STAR-BULLETIN / JANUARY 2005 Two surfers walk up the road from Velzyland surf break. While the Waialee Beach Park access road at Velzyland, Sunset Beach, has been completed, the gate remains closed and locked. A measure passed Friday by the state House would fund a plan to survey and map all of the public access points to the state's shoreline.

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Bill aims to protect
access to beaches

The measure would fund a project
to survey and map all public access
points to state shorelines

As new developments pop up along Hawaii's coastlines, some lawmakers are concerned about preserving the rights of locals to get to the state's beaches.

Star-Bulletin Legislature Database Star-Bulletin Legislature Guide (PDF, 1.9 MB) State Legislature: Bills & Hawaii Revised Statutes

A bill passed by the House on Friday would fund a plan to survey and map all of the public access points to the state's shoreline.

The idea behind the bill is to preserve those access points and potentially plan for new ones, said Rep. Marcus Oshiro, a co-sponsor of the bill.

Public access to beaches across the state is one of the remarkable things about Hawaii, where the public can walk to the ocean beside expensive hotels in Waikiki or million-dollar homes on Maui, he said.

At Velzyland beach on Oahu's North Shore, for example, some owners of upscale homes have built high walls, sparking concern for local surfers, divers and picnickers, said Oshiro, who as a surfer has a special appreciation for access to beaches.

"We're seeing development taking place statewide and our fear is local people may be being deprived of public access to local beaches," said Oshiro (D, Wahiawa-Poamoho).

Some representatives, however, called the measure duplicative.

Rep. Galen Fox (R, Waikiki-Ala Moana) said the bill would give more power to the state that should be held by the counties.

"The Department of Land and Natural Resources testified that public access to the beaches is a job that is being handled well at the county level," Fox said.

Rep. Josh Green said he stood in support of the bill.

"It's been expressed to me on my island, the Big Island, that we're missing opportunities to protect our shoreline," said Green (D, Keauhou-Honokohau).

Counties decide where, when and how much access the public should have to the shoreline, generally on a case-by-case basis as development plans go through the approval process, said Sam Lemmo, administrator of the state Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands.

"The problem is, can you provide access to the shoreline that is going to be adequate to people?" Lemmo said.

That question keeps public access to the shoreline a hot issue, he said.

One right protected by the state is the ability to walk along any beach in the state. So far, Hawaii is doing relatively well in preserving access to that shoreline, Lemmo said.

Oshiro said he wants to make sure that people don't lose their ability to get to the shoreline places they enjoy, such as dive and surf spots.

"You can't appreciate what you can't see and enjoy," Oshiro said.