Hanalei Bay and Salt Pond Beach Park in Hanapēpē, the commission is poised to recommend county officials use real-property-tax incentives or other means to acquire beach-access routes to Kauapea Beach (Secret Beach) near Kīlauea, Ka'aka'aniu Beach (Larsen's Beach) near Moloa'a, and Papa'a Bay between Anahola and Moloa'a. The draft priority list also contains mauka accesses to Waita Reservoir near Kōloa and Alexander Dam mauka of Kalāheo.

The same article says they have also been discussing the ongoing problems with oceanfront homeowners growing vegetation in blatant attempts to grab more beach land for themselves. Click here to read the full article.
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20100105/NEWS0102/1050318/Kaua+i+beach+access+a+concern

New beach land belongs to public

2010-01-04T16:13:00.003-10:00

Good news to start the New Year! As reported in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin on Jan. 1, 2010, the Intermediate Court of Appeals has ruled that accreted, naturally-formed beach land above the high water mark belongs to the public -- NOT oceanfront property owners.

As many of you already know, some of the greedier homeowners have been planting vegetation to literally grab more beach land for themselves. This ruling is a small victory for the people of Hawaii. Now if we could only do something about providing more public access and our inadequate shoreline setbacks on Oahu.

Here's the link to the Star-Bulletin article that provides more details on the court ruling.

http://www.starbulletin.com/news/20100101_New_land_is_public_court_says.html

Kailuana Place Scrooges Deserve Humbug

2009-12-24T15:50:00.008-10:00

Mele Kalikimaka and all that jazz! Had a good laugh when I read a newspaper comment by a resident complaining about how Obama's stay in Kailua was interfering with their access to the beach. What's hilarious is this guy lives on Kailuana Place -- the public road with a private, gated beach acess pictured to the right! They think nothing of locking out neighbors and visitors from "their" beach access all year long. But close them out for one week, and boy oh boy, they don't like it one bit.

The Honolulu Weekly ran my letter in response to the "Shrinking Beaches" article they did recently. I pointed out that the reporter left out the most important thing: the reason WHY nothing is being done to protect our shorelines, which is the split jurisdiction between the State and counties. Here's the link to my letter.

The Star-Bulletin will also be running my commentary on the public safety issue related to the gate above, which I blogged about a couple of weeks ago. Scroll down for that one about the medical emergency I witnessed -- which happens to be down at the end of the beach where the Obamas are staying for Christmas.

That's how exclusive parts of Kailua Beach have now become. You can literally close off an entire section very easily without even putting up gates or fences because THEY ARE ALREADY IN PLACE. In effect, Hawaii now has private beach areas for the rich and privileged -- or in this case, for the President and his family. I love Obama, but this man of the people should be using this opportunity to promote free and open access to Hawaii's beaches.

Hawaii Kai gate endangers surfers

2009-12-15T09:05:00.002-10:00

After posting my account of emergency help for an injured surfer being delayed by a locked gate on Kailua Beach last Thursday, the Honolulu Advertiser ran this article by Suzanne Roig on Sunday. Excerpt:

Surfers want access restored

HAWAI'I KAI — Residents want the city to reopen a beach accessway used by surfers in trouble off the rocky coastline of the popular spot called China Walls.

The city closed the accessway six months ago because it was deemed unsafe.

But surfers and others say the closure in itself presents a safety issue. They say the access is vital as a "safety valve" for ocean goers who get into trouble, and allows them to safely get out of the water into a small cove in the steep, rocky cliffs...

Whether it's Kailua Beach or in Hawaii Kai, this is a tragedy waiting to happen... and why? Largely because some selfish homeowners value their exclusive "private" beach access over the public's safety.

Gates: Public Safety Threat

2009-12-10T13:55:00.003-10:00

Today I was reminded why this battle against gates still matters. While jogging back from Kailua Beach, I saw three paramedics pushing a gurney down the Kailuana Beach Right of Way -- the only public access for a mile-long stretch of beach. The dirt path from Kalaheo Avenue is well over a hundred yards before you even reach the beach.

As soon as I saw the paramedics I knew there was a big problem. I had just come from the beach and didn't see anyone in trouble near the #89A Emergency Locater sign next to that access path. I did, however, notice a group of people further down by the area surfers call Castles, near the house where President Obama and his family stayed last Christmas. That was at least a quarter-mile from the public access.

So I told the paramedics about that and asked how they planned on pushing the gurney through the sand. I noted that there was a closer access on Kailuana Place, but it was gated -- the locked gate in the picture. All they knew was that a surfer was injured, and this was the closest public access to where the victim was. Apparently it was not a life-threatening situation... but what if it was?

The paramedics left the gurney on the path and strolled down the beach. One made a call and shortly after that another ambulance drove down Kailuana Place. I presume they were going to try to get someone to open the gate so they could transfer the accident victim to the second ambulance. All this took 10-15 minutes... if it had been a heart attack or drowning victim, those extra minutes could have meant the difference between life and death.

What's more, Kailuana Place is a public street. That's right -- our tax dollars pay for the upkeep of their road! But the gate is on a privately-owned piece of land. How nice of them to share it with their neighbors, eh?

Merry Christmas, indeed. If President Obama stays at the property down that end again this year, I hope someone will mention to him that the locked gates along Kailua Beach are a very real threat to the public's safety. Whether you have health insurance or not won't matter if emergency help can't get to you quickly!

"Shrinking Beaches" article in Weekly

2009-12-07T13:08:00.002-10:00

Joan Conrow has a good cover story in the Honolulu Weekly about an issue I've been harping on for the past year. However, nowhere in the article does it ask WHY nothing is being done about the situation!

It's pretty simple really: as long as we have split jurisdiction between the State and the counties, there will never be a comprehensive long-term shoreline management plan. We need a Hawaii Coastal Commission that has the authority to enact statewide standards and the ability to ENFORCE those rules.

But we can't get there without interim steps, such as a joint State-counties task force to lay the foundation for such a commission. State Rep. Chris Lee introduced a bill that would have done just that. But Sam Lemmo, who works for the State DLNR, actually spoke out AGAINST the bill! And we didn't get any support from the UH Sea Grant people either... the same guys who have complained about the split jurisdiction problem. So what's their solution? More of the same: do studies and hope something changes...

Anyhow, here's the link to the Weekly article. At least the issue is getting more attention.

http://honoluluweekly.com/cover/2009/12/shrinking-beaches/

Turtle Bay forum Dec. 8

2009-12-01T12:24:00.006-10:00

Tim Vandeveer, one of our Beach Access allies, asked me to pass this along for "Talk Story 2" on Tues., Dec. 8, (6:30 - 9 PM) at Kahuku High School Cafeteria hosted by Defend Oahu Coalition:

This is the second in a series of Community Forums regarding the future of Turtle Bay. The City’s Department of Permitting and Planning is reportedly very close to issuing final subdivision permits to the developer at Turtle Bay which will allow him to move ahead with the outdated plan for five additional hotels and one thousand more resort condominiums. The State Supreme Court is set to hear Oral Arguments regarding the Keep the North Shore Country case asking for a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.

The existing property is formally changing owners this month, who are reportedly working on a new business model for the resort. This is a crucial time to get updated about the current situation. Efforts aimed at building on plans for preservation as well as sustainable land use enforcement at City and State levels will also be addressed. Notable speakers invited to attend include: Governor Lingle, Representatives Abercrombie and Hirono, Mayor Hannemann, Turtle Bay Advisory Working Group Chair Bill Paty, Senator Clayton Hee, Councilmember Donovan Dela Cruz and Interim Developer for Kuilima Resort Company Stanford Carr. The moderator for the evening will be Dee Dee Letts, a member of the Ko’olauloa Neighborhood Board and longtime community activist.

If you want to Keep the Country Country, this is a must attend event!

Beach Land Grab Article

2009-11-30T09:25:00.006-10:00

Today's Star-Bulletin ran a good article about the continuing problem of oceanfront property owners making claims on the beach where it has naturally expanded, or by simply growing out vegetation to grab more land (as in the photo above, which was taken last year at Kailua Beach -- note the SPRINKLER HEADS in the plantings).

We have laws saying the beach belongs to the public up to the high water wash, but vegetation is also used to mark boundaries. We have State laws that say one thing, while the individual counties make their own shoreline setback rules. Meanwhile, due to State and county budget shortfalls, personnel are being laid off which means we have less enforcement of existing laws. And no one is really responsible for overseeing our shorelines and beaches -- the State and counties just pass the buck!

Here's the article link.

My wife and I took a walk along Kailua Beach this Thanksgiving weekend. Besides the five houses that are already being rebuilt closer to the water, there are at least two vacant lots where you can be sure new owners will also build right up to the legal setback because others have already done it, and they don't want their views blocked by neighbors who will rebuild closer to the ocean.

Say goodbye to the Kailua Beach we used to love. It's well on the way to becoming another narrow stretch of sand just like Lanikai or Kahala Beach thanks to selfish, short-sighted beachfront property owners who don't give a damn about their impact on Hawaii's beaches. And thank our State and county officials too for not doing anything about it.

Hawaii's Beach Problems Go National

2009-11-16T22:09:00.003-10:00

The AP ran this story today, which focuses largely on Kailua Beach and quotes the UH Sea Grant guys as saying many of our beaches are already considered to be lost causes. Why? Rising sea levels, erosion, sea walls and inadequate shoreline setbacks. The article notes that there is a Kailua Beach master plan in the works... but knowing how slow our City and State government are to act, whatever gets recommended will probably be ignored and Kailua will go the way of Lanikai and Kahala Beach. It will be too little, too late. Again.

Here's some excerpts and the link to the story...

Hawaii's famed white sandy beaches are shrinking

By AUDREY McAVOY, Associated Press Writer – Sun Nov 15

KAILUA, Hawaii – Jenn Boneza remembers when the white sandy beach near the boat ramp in her hometown was wide enough for people to build sand castles.

"It really used to be a beautiful beach," said the 35-year-old mother of two. "And now when you look at it, it's gone."

What's happening to portions of the beach in Kailua — a sunny coastal suburb of Honolulu where President Barack Obama spent his last two family vacations in the islands — is being repeated around the Hawaiian Islands.

Geologists say more than 70 percent of Kauai's beaches are eroding while Oahu has lost a quarter of its sandy shoreline. They warn the problem is only likely to get significantly worse in coming decades as global warming causes sea levels to rise more rapidly...

... (Chip) Fletcher proposes identifying areas where a land conservation fund would buy five or six adjoining properties. The state would tear down buildings on these plots and allow the beach to shift inland.

He said when erosion hits more sections of Kailua beach, there's going to be a clamor to put up seawalls.

"That will be a very important moment," Fletcher said. "If we allow the first home to put up a seawall, then we're probably dooming the entire beach over the course of a couple of decades . . .

Read the entire article by clicking here.

Kauai Access Problems

2009-10-26T22:04:00.005-10:00

Two good pieces worth reading about the controversy over shoreline access on Kauai. First, there's this article from The Hawaii Independent, which begins:

An outcry over plans to fence off a trail to Larsen’s Beach is causing Kauai residents to revisit two longstanding issues: Should concerns about liability restrict access; and is the county properly recording public easements?

The controversy arose over cattle rancher Bruce Laymon’s plans to install a fence on northeast Kauai coastal land that he leases from the Waioli Corp., a kamaaina landowner whose holdings include the historic Waioli Mission House and Grove Farm Homestead Museum.

The fence would block the widest and easiest of two trails that lead down to the long, relatively secluded beach. Laymon maintains the more popular trail is not the easement that Waioli Corp. deeded over to the county. Instead, the public access runs through an outcropping of rocks along a steeper, rougher trail that is less favored by beach-goers.

But during a site visit last Friday, concerned citizens said they were stunned to hear surveyor Alan Hironaka claim there’s no public access to Larsen’s Beach at all...

Click here to read the rest.

Then we have Andy Parx's "got windmills?" blog post, which also goes into the history and politics behind the Larsen Beach access issue.

Check out Andy's piece, The Road More Traveled (Mon., Oct. 26) here.

So has the Honolulu Advertiser or Star-Bulletin been on top of this story? I could be wrong, but I don't think so. More and more we're seeing independent news sources and bloggers picking up the slack while TV news and the dailies cut back on actual reporting, and run more Mainland-generated content.

B&B Pros and Cons: Trick or Treat?

2009-10-22T13:50:00.009-10:00

Is the bed and breakfast debate in Hawaii a beach access issue?

As many of you know, I have mixed feelings about the arguments for and against B&Bs. Some of our friends and BAH supporters own B&Bs in Kailua. But I also know people who have been negatively affected by B&Bs.

Ironically, some of the most vocal opponents of B&Bs are people who live on gated roads. They even claim the influx of B&B tourists are one reason they don’t want anyone using “their” private lanes to get to the beach. They want the City Council to tell others what they can or can’t do with their homes.

Yet those same people don’t want anyone telling THEM what they should do with their “private” roads -- despite the fact they receive public services such as trash pick-up and mail deliveries.

Moreover, some of those mini-hotels that are marketed as B&Bs are on gated roads. Which means tourists who rent them have their own private access to the beach, while residents who live nearby must trek as much as half a mile to find a public right of way.

Personally, I’d like to see B&Bs restricted to owner-occupied homes. Most of the problems I hear involve properties where the owner lives out of state or somewhere else. If the owner is present, at least you know who to complain to. I think owner-occupied B&Bs can fit into residential areas if they are regulated and stay true to the spirit of real mom-and-pop operations.

It’s a thorny issue. I’ve had family visiting from the Mainland, and I wanted to set them up with a B&B in Kailua. However, I have friends who have had trouble finding affordable rentals, in part, because B&Bs are more profitable for property owners. If I had an extra room to rent, I'd want to get top dollar for it too.

Is there a middle ground? I’m all for keeping Kailua residential. But without tourists, I think many of the small businesses in town would suffer or close down. Then we all lose out -- the biz owners and residents who shop or dine at those places.

You can post public comments here, but you must register so we don’t get nasty “anonymous” comments. As we’ve seen in the past, those kind of personal attacks don’t get us anywhere.

Ocean Policy Task Force

2009-09-18T13:47:00.006-10:00

For some time now, I've been harping on the need for a Hawaii Coastal Commission or joint State/Counties Task Force to oversee shoreline management. This week it was announced that the Obama Administration is recommending the creation of a National Ocean Council to coordinate and oversee "myriad federal agencies in conservation and marine planning efforts."

Why? Because ocean policy is being done in a "piecemeal basis"... just as in Hawaii, where public beach access, shoreline setbacks, ocean-related commercial activities, are all regulated (or not) in the very same piecemeal fashion.

But the proposal for creating a task force that could pave the way for a Hawaii Coastal Commission got shot down by people like the DLNR's Sam Lemmo! The UH Sea Grant people didn't give us any support either. Yet they complain about the difficulties in dealing with split jurisdiction between the State and counties. So what's their alternative plan to create a better, more efficient system of shoreline management?

Here's the link to the AP article on the National Ocean Council proposal. Gee, isn't it nice to have a president and officials who use some common sense in streamlining agencies for efficiency, instead of simply ignoring environmental issues such as sea-level rise and industrial pollution? Of course some wing-nut will scream that this is socialism.

UPDATE: Better article from the New York Times...

"The Obama administration called Thursday for a comprehensive national system for regulating the use of federal waters along the nation’s marine and Great Lakes shores, now administered by a hodgepodge of federal, state or other agencies with often-conflicting goals..."

2009-09-15T12:37:00.003-10:00

From our allies on the North Shore of Oahu, comes this urgent appeal below. Plans to develop the Turtle Bay resort could have an adverse impact on shoreline access in that area...

The Honolulu Advertiser’s wrote in today’s editorial, “Court should clarify worth of years-old EIS”

If the high court decides to take the appeal, as it should, the state will get clearer direction of how environmental law should apply to development that has languished on the drawing boards for years.

And although the Kuilima Resort Co. project is at the center of this case, there are other projects with environmental impact statements prepared long ago. The original proposal for Makena Resort on Maui, for example, was based on an EIS completed in 1974.

It is not right that the developers should be allowed to begin development 20 or 200 years after an EIS is accepted without having to reconsider potential impacts. Keep the North Shore Country and Sierra Club have been seeking a Supplemental EIS for the Turtle Bay Resort in the courts since 2006. If the Supreme Court does not accept the case, our challenge of the environmental review will probably be over.

Meanwhile, Stanford Carr continues to press ahead with the expansion plan and continues to seek final subdivision approval from the City and County of Honolulu. They are very close.

We are near the end of the process. Now is the time to speak up!

This editorial gives you an excellent opportunity to share your concerns about the Turtle Bay Resort Expansion Plan and the City’s refusal to order a supplemental EIS. Please take a moment to send your comments to the Letters to the Editor and also post an on-line comment. Letters to the Editor are more effective.

Advertiser Letters to the Editor Include your name and contact information so they can confirm your identity and publish your letter.

You can read all of the court filings and follow the action at www.KeepTheNorthShoreCountry.org

Mahalo,
Gil Riviere
Keep the North Shore Country

Mainland Beach Access Cases

2009-09-01T16:38:00.005-10:00

Not much local news to report, since the Hawaii State Legislature and Honolulu City Council are more concerned about tax revenue shortfalls than matters such as shoreline access or environmental issues. So our most valuable natural resource -- the ocean and beaches of Hawaii -- are being neglected while plans are being put into place to have residents and visitors "pay to play"... things like increasing the cost for metered parking at popular surfing spots, increasing camping permit fees, and so on.

Some of those steps are probably necessary though, and if the money goes to improving and maintaining facilities and beach parks, well, that's all right with me. But crucial things like shoreline building setbacks are being ignored as "seaward creep" by beachfront homeowners is becoming a visible problem on Kailua Beach! Does anyone care? Not enough, apparently.

On the mainland, however, there are important court cases in Texas and Florida that could set precedents for public beach access throughout the country. Unfortunately, our ever-shrinking local news media doesn't cover issues like this unless we wave protest signs at a rally... or someone files a lawsuit.

Here's the link to activist Rob Nixon's blog, Waiting for the Next Swell, which recaps the legal implications of the Texas and Florida cases.

From Rob's post on the subject:

2009 may very well go down as THE pivotal year for Public Beaches and Public Beach Access in the United States. Starting in November, three very important public beach issues will come up for decision in Texas and Florida. What is at stake is no less than the public's right to access and use the beaches of these states. The decisions on these issues by the voters and the courts may also have an impact on all the coastal states of the United States as they will definitely set precedent for future challenges and cases....

Big Island Plea for Access Help

2009-07-23T22:14:00.005-10:00

An email from Betty Jung on the Big Island was forwarded to us from someone in the State DLNR... in other words, the state can't do anything about beach access problems and it seems like the county "no can" either. So they refer people like her to groups like ours. Unfortunately, all we can do is continue to lobby for better laws and try to drum up more public support.

Here's her email and links to the West Hawaii Today newspaper articles about the situation:

Subject: Big Island "Pines" surf and beach

Aloha,

In the local newspaper, West Hawaii Today, on the dates of 7/16 and 7/19 there were articles regarding the closing off of gates to a road that leads to a locally popular beach and surf area known as "The Pines." The current access is through the National Energy Lab of Hawaii road. Due to the economy, as reported in the newspaper, NELHA is planning to close the gate at 4:30PM on Fridays and not reopen until Monday mornings. One newspaper article claimed that a paved road through an incomplete housing area to be known as Kohanaiki, is supposed to open their gate to the local traffic as access. All this is supposed to begin on August 1. As has happened in the past on this island, we have had the same type promise and then have been locked out for as much as two years. Since this area is so widely used by locals, not just for surfing, but for camping, family reunions, birthdays, weddings etc., we would like some guidance on writing a petition to the Hawaii County office or State office that might be of aid to us in keeping this area open. The locals who use this area are inclined to due diligence in maintaining the area for family use. Please help us keep this area open.

Mahalo, Betty Jung

Click here for the July 16 article, and here for the July 19 story on the energy lab gate closing.

I don't know enough about it to comment, other than to say they need to get organized and try to get some TV news coverage that might wake up the Big Island council. The state DLNR will do nothing as usual.

Guest Blogger: On Perseverance

2009-07-23T11:12:00.007-10:00

Shannon Wood of the Windward Ahupua`a Alliance, sent this timely message about the need to stay the course when lobbying for changes in state law. The bill she writes about relates to climate change, which could affect sea levels and shoreline access. More importantly, it points out that our system of government requires persistence and patience.

On July 15, 2009, the Hawaii State Legislature overrode Governor Linda Lingle's veto of SB 266 CD1 (now ACT 20, Special Session 2009) to establish a Climate Change Task Force.

It took me four legislative sessions to get this on the books. I first started talking to lawmakers in late 2005, but no one was even willing to sponsor a resolution, let alone a bill, in the 2006 Session.

Then along came "An Inconvenient Truth" in the summer of 2006, and suddenly the political environment changed significantly; however, for a variety of reasons, it still took another three years to get the legislation enacted.

Many, many people worked together on Hawaii's climate change legislation -- including faith-based organizations and labor unions -- but this one was really my "baby." Twice this past Regular Session, I kept the bill alive by meeting with key legislators in both the State House and Senate who had major concerns about the costs given the slowdown in the economy.

I particularly want to thank four Hawaii environmental groups for their support: The Nature Conservancy, the Sierra Club, the Trust for Public Land, and the Blue Planet Foundation. Additional critical support came from the Environmental Law Program at the Richardson School of Law and the Center for Climate Adaptation & Policy at the University of Hawaii.

In all my years of political activism, only one other bill (establishing criminal penalties for owners of dogs legally designated as "dangerous") has kept me going... and going... and going as this one did. In that case, I was driven by the deaths of my cats by two dogs who came into our yard and killed them -- and all the owners were charged with were two leash law violations! Getting that bill on the books took 1,199 days.

And don't forget that it took over 30 years to get a beverage container deposit fee bill passed.

PATIENCE, PERSEVERANCE, PERSISTENCE, PARTNERSHIPS, PASSION... they really do work when it comes to making changes in How We Do Things Around Here.

I also believe that this climate change legislation could be a model for other states. Obviously, not all states will have to deal with sea level rise nor would they necessarily have the same the same entities or organizations on their task force, but the concept and the goals underlying the legislation would be the same.

As for public access issues, I've been told by Abbey Seth Mayer that his staff is working on a plan; however, Robert Harris from the Sierra Club feels that it will be years before any solid recommendations will be forthcoming. That's something we can change if there's enough interest in doing so.

Shannon Wood, President & Co-Founder, Windward Ahupua`a Alliance /Plug In & Power UP!/RECYCLING FOR CHANGE/BUST-A-DUMPER Campaign

Click here for SB 266 legislation text.

Interesting article on Lanikai Beach woes

2009-07-09T13:07:00.002-10:00

While Lanikai currently has more open public access to the beach than Kailua Beach, the lack of public parking and commercial activities are pushing residents to take action against the daily intrusions. And regular problems with drunk or rude idiots has some of them talking about closing off access ways.

What's the solution? I don't know... again, I think this is another reason we need a Hawaii Coastal Commission that would oversee issues such as commercial activities and public access, while creating long-term shoreline management policies for the entire state. Think the City Council or DLNR will do anything on their own? Right...

Anyhow, here's the Hawaii Independent link. Bookmark the site and check out their other local stories!

Home page: http://www.thehawaiiindependent.com/

Mahalos for a fun 4th of July!

2009-07-06T09:55:00.004-10:00

Special thanks to Christine Crosby and Amy Hammond for putting together the Beach Access entry in this year's Kailua 4th of July parade! Christine is the one wearing the Magic Sandman costume, who is a character created by Amy for her popular children's book.

Although our group was small in numbers, we got huge cheers all up and down Kainalu Avenue from the thousands of people who lined the parade route. Many walked up to us and said "mahalo" for our efforts to protect beach access.

But to continue the fight, we still need your help and financial support. Please donate $5, $10 or whatever you can spare by using the PayPal link on the right side of the page. And keep spreading the word about our group!

Watch Your Step

2009-06-30T13:11:00.004-10:00

It's been well over a year since I contacted our City Council representative to do something about the unsafe conditions on Kalaheo Avenue, since residents must now walk along long stretches of road to reach the closest public right of way. We were told that the area next to the street is the responsibility of the HOMEOWNER -- not the City or State.

Supposedly the City sent notices to those homeowners, informing them they were supposed to clear the pedestrian/biking paths of debris and dirt, or the City would do it and then send the property owners a bill for that service. But as you can see in the video I took with my new Flip camcorder ("shaky-cam") nothing has been done. There is now less than a foot of walking space in spots. Cars have to veer toward the middle of the road to avoid walkers and bikers.

This is an accident waiting to happen. One resident has already been "clipped" on his elbow by a car's mirror. Further down the same street, a woman on a bike got hit last year. Is the City waiting for someone to get killed before it fixes the problem?

Fourth of July Kailua Parade Is ON!

2009-06-22T15:24:00.003-10:00

Christine Crosby has volunteered to coordinate a Beach Access entry in this year's Kailua parade. If you'd like to participate, please call her at 780-4555 or email her at: lanikai@gmail.com

Last year was a lot of fun, but I just don't have the time to put together a float and organize everything... so I'm really happy when people like Christine take up the cause and keep it going! I hope you will too, in whatever way you can.

BTW, kind of funny that one of the people trying to save the Kailua fireworks show happens to be the son of the people who put up the gate on L'Orange Place. They and others who live on "private" beachside lanes don't want anyone walking down their roads to see those fireworks!

In fact, many people will have to take their chances walking long distances on unsafe Kalaheo Avenue to find an open public access. I just met an older man this weekend who told me he got "clipped" by a passing car's mirror because there is so little space to walk on the side of the road -- about half a foot in spots. It won't surprise me if someone gets hit trying to go see the fireworks because of the gates situation.