SCR159 HD1

WHEREAS, Waikiki beaches are global visitor destinations that accounted for over thirty-six percent of the State's total visitor expenditures in 2025; and

WHEREAS, in 2024, Waikiki directly generated approximately five percent, and indirectly generated almost seven percent, of the State's tax revenue, excluding tax revenue collected by the City and County of Honolulu; and

WHEREAS, tens of thousands of local residents work at jobs in and connected to Waikiki's visitor industry, which constitutes a significant portion of all non-military jobs held by state residents; and

WHEREAS, countless local families and residents living in the urban core visit beaches in Waikiki and along the southern shore daily for recreation and relaxation and to spend time with family and friends; and

WHEREAS, Waikiki was established as the original capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha I in 1795, and is home to a rich Hawaiian cultural heritage recognized by cultural practitioners, scholars, and descendants; and

WHEREAS, with a shoreline shaped by years of coastal engineering and urban development, Waikiki in its current form has become an irreplaceable driver of Hawaii's economy and culture and is indispensable to Hawaii residents as a locus of housing, jobs, recreation, ocean access, and outdoor green space in the State's densely populated urban core; and

WHEREAS, the Waikiki shoreline originally consisted of a narrow barrier beach backed by wetlands, duck ponds, loʻi kalo, and loki iʻa fed by numerous springs, which created a wetland system, however, over time, seawalls and groins were constructed and channels were dredged to protect the engineered beaches; and

WHEREAS, Waikiki beaches require ongoing replenishment, maintenance, and coordinated management to sustain beach width, shoreline access, and recreational use and have been restored approximately eleven times since 1939 using both imported and offshore sand; and

WHEREAS, improved emergency access to the shoreline is necessary to address the numerous safety incidents that regularly occur in Waikiki; and

WHEREAS, the loss of beach access reduces opportunities for the public enjoyment of coastal resources that are held in trust for the people of the State; and

WHEREAS, the loss of Waikiki as an economic engine would be catastrophic to the State's financial future and could severely impact the jobs of tens of thousands of Hawaii residents; and

WHEREAS, the public benefits of increased public access to ocean natural resources and open spaces, and the private benefits to commercial interests that are located within and dependent upon Waikiki, are inextricably linked; and

WHEREAS, decades of coordinated efforts by the State, the City and County of Honolulu, and private interests have worked to produce a sustainable and equitable long-term strategy for preserving Waikiki beaches, infrastructure, and commerce, which includes the 1928 and 1929 Waikiki Beach Reclamation Agreement, the 1965 Surfrider-Royal Hawaiian Sector Beach Agreement, and Hawaii Supreme Court cases, including Gold Coast Neighborhood Association v. State of Hawaii, 140 Hawaii 437, 403 P.3d 214 (2017); now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the House of Representatives concurring, that public and private stakeholders are urged to adopt shared guiding principles for the planning, financing, and undertaking of efforts for the restoration, maintenance, and improvement of the beaches, shoreline, and coastal areas of Waikiki spanning from the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor to Kaimana Beach; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the shared guiding principles are requested to incorporate the following strategies:

(1) Prioritization of public access to and enjoyment of the ocean, beach, and shoreline consistent with the State's policies relating to environmental protection and the protection of traditional and customary practices, including features that conform to Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design, provide lateral and perpendicular public access for residents and visitors, connect beaches and parks from Diamondhead to Kakaako, and allow rapid access to beaches, parks, and the ocean for emergency responders;

(2) Implementation of state policy to conserve and protect natural resources and promote their development and utilization in a manner consistent with their conservation and the self-sufficiency of the State, while also affording the Department of Land and Natural Resources the flexibility to address unique shoreline situations with consideration of different alternative approaches;

(3) Adherence to principles of regional planning that account for the interconnectedness of land despite ownership boundaries and for the natural tidal and littoral movement of water and sand across the area and its surrounding environment;

(4) Planning and implementation of state-led beach improvements, with cost-sharing among federal, state, county, and private property owners;

(5) Confirmation of the responsibility of federal, state, county, and private property owners to maintain seawalls and other infrastructure proximate to the shoreline, in accordance with authorities, including but not limited to the 1928 and 1929 Waikiki Beach Reclamation Agreement, the 1965 Surfrider-Royal Hawaiian Sector Beach Agreement, and all applicable Hawaii Supreme Court cases; and

(6) Consultation and collaboration with Waikiki Beach hotels, landowners, University of Hawaii Sea Grant experts, and other relevant stakeholders; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu; Chair of the Honolulu City Council; and President and Executive Director of the Waikiki Business Improvement District.

Report Title:

DBEDT; DLNR; City and County of Honolulu; Waikiki Beach; Restoration; Guiding Principles

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	159
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII		H.D. 1