Nearly $1 million was appropriated to the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant) for the development of a beach and dune management plan for the North Shore of Oʻahu, specifically focusing on the area between Sunset Beach and Sharks Cove.
An important component of the project is community engagement and outreach so that the outcomes and pilot demonstration projects are aligned with community values, concerns and needs. In addition to developing the beach and dune management plan, pilot projects focusing on public infrastructure such as beach access stairs and decks will be discussed.
“This effort serves as a significant coastal management action plan reflecting the values and priorities of the North Shore community,” said Dolan Eversole, Hawaiʻi Sea Grant’s coastal management specialist and project lead. “In addition to the development of recommendations for site-specific beach and dune management practices, the plan will establish the scientific, environmental, and economic foundation for future evaluation of appropriate adaptation strategies for this critically important resource.”
Gov. Josh Green signed HB2248, which provided the funding in a ceremony held at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol on July 8. The ceremony included 16 bills that expand the state’s efforts to preserve Hawaiʻi’s natural resources and foster sustainable tourism. While HB2248 focuses on Oʻahu’s North Shore, the bill serves as an important coastal management, adaptation planning, and community engagement model for coastal communities within and outside of Hawaiʻi struggling with sea-level rise and other coastal hazards.
“These bills represent significant steps forward in safeguarding Hawaiʻi’s environment and promoting responsible tourism,” said Green.
Hawaiʻi Sea Grant will have 1.5 years to develop the recommendations for increased conservation of the beach and dune area. It will draw on similar community-based beach and dune management plans that it developed for Maui County, Kailua Beach Park on Oʻahu, Windward Oahu Tourism Assessment and the Hawaiʻi Dune Restoration Manual.
For more information, see Hawaiʻi Sea Grant’s website.
—By Cindy Knapman
