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.

Under the sea, around Hawaii – new digital maps

The Feds at NOAA have created a set of digital maps of the nearshore waters around the Hawaiian Islands. See the influence that a fresh water stream has on a coral reef. See where coral reefs are and are not. NOAA calls them “shallow-water benthic habitats.” Easier to call them coral maps. These shallow areas are where the Humpback Whales like to recreate in Hawaii.The maps can be found at:  http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/products/biogeography/hawaii_cd_07/startup.html 

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!

Hurricane Dean a two ocean event?

The latest satellite images I’ve seen of Hurricane Dean put it smack over the middle of Mexico. But the image covers nearly 20 degrees of latitude with clouds associated with Dean. With it’s speed, I’m wondering if it is going to cross Mexico and enter the warm Pacific Ocean and rebuild strength. I’m guessing NOAA will have to decide whether to keep the same name or give it a new one from the Eastern Pacific list of storms.

Hurricane Dean has kept a pretty straight path west along lat. 20 North for quite a while. Another 3,000 miles west lies the Hawaiian Islands. Hmmm. A very interesting day of observations coming up for me.