State of the Beach/State Reports/HI/Beach Description

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Hawaii Ratings
Indicator Type Information Status
Beach Access87
Water Quality76
Beach Erosion9-
Erosion Response-6
Beach Fill5-
Shoreline Structures5 3
Beach Ecology4-
Surfing Areas108
Website6-
Coastal Development{{{19}}}{{{20}}}
Sea Level Rise{{{21}}}{{{22}}}

Description

With 230 miles of beach (56 miles of it sandy, 24 of that accessible and swimmable; 2 underwater parks; and over 1,600 recognized surf spots), no other state is as closely associated with the Pacific Ocean.

  • Fact 2: 750 miles of open ocean shoreline[1]
  • Fact 4: 100% of the state's population lives within coastal counties[2]

Contact Info for the Lead Coastal Zone Management Agency

Hawaii Coastal Zone Management Program

P.O. Box 2359

Honolulu, Hawaii 96804

Phone: 808-587-2846 / Fax: 808-587-2899


Outer Islands - Call CZM at these toll free numbers:

  • Lanai & Molokai: 468-4644 x7-2846
  • Kauai: 274-3141 x7-2846
  • Maui: 984-2400 x7-2846
  • Hawaii: 974-4000 x7-2846


Or stop by the CZM office at:

Hawaii Coastal Zone Management Program

235 South Beretania Street

Leiopapa A Kamehameha Building

Suite 600

Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

Coastal Zone Management Program

With no point in Hawaii more than 29 miles from the shore, almost any activity that occurs inland will impact Hawaii's coastal and ocean resources. Hawaii's coastal program balances the needs for economic growth, a clean environment on which that growth depends, and a vibrant local culture that reflects Hawaii's uniqueness. Tourism is the state's primary industry.


Unlike single-purpose programs, the Hawaii Coastal Zone Management Program focuses its work on the complex resource management problems of coastal areas - the part of the State that is under the highest stress. Within a framework of cooperation among federal, state and local levels, the Hawaii CZM Program employs a wide variety of regulatory and non-regulatory techniques to address coastal issues and uphold environmental law. Among them are stewardship, planning, permitting, education and outreach, technical assistance to local governments and permit applicants, policy development and implementation, and identification of emerging issues and exploration of solutions.


Hawaii's CZM program recognizes the need for a sustainable balance. Here's a discussion of how coastal management worked in the past in Hawaii. Maybe a model for the future?


Hawaii CZM's 2009 Annual Report can be found here.


The Section 309 Enhancement Area Grant Program FY 2011-2015 Assessment and Strategy (October 2010) is submitted to the federal office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as the qualifying basis for Section 309 Enhancement Grants.


NOAA's latest evaluation of Hawaii's Coastal Management Program can be found here.

Footnotes

  1. Bernd-Cohen, T. and M. Gordon. "State Coastal Program Effectiveness in Protecting Natural Beaches, Dunes, Bluffs, and Rock Shores." Coastal Management 27:187-217. 1999.
  2. Bernd-Cohen, T. and M. Gordon. "State Coastal Program Effectiveness in Protecting Natural Beaches, Dunes, Bluffs, and Rock Shores." Coastal Management 27:187-217. 1999.



State of the Beach Report: Hawaii
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