Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 8, Number 7, 1 July 1991 — Private boat marinas -- playground for the rich [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Private boat marinas -- playground for the rich

by Moanikeala Akaka Trustee, Hawai'i

In early June I attended the Hawai'i Marina Seminar in Honolulu; another was held in Kailua, Kona. This gathering was sponsored by the State Department of Business and Eeonomie Development, Department of Transportation

and the University of Hawai'i, Sea Grant Extension Service, in cooperation with many eeonomie enterprises whieh will benefit financially from marinas to be built. This meeting in Honolulu was primarily a "sell-job" using many examples of mainland and international existing marinas as though we were just like any other coastline, anywhere in the world, another geographical commodify. We as Hawaiians and all residents of these islands should be concerned with the destruction that will be caused along our coastlines for miles in either direction, as a result of the development of new harbors and private marinas. The Honolulu Advertiser quotes Harold Matsumoto, the Governor's state planner, "Marinas will be the golf courses of the future," meaning they will be controversial. Just as the recent boom in golfing developments has given people cause to consider their cumulatiue impact, a flood of marina developments will be mueh debated. There are valid fears that marina development will ruin surfing sites and that dredging will pollute and destroy coral reefs with blasting and silt or pierce ground water aquifers. There are concerns that the private marinas being proposed will benefit only the rich as amenities to exclusive subdivisions and resorts. It is eommon knowledge that there are three proposed private marinas on the Kona Coast — South Kona, at the still proposed Hawaiian Riviera Resort whieh will destroy Miloli'i — Hawaii's last Hawaiian fishing village; Kohanaiki, by Nansay, a Japanese developer; and at Mauna Lani. These three proposed marinas are palu (bait) to lure people to the resort complexes they will be a part of. It is true that we now have a long waiting list for boat slips but even the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers feels we should expand the already existing state publicly-owned harbors at Honokohau in Kona and Kawaihae, to name two. The Corps has cancelled permits for Kohanaiki and Mauna Lani marina, according to Miehael Lee from the Army Corps of Engineers, who attended this seminar. However, both developers are bouncing back with new proposals. Lee stated, "We have not reached efficient use of our existing publicly-owned boat harbors," and continued to point out a need for "environmentally sustainable development," living in tune with our oeean and environment — basic Aloha 'Aina. For us as island people to do otherwise is crazy, the oeean is our source of sustenanee — it feeds us. Anything done to the coastline requires the strictest scrutiny. Even the economist that spoke at this marina seminar admitted that economics "is only one factor we must take into consideration regarding new marinas." We must have a "balanced approach, not just purely eeonomie. We ean not quantify in dollars many of the values, social impact, environmental degradation, traffic congestion, pollution," and a loss of our quality of life. We owe it to ourselves and island 'ohana present and future to be vigilant. Maka'ala! We've got to think about the damage that will be created by these marina "playgrounds— for the rich!" Ironic that the day of this manna seminar the front page of the Honolulu Advertiser carried an

article, "Fish Poison Cases Soar in Islands — Record Ciquatera Outbreak this Year." According to former OHA officer Dr. Arthur Manoharan, ciguatera may be caused by marina dredging and excessive resort development. It makes me nervous that the Office of State Planning proposes to "fast track" private marina projects, though they say these must meet enuironmental and puhlie benefit criteria. Harold Matsumoto spoke on TV news about "minimizing adverse effects while maximizing public benefits." A very difficult juggling act to pull off, Harold, especially when dealing with our pristine ecosystems. Attorney general Bill Tam who was also a part of the last marina panel in speaking for himself and not the state referred to the inalienahle right of our ecosystems, including coastal ones, to exist! These coastal ecosystems surround our shores as the ozone layer protects and surround our planet. Tam mentioned a public trust doctrine, whieh refers to our inalienable right to the protection of our natural resources — i.e. the 'aina as in Aloha 'Aina. In acting to make changes on the shoreline you have to act as grandparents (protectors of the 'aina) and ask what will the impact of this private marina be four generations from now? Tam revealed a great sensitivity to our Hawaiian 'aina (environment). The state must move cautiously on these private marinas. If not, our island home will suffer further negative consequences. At a minimum, any additional private marinas, should be allowed after making environmental considerations a priority. Impact fees (the buy-off!) must be secondary. Environmental concems — not economics — should always be pri<jrity. These marinas will impact on our ceded and submerged lands; OHA receives 20 percent of revenues generated from such lands. We should remember that ceded lands are all coastal areas up to the highwater mark as are submerged lands. If a private marina was to be built on or near ceded lands, OHA should receive an ineome stream (continuous) from the development itself and not just an upfront lump sum for the raw land whieh would mean a loss of our 'aina (ceded land corpus). We should be able to receive revenues from whatever is put on those lands and not lose fee title to our ceded lands. We cannot allow our ceded lands trust to eonhnue to diminish and go into private hands, as has happened and is happening

daily to other Hawaiian trusts. As you ean see, the state continues to wheel and deal our 'aina away — before we have even left the negotiating table. We do not at this point have any say in the management of our Hawaiian ceded lands. This matter is yet to be resolved. In being prudent Trustees we must realize the need to balance reuenue generation through nonexploitatiue enterprises that are prouen enuironmentally appropriate. Miloli'i update An update on Miloli'i: Unfortunately the Land Use Commission voted to advance by one step the proposed Hawaiian Riviera Resort with its possible 400-boat slip marina whieh will destroy Miloli'i fishing village. In a press release following the hearing, Pa'a Pono Miloli'i Community Association asked for an investigation of the Land Use Commission on the possibility that Land Use Commission members who voted yes may have been bribed by development interests. The Miloli'i fishermen raised this question of investigation because Willy Kaupiko, a village fisherman and store owner, was reportedly offered a half million dollars by development interests for the fishermen to not appear and testify at their own Land Use Commission hearing in December. Pa'a Pono wonders if they themselves were offered a bribe not to show up. Is it possible that the commissioners who voted yes for the development were also made offers? The change was won by one vote, and Renton Nip, Land Use Commission chair, gave the last and decisive vote that passed the zoning; however, that night on the news, Nip still stated he didn't think the project would go through. His deciding vote stands as a contradiction to his statement to the public. Is it not ironic that the man who cast the deciding vote publicly stated he didn't think the project would eome to fruition? Nip had been told in December about the bribe offer to the fisherman. Considering that the Office of State Planning was strongly against this project as well — this whole Land Use Commission ruling smells more than a little fishy. Understandably, the Miloli'i fishermen want an investigation of bribery possibilities to be carried out by the attorney general's office, prosecutor's office, and ethics commission. There is talk about bringing CBS' 60 Minutes into this as well. Malama pono. Ua mau ke ea o ka 'aina i ka pono.

Trustee's Vicws

(This eolumn is open to all OHA Trustees as a uehiele for them to express their mana'o. Opinions expressed are those of the individual Trustees and do not necessarily represent the official position of the OHA Board of Trustees.)