HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

199

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS, THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES, AND THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS TO CEASE ISSUING ANY EASEMENTS TO THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU FOR ACCESS TO HAIKU VALLEY AND TO "HAIKU STAIRS".

 

 

WHEREAS, in 1942, the United States Navy built a metal staircase, which became known as the "Stairway to Heaven" or "Haiku Stairs" (Stairs), as a means to access its transmission facilities at the ridgeline of the Koolau Mountains above Haiku Valley; and

WHEREAS, in 1972, the transmission facilities were transferred from the Navy to the United States Coast Guard (USCC) for operation of both LORAN and OMEGA navigational systems used by ships crossing the Pacific Ocean; and

WHEREAS, after newer navigational systems were employed in 1987, the OMEGA station became obsolete and was shut down by the USCC, eventually leading to the disrepair of the Stairs, and restricting access to the Stairs that had been granted to hikers since 1982; and

WHEREAS, in 1997, the USCC dismantled and removed the radio and the OMEGA and LORAN stations' antennae and towers prior to the opening of the H-3 Freeway and in preparation for a land transfer to the State; and

WHEREAS, on July 13, 2001, the federal government officially transferred the lands along the ridgeline and on the valley floor and the buildings used to house the LORAN and OMEGA stations to the State, and the Stairs and land under the Stairs to the City and County of Honolulu (City); and

WHEREAS, numerous state agencies hold ownership to the lands in the area (e.g., the lands on the valley floor are owned by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), lands within the H-3 corridor are owned by the Department of Transportation (DOT), lands along the ridgeline are owned by the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) may also have an interest in Haiku Valley and the areas surrounding the Stairs); and

WHEREAS, in 1998, the City appropriated $875,000 to repair of Stairs, in anticipation of opening the Stairs to the general public for hiking access and recreational purposes; and

WHEREAS, although the City has not officially opened the Stairs, hikers and visitors alike have continually trespassed illegally across state lands and through private property in the surrounding communities to access the Stairs; and

WHEREAS, residents of the affected communities have met with the City administration and Kaneohe Neighborhood Board No. 30 to express their concerns regarding access to the Stairs to no avail; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, the Senate concurring, that DHHL, DOT, DLNR, and OHA are requested to not issue any easements to the City for access to Haiku Valley and the "Haiku Stairs" until such time that all required permitting, necessary approvals, and conditional agreements are identified by the respective agencies and adhered to by the City including but not limited to an indemnification agreement, a memorandum of agreement to share the cost of maintaining the H-3 access road, requirements for preservation of cultural and burial sites, and a change in the Conservation District Use Permit for the H-3 access road which is presently limited to maintenance and without provision for recreational use which must be approved by the Board of Land and Natural Resources; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DHHL is also urged to honor the requirements requested by its sister agencies before finalizing any agreements with the City; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Directors of Hawaiian Home Lands, Transportation, Land and Natural Resources, and OHA, Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission, the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, and the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs are urged to submit a report of their findings, recommendations, and actions taken to the Legislature no later than December 31, 2004; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Directors of Hawaiian Home Lands, Transportation, Land and Natural Resources, and Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission, the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, and the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Requesting DHHL, DOT, and DLNR to cease issuing easements to the city and county of Honolulu for access to the Haiku Stairs.