SCR107

WHEREAS, section 205A-62, Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires the Office of Planning, the agency responsible for the Coastal Zone Management Program, to periodically update and coordinate the implementation of the Ocean Resources Management Plan; and

WHEREAS, the Office of Planning undertook extensive public outreach and agency coordination to update the Ocean Resources Management Plan, and in December 2006, the Office submitted an updated Ocean Resources Management Plan to the Legislature; and

WHEREAS, the revised Ocean Resources Management Plan distinguishes itself from previous efforts and plans in that it:

(1) Adopts an integrated approach rather than a sector-based approach;

(2) Promotes an adaptive, learning approach with projects and implementation phases that are coupled with opportunities to share experiences and lessons learned;

(3) Relies on community and private sector initiatives as well as government actions; and

(4) Identifies responsibilities and a schedule for plan implementation that emphasizes interagency collaboration and public-private partnerships; and

WHEREAS, throughout 2004 and 2005, the Office of Planning sought input from the Hawaii Ocean and Coastal Council, the Marine and Coastal Zone Advisory Council, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, various community groups, ocean users, environmental nonprofits, and members of the general public, and held a workshop that focused on the issues, priorities, and any recommendations that should be included in the updated Ocean Resources Management Plan; and

WHEREAS, the Hawaii Ocean and Coastal Council held monthly meetings between May and October 2005, and produced long-term goals and prioritized tiers of short- to mid-term goals; and

WHEREAS, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs held a series of meetings called "Community Conversations" on each island to allow the Native Hawaiian community to share their concerns and knowledge about ocean and coastal issues for inclusion into the Ocean Resources Management Plan; and

WHEREAS, the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs gave approximately seventeen informational presentations to various public and private agencies on the ahupua‘a concept, the need for ecosystem management, the negative impacts of overlapping jurisdictions, and the need for public involvement in the planning process; and

WHEREAS, the Office of Planning held meetings with a variety of ocean and coastal organizations regarding the Ocean Resources Management Plan; and

WHEREAS, on October 26, 2005, the Office of Planning conducted the Hawaii Ocean Resources Management Plan Workshop in partnership with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Department of Land and Natural Resources to bring together a wide base of stakeholders from government agencies, nonprofit organizations, community groups, small and large businesses, and community members; and

WHEREAS, these meetings and workshops fostered a genuine appreciation from all the organizations, agencies, and groups for being included in the planning process and generated wide public support and interest in seeing the updated Ocean Resources Management Plan implemented; and

WHEREAS, the Ocean Resources Management Plan Implementation Working Group was created and consisted of business representatives, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Department of Health, the Department of Transportation, and the four county planning agencies to meet and discuss the framework, identify priorities, and review drafts of the Ocean Resources Management Plan; and

WHEREAS, in September and October 2006, the Office of Planning held a series of public meetings throughout the State to gather input and comments on the final draft of the Ocean Resources Management Plan, and the draft was generally well received by the public; and

WHEREAS, the updated Ocean Resources Management Plan is built upon a framework of three perspectives with the purpose of achieving management goals and strategic actions in five-year implementation phases over the next thirty years:

(1) Perspective One: Connecting Land and Sea, which reflects the traditional Native Hawaiian concept of ahupua‘a management and recognizes the interconnectedness of the land and sea;

(2) Perspective Two: Preserving Our Ocean Heritage, which reflects the traditional Native Hawaiian management of fisheries and coastal resources as well as a deep understanding and care for the marine environment; and

(3) Perspective Three: Promoting Collaboration and Stewardship, which reflects the need for a holistic approach to natural resource management; and

WHEREAS, the updated Ocean Resources Management Plan provides a guide and integrated approach toward the management of Hawaii's ocean and coastal resources; and

WHEREAS, the need to implement the updated Ocean Resources Management Plan is imperative as the State faces significant changes over the next twenty years, including increased urbanization, tourism, recreational and commercial ocean uses, sea level rise and other natural hazards, marine debris, and invasive species; and

WHEREAS, the updated Ocean Resources Management Plan establishes a proactive planning process that can assist in mitigating the significant impacts to Hawaii's environment; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, the House of Representatives concurring, that federal, state, and county agencies are requested to implement the goals and strategic actions in the 2006 Ocean Resources Management Plan; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature endorses the 2006 Ocean Resources Management Plan because the Plan establishes a framework for making informed decisions about the use and management of the State's ocean and coastal resources that are widely supported by the public; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; the Comptroller; the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture; the Adjutant General and Director of Civil Defense; the Director of Finance; the Superintendent of Education; the Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission; the Director of Health; the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations; the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; the Director of Taxation; the Director of Transportation; the President of the University of Hawaii; the Director of the Office of Planning; the Chairperson of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; the Mayor, City and County of Honolulu; the Mayor, Hawaii County; the Mayor, Maui County; the Mayor, Kauai County; the Chairperson of the Marine and Coastal Advocacy Council; the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Services; the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Director of the National Marine Sanctuary Program; Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service; the Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Pacific Services Center; the Chairperson of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council; the Chairperson of the Hawaii Ocean

and Coastal Council; and the President of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Ocean Resources Management Plan; Implementation

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	107
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII