A key committee in the Hawaii Senate has given its stamp of approval to two bills aimed at mitigating erosion on Oahu’s North Shore.

Senate Bill 3035 sets aside money to realign Kamehameha Highway that runs by Laniakea Beach. 

Senate Bill 3036 allocates money for the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program to develop a beach management plan from Sunset Beach to Waimea Bay.

Sen. Clayton Hee introduced both bills last month in response to concerns about traffic on the North Shore and recent erosion hurting some homes in the area.

The Committee on Ways and Means approved the bills on Tuesday, along with other measures related to the environment. One of them, Senate Bill 2742, would establish the Pacific-Asia Institute for Resilience and Sustainability to develop solutions for sustainable economic growth and address natural and man-made hazards in the region. 

“These bills passed today touch on many facets of the environment both with immediate actions and long-term planning, and will require more meetings and consensus for success,” said Ways and Means Chairman David Ige in a statement.

Photo: Hawaii residents clean up in the wake of destructive erosion on Oahu’s North Shore in December 2013. (Sophie Cocke/Civil Beat)

— Anita Hofschneider