Hawaii State Senate wants to sink coastal zone protection

Check this out. What the ^%()& are they thinking? Do they have any idea how important it is to protect Hawaii’s coastal zone and the planning program? Beware, Numb nuts at work, and wasting your tax money at the same time.

Please note that the measure passed out of the Senate today, a vote of 19-6, and referred to the House.

Aloha All,

Some of you may not yet know of the existence of this measure, as it seems to have been flying ‘under the radar’ this session, but I would like to draw your attention to it now.

SB1318_SD1 proposes to eliminate the State Office of Planning by repealing HRS 225M and repealing outright HRS 205A, the State Coastal Zone Management (CZM) statutes.

Some of the consequences of the measure are summarized here:

• The elimination of the Office of Planning
• The elimination of the statewide coordination of geographical information systems (GIS)
• The elimination of the governing ‘umbrella’ statutes — all objectives and policies of the CZM program —  for the protection and management all lands in the state and the ocean to the limits of the state’s police powers.  In many cases these statutes are the basis for other state and county agencies’ powers to manage the coastal zone, in terms of:
  • Recreational resources,
  • Historic and cultural resources,
  • Scenic and open space resources,
  • Coastal ecosystems,
  • Economic uses,
  • Coastal hazards,
  • Managing development,
  • Public participation,
  • Beach protection, and
  • Marine resources
  • The elimination of Special Management Area (SMA) permits
  • The elimination of Shoreline Setback Variances
  • The elimination of all Federal Consistency protections (the state’s ability to oversee the federal government’s use of Hawaii’s coastal resources)
  • The elimination of the Marine and Coastal Zone Advocacy Council (MACZAC)

  While the committee reports site this as a “belt-tightening” measure, this will cost the state far more than it will save:  both in terms of the loss of federal funding for coastal programs; and in the long-term through the loss of our state’s most precious land and ocean resources.
  

• These resources form the basis of not only our way of life, but also of Hawaii’s continued economic viability through its ocean-based industries and its ability to continue to attract tourists to pristine and safe island settings.
  This bill passed out of the Senate today (3/10/2009, by a vote of 19-6) to the House.
• Provide testimony if and when the bill is heard by the House (referral is expected to the Water, Lands and Ocean Resources Committee).  Of course, you should directly contact your Legislative representatives to share your thoughts and concerns about just how stupid this proposal is.

  Please also feel free to distribute this to other interested individuals and organizations.

Will Hawaii lava flows cover petroglyph field?

The most recent lava flows from Pu’u O’o are approaching the area of numerous petroglyphs found within the lowlands of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Vistors to the park might want to get in there before the lava flows bury the petroglyphs forever.

Japan’s research whaling a total shibai

How stupid do they take us to be? Japanese research whaling of Humbpacks in the Antartic is starting up again along with “research whaling” of minke whales and fin whales. The meat from the murdered research animals will be sold commercially. Disgusting is the only word I can think of. Maybe we should inform every Japanese tourist going on whale-watching cruises in Hawaii and elsewhere just how disturbing their country’s research whaling really is. What a shibai!

With oil at $100 a barrel – will Hawaii’s economy wilt?

While the Hawaii legislature spins out a revised Keep the Superferry alive bill, the oil merchants have watched its favorite product zoom up to $100 a barrel. HECO surcharges are up, shippers fuel charges are up, and airliner jet fuels are up. Of course, our politicians are shopping around a 2050 sustainability plan with little attention to the current zoom in oil prices.

When air fares zoom to match the cost of jet fuel, will Hawaii suffer? When the cost of oil for our too-numerous oil-burning power plants zooms, will Hawaii suffer? When the cost of gas for our SUV’s zooms, will Hawaii suffer? A no brainer I’d say. But here we sit spinning around debating Superferry impact theories, many of which will piss off the activists even more than before.

We should be pushing forward alternate energy projects that would significantly reduce our need for imported oil. The future price of oil may go way higher, but will our attention turn soon enough?

Is Hawaii Superferry on endangered species list?

Wow! A special legislative session to grease the wheels for the Hawaii Superferry to get operating again. EIS or no EIS, is that the question? Or is the Hawaii Superferry on the endangered species list? Will HEI prevail, and keep the status quo? That is, your stuff goes by Young Brothers slow-as-snails barge, and you have to fly. That benefits the airlines and car rental companies, and shipping and freight forwarding companies currently moving your stuff between the islands. Has the Hawaii Superferry kicked in enough political donations to match or exceed those who want the status quo? And I don’t mean the minority enviros on Kauai who no like da Ferry bringing over wily mongoose or those thieving Oahu people with their campers and 4×4’s. Wait, this is beginning to sound like I’m making sausage or is it describing the legislature in action. Gets really blurry.

NOAA finds humpbacks in Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument

Humpback whales were found wintering in waters further north than known before. NOAA scientists found humpbacks in shallow water areas of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (aks Northwest Hawaiian Islands) for the first time. This past March, small calves were seen by NOAA scientists accompanying some whales, as well as breeding behaviors (humping humpbacks and attendent loud sounds of very happy whales). This finding documents a significant (possibly new) area being used by the whales to go forth and multiply. It’s also siginificant in that the reserve will allow the whales to do this in a nearly undisturbed area. No damn boatloads of tourists in whale watching boats harassing the whales up there!

Why is Japan whaling again?

What are the Japanese whalers up to? More phoney research in order to kill more whales? Do they really enjoy the killing of these large creatures so they can put fancy food on their plates? Time to give the whales a break!

Developers gone wild

Yup, that’s the view I get. Developers gone wild in California. Every freakin hill and valley smothered with homes, condos, stores and roads and more roads. LA has terrible smog, maybe you can see a half-mile or so. Yes, I’m spoiled by the clean air of Hawaii where the major polluter is the volcano on the Big Island. Betweeen LA and San Diego the only undeveloped space is the sprawling USMC base. The increasing price of gas doesn’t seem to have affected the driving habits there either. Still blasting along at 80 mph on the freeways when possible, only racing to oblivion.

Seventeen Years

It looks like the State DLNR and City are finally getting on the same page when it comes to the restoration and management of Kawai Nui Marsh. This year’s legislation reflects the discussions between the two parties with the help of other major players. In the past, flooding liability has been a hangup, but the fact is we’re all going to be stuck with the bill if a major flood event occurs. So it’s time to stop the back and forth and get on with the restoration projects.