Where Did Our Beach Go?

I got a call the other day from a good friend: “There’s a meeting Tuesday night you ought to go to, on shoreline erosion. All beachfront property owners are invited.” Beachfront property owner … that’s me (us). So, Tuesday evening found 40 or so beachfront owners and me on “bring your own” lawn chairs at the Sunset Beach Elementary School parking lot as Richard Sterman (Sterman Realty) a Sunset Beachfront property owner, called the impromptu meeting to order. Everyone there lived on the North Shore, so we were all painfully aware of the problem: our beaches are disappearing. Sunset Beach, the beautiful sandy expanse that has given a North Shore residential community its name, is, in fact, gone. The Pacific Ocean now kisses Kam Highway. Some of the property owners at the meeting, tears in their eyes, told how they had lost half or all of their beachside lawns, how they feared for their houses. Never mind what the Republicans and The
Donald say, the earth is warming and the seas are rising. (As I write this, the Star Advertiser reports
that the heat index on Maui at noon today is 106 degrees.)

What to do?

Step One: organize. That was the purpose of tonight’s meeting, Richard told us. We would form a hui, probably a non-profit, of beachfront owners. The folks at the meeting nodded. We would be the nucleus. Richard said that he would contact all beachfront owners on Oahu by letter or email to invite them to join our group. Lacey Williams from Richard’s office team will act as coordinator. Our group will, “speak with one voice to protect our beachfront property.”

Step Two: find out what the rules are. What will the city and the state allow beachfront owners to do or build to preserve their oceanfront? Terry Lee, a lawyer invited to the meeting by Richard, and who sounds like he will represent us legally, indicated that the position of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, DLNR, at a conference on beachfront erosion two or three years ago was, “we will not allow hardening of shorelines.” That sounds like no seawalls, no breakwaters, no rocks. Does it mean no other beachfront protection, like naupaka or grass? Many at the meeting proposed as a “trial effort,” draping beach berms or shorelines with a thick mesh, which several folks said seems to work well. Another issue: how far does a property owner’s “property” extend? Most of us have always considered that we owned the land down to the end of the vegetation line. Some at the meeting said that property ownership stopped “at the highest mark of the biggest wave.” Another opinion: DLNR may have established that ownership stops 40 feet from the house, 60 feet from the house for new subdivisions. Others said 20 feet. Clearly, we need to clarify the rules. Our State Representative, Sean Quinlan, who was at the meeting, seems motivated to help define and if necessary change the applicable statutes.

Step Three, of course, is to determine and implement a solution to beach erosion. Also of course: we need to implement Steps One and Two first. Speaking of Step One, anyone interested in joining this group should sign up with Lacey Williams at Lacey- Love@gmail.com or 808-561-5213. Hawaii’s beaches are our pride and joy and are envied the world over. What can we do to save them?