Bill Text: HI HCR234 | 2018 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requesting The State And The Counties To Implement The Recommendations Of The Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability And Adaptation Report.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-03-28 - Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Souki excused (1). [HCR234 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2018-HCR234-Introduced.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.C.R. NO. |
234 |
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TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
Requesting the State and the Counties to implement the recommendations of the hawaii sea level rise vulnerability and adaptation report.
WHEREAS, climate change and sea level rise are not only real phenomena, but are also two of the most preeminent challenges of the twenty-first century and are pivotal issues for the State; and
WHEREAS, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has projected up to 3.2 feet of global sea level rise by the end of this century under the "business as usual" greenhouse gas emissions scenario; and
WHEREAS, recognizing that shorelines are one of the State's most dynamic and important cultural and economic resources, the Legislature in 2017 created the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission (Commission) and tasked the commission, as a first step, to focus on sea level rise and develop a report identifying vulnerabilities and recommending adaptations; and
WHEREAS, the Commission submitted the Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report in December 2017, which identified, at tax map key detail, areas that are susceptible to sea level rise impacts based on the 3.2 feet of sea level rise projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; and
WHEREAS, the Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report also made a number of recommendations to state and county agencies based on emerging good practices to strengthen Hawaii's overall readiness to confront sea level rise; and
WHEREAS, specifically, the Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report recommended that each state or county department or agency review their existing policies and regulatory frameworks in light of expected sea level rise, including each department or agency's planned future capital improvement projects; and
WHEREAS, the Commission also recommended that state and county departments and agencies review approval processes for new developments in areas susceptible to sea level rise; update design standards to limit urban growth and increase flood resiliency; develop guidance to help developers cope with climate change; encourage the purchase of flood insurance; incorporate sea level rise into hazard mitigation planning; develop pre-disaster recovery frameworks; prioritize the preservation of coral reefs; inventory and assess the vulnerability of critical infrastructure; develop a financing strategy to deal with the expected costs of sea level rise; and explore potential public-private partnerships as a way to preserve coastal resources; and
WHEREAS, to protect and preserve beaches, one of the State's most important cultural and economic resources, the State was requested to develop and administer a "willing seller" program to move development away from important beaches endangered by sea level rise and erosion; and
WHEREAS, the Commission further recommended that the counties integrate projected sea level rise into flood standards, flood maps, and building codes; and conduct market studies and detailed redevelopment strategies for areas identified as priority areas for smart redevelopment as part of a managed retreat strategy; and
WHEREAS, the Office of Planning was requested to integrate sea level rise adaptation guidelines into state planning, prioritize development outside of areas vulnerable to sea level rise, and inventory lands outside of these vulnerable areas that could be used for smart redevelopment as part of a managed retreat strategy; and
WHEREAS, the Commission recommended that the Land Use Commission develop a policy addressing managed retreat from areas threatened by sea level rise onto other lands, including lands that may currently be zoned for agriculture or conservation; and
WHEREAS, the Office of Environmental Quality Control was requested to develop and issue guidance explaining how sea level rise and climate change should be addressed within environmental assessments and environmental impact statements; and
WHEREAS, the State Historic Preservation Division, in consultation with other agencies and private organizations, was requested to inventory traditional and customary native Hawaiian cultural resources and practices that would be adversely impacted by sea level rise, and develop adaptation processes and protocols to mitigate these impacts; and
WHEREAS, the Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands was requested to conduct a statewide assessment of beaches that are important for recreational uses, cultural practices, and wildlife habitats, and identify which beaches could benefit from special adaptation measures, including the preservation of undeveloped lands, managed retreat, and prohibition of coastal armoring; and
WHEREAS, the Commission recommended that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and the Aha Moku Councils work with native Hawaiian communities to develop an adaptation plan to preserve access to coastal lands and waters impacted by sea level rise; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Health was requested to conduct a sea level rise mitigation review to identify sites or geographic areas with the highest probabilities of large or catastrophic failures or releases, including releases of hazardous material or waste, associated with increased coastal flooding due to sea level rise; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Health was also requested to review its existing environmental regulations, guidance documents, and practices to ensure that its practices take into account the effects of rising sea levels; and
WHEREAS, the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission also recommended that its own role be expanded to include expanded coordination of sea level rise adaptation; community engagement; and the development of up-to-date information that state and county agencies may use to make policy decisions; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor of the County of Maui recently signed a proclamation accepting the Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report, becoming the first county in the State to formally accept the findings of the report; and
WHEREAS, the proclamation acknowledged that climate change is real and directed Maui County departments to "use the report in their plans, programs and capital improvement decisions, to mitigate impacts to infrastructure and critical facilities triggered by sea level rise;" and
WHEREAS, the Mayor of the County of Maui also called on the Maui County Planning Department to propose rule changes to the Maui, Molokai, and Lanai Planning Commissions to include sea level rise in their shoreline setback calculations; and
WHEREAS, mitigating the effects of climate change and sea level rise will require a managed approach involving all state and county agencies to do their part to ensure the resiliency of our islands; and
WHEREAS, the Legislature believes that other public entities of the State should be encouraged to follow the County of Maui's lead; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2018, the Senate concurring, that the State, the counties, and each of their agencies is requested to implement the recommendations of the Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Office of Planning, Land Use Commission, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Department of Health, and Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission are each requested to effectuate the specific actions requested by the Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Office of the Governor is requested to submit a report on the progress of executive agencies in implementing the recommendations of the Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2019; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; the Mayor of each county; the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; the Director of Health; the Director of the Office of Planning; and the Co-Chairpersons of the Hawaii Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission.
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OFFERED BY: |
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Climate Change; Sea Level Rise; Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report
