Gov. Josh Green signed four bills into law Monday that would create action plans to manage tourism, crack down on illegal commercial ocean activities, create a beach management plan for Oahu’s iconic North Shore and prohibit seabed mining in Hawaii state waters.
“These bills represent significant steps forward in safeguarding Hawaii’s environment and promoting responsible tourism,” said Green. “They build upon several bills I signed previously that aim to protect our environment, further clean energy legislation and enact climate mitigation and resilience measures.”
The legislation is aimed at strengthening existing laws and policies in environmental conservation, regenerative land use, marine activities regulation and tourism management strategies.
• Senate Bill 3364 mandates that the Hawaii Tourism Authority establish destination management action plans for Oahu, Maui, Hawaii Island, and Kauai to enhance visitor experiences, improve natural and cultural resources, develop a sustainable tourism infrastructure and promote regenerative tourism practices, with a particular focus on preserving and promoting Native Hawaiian culture.
“As you know, we have a lot of people who like to come to Hawaii, about 10 million a year. It is not sustainable if we’re not thoughtful about it,” Green said.
• House Bill 2475, part of Green’s legislative package, expands the regulation of commercial ocean activities in Hawaii’s state waters, targeting illegal operations and unpermitted commercialization promoted on social media. The legislation strengthens enforcement measures under the Department of Land and Natural Resources, safeguarding marine resources and public safety.
“A lot of people are using unpermitted commercial activities — and it’s not OK,” the governor said. “And when social media gets involved, it gets amplified. I was glad to see the Legislature stepping in.
“It’s going to give better grounds for enforcement against illegal operations.”
• HB 2248 appropriates $1 million to develop a comprehensive beach management plan from Sunset Point to Kapoo (Sharks Cove) on Oahu’s North Shore. Led by the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program, the plan will address beach erosion and enhance recreational access.
Green called the iconic stretch of shoreline “a magical place” but underlined the issues the surf mecca faces with climate change.
“Houses have fallen into the ocean,” he said. “I think it’s very clear that’s not where we want to be. This is a long process. We estimate many billions of dollars will need to be invested in how we deal with our shorelines.
“This will really guide us statewide, in my opinion.”
Rep. Sean Quinlan, a North Shore Democrat, the House Tourism chairman and the bill’s author, expanded on Green’s statement.
“When it comes to coastal erosion, the North Shore of Oahu is really the canary in a coal mine for the entire state,” Quinlan said. “… It’s my firm hope and wish that this management plan can become a model for the rest of the state as we explore best practices for what we know is coming in the future. But it’s also important to remember the overall economic value of these beaches. Waikiki Beach was recently assessed at $2 billion a year in economic output. We’re currently studying the value of our North Shore beaches, and I expect the answer will be in the high hundreds of millions or low billions.
“So it’s really critical for not just our community, not just our society, but also our economy that we do something, and we do something now.”
• SB 2575 prohibits seabed mining in Hawaii’s state marine waters, citing environmental risks and Hawaii’s constitutional mandate for a clean and healthy environment. The legislation supports sustainable marine resource management while respecting Native Hawaiian cultural connections to the ocean.
Sen. Lorraine Inouye, a Hilo Democrat who chairs the Committee on Water and Land, described international plans for “industrial scale mining in the seabed between Hawaii and Mexico” as “very troublesome.”
She said the push behind deep-sea mining is because of polymetallic nodules on the ocean floor that are rich in nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese that are essential for the technology that powers the clean energy transition, including electric vehicle batteries and motors.
“This bill underscores a precautionary approach to avoid unknown harms, ensuring we preserve Hawaii’s rich marine environments for our children and posterity,” Inouye said. “Oregon and California and Washington have already done their due diligence and have passed resolutions” against seabed mining.
“And with this signing today, we move forward with resolve, ensuring a sustainable and vibrant future for our beloved islands and communities,” she added.
All four new laws became effective upon the governor’s signature.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
