Vegetation Bill Gets Sliced and Diced

So much for good intentions. Once again, our do-nothing State Legislature decides to err on the side of rich beachfront property owners' boundary lines (which are NOT clear due to shifting sands and vegetation), and guts the bill that may have given the DLNR some legal grounds to have obstructive plantings removed at the property owners' expense.

Here's the email I got from Lucinda Pyles asking people to make a last ditch effort to save the bill:

As you may already know the joint Senate Committees, WTL and TIA, heard HB1808 on March 18th. They passed the bill with amendments. Unfortunately, the amendments virtually gutted the bill and all that is currently left is a minor revision to the definition of Shoreline. There are no requirements that property owners maintain there induced vegetation landward of the shoreline, i.e. wash of the waves, no power given DLNR to do anything about induced vegetation obstructing lateral access and recreational use, endangering public safety or interfering with the natural beach processes.

The Senate Judiciary and Government Operations Committee, the last Senate committee the bill was referred to, will hold a decision making hearing this coming Tuesday, March 23rd. I would ask you to both call and send testimony to Senator Brian Taniguchi, Chair asking the JGO Committee to restore the House version of the bill, HD3. Please send a copy of your testimony to Rep. Mina Morita (introducer of HB1808 at morita2@captiol.hawaii.gov), Sen. Clayton Hee (WTL chair) and Sen. Kalani English (TIA chair). Calls to Hee's and English's offices may also be helpful. I appreciate anything you can do to encourage, Sen. Taniguchi (chair JGO), Sen. Hee (chair WTL), Sen. English (chair TIA) to reconsider the importance of this bill as passed by the House.

Submitting by email to JGO is best. http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/emailtestimony/

In the first step, enter HB1808 in the box. You can attach testimony or enter in the comment box. Be sure in all communications you identify the bill and that your testimony is in support. I am still on the mainland and will be until April.
Thanks
Lucinda

In today's Honolulu Advertiser was this article with the misleading headline that implied the bill was gaining support. However, as Lucinda points out in her email, that simply isn't true. We're getting the run-around again. And what's up with Sen. Hee? I thought he was for public beach access, but lately he's been playing politics with bills that he should be supporting!