Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 8, Number 8, 1 August 1991 — State monitors private marina development [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

State monitors private marina development

By Christina Zarobe Assistant Editor As the popularity of private manna development gains momentum on golf courses in Hawai'i, state officials are preparing guidelines to safeguard native Hawaiian, community, and environmental concerns. During a series of meetings in June and last month on O'ahu, Kaua'i, Hawai'i, and Maui, the

public and various organizations offered comments on a draft policy paper by the Offi.ce of State Planning (OSP). The paper, titled "State Planning and Evaluation Guidelines for Private Marina Development," looks at the demand for recreational boating storage space, what funds are available to construct more facilities and the cultural and environmental impact of such building. As OSP staff gather public comments and further details another draft will be written along with a series of hearings, according to Harold S. Matsumoto, director of the OSP. The goal is to put together criteria that future developers will be required to follow in constructing private marinas. "It's going to face us so let's do something about it before the process goes too far," he explained during the meeting at the State Capitol. In 1989, there were over 14,000 registered boats in Hawai'i, an increase of 130 percent from 1960 to 1980. Over 20,000 are expected to be registered by the year 2000 according to the OSP. The obstacle with building public marinas is financing. The draft estimates construction costs of new marinas between $20 and $40 million. However, the state's Boating Special Fund, whieh comes from boat registration and harbor user fees, state marine fuel tax and land rentals, is required by law to first cover operations and maintenance of the state's boating program. And to receive appropriations from the General Fund would mean competing with other state agencies and their requests. Opponents of large private marina development cite concerns over damaging effects on the environment and threatening Native Hawaiian cultural traditions. "Hawaiian tradition dictates use of oeean resources in concert with avid protection of those resources. (The draft) presents oeean resources as an eeonomie possibility waiting to be exploited," stated Richard K. Paglinawan, administrator of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), in a letter to Matsumoto. The draft also failed to discuss Native Hawaiian fishing and oeean access rights or traditional Hawaiian use, according to the OHA. Another point absent in the paper was the issue of submerged lands whieh are part of the ceded lands

trust. "Boating is one of many ways in whieh the people of Hawai'i interact with the water. Equally important are fishing, swimming, surfing, body boarding and the quiet enjoyment of the natural coastline," the OHA letter stated. Carl Young, a Wai'anae fisherman, told the gathering that dredging channels for marinas upsets the ecological balance of the oeean and, thus, impacts the eeonomie livelihood of fishermen. The draft, however, does recommend that an environmental impact is not enough in addressing the loeal community concerns. "It requires a concerted, affirmative strategy to involve the public in all phases of the planning process and to respond quickly ..." Members of the public who spoke at the meeting told state officials that another fear was the private marinas are often part of super continued page 3

I c P U 2 u 1 a ■ k. i |<8 -o o o

'Aha 'Opio participants (i-r) Kiana Soletario and Oeline Lenehanko discuss a sovereignty bill with the help of Aunty Pua'ala McElhaney. Stories pages 8 and 9.

Marina

/rom page 1

It is state policy to encourage private development of marina facilities whieh help meet the public's demand for recreational boating berths and moorings, provided that such development: • minimizes adverse impacts • maximizes public benefits • is sensitive to community needs — State Planning and Evaluation Guidelines for Private Marina Development developments featuring high-priced condominiums, golf courses, and stores. A boater who spoke at the meeting said he was frustrated after a recent trip to Chicago and Michigan City, Ind. where he saw recreational boaters interacting amicably with loeal communities. The marinas, he said, were elean and affordable — "not super developments." John Kelly has lived in Hawai'i since 1923 when he eame to the islands with his parents who were artists. He remembers being taught by a Native Hawaiian man the "integrity of the water and the respect owed to the water. "Never turn your back to the sea — it is your friend," Kelly told the audience. "These are beautiful concepts that eame deep from ancient Hawaiian culture. "It hurts many Hawaiians . . . to see the abuse of resources today after 2,000 years of the Hawaiian husbandry of their resources."