What can I do at work?

Controlling beach erosion will help protect waterfront property, preserve species which live on the coastline and prevent a loss of tourism.

While natural factors and rising sea levels account for some of the loss, human factors -- such as developing too close to the coastline and building sea walls -- play a significant part.

It is estimates that 43% of businesses never reopen following a local disaster, such as a coastal erosion. It is important that business owners take proactive steps to protect their business, because they are a vital part of the community. The mitigation activities for business owners is similar to the activities for homeowners.

Links for additional information are provided at the end of this page.

Support Shoreline Setbacks.

The intent of shoreline setbacks is to establish a coastal-hazard buffer zone to protect beach-front development from coastal erosion. Adequate setbacks allow the natural erosion and accretion cycles to occur and help maintain lateral beach access. Furthermore, setbacks provide open space for the enjoyment of the natural shoreline environment.

A 40-foot shoreline setback has been often inadequate because they are not determined by historical site-specific rates of coastal erosion. Coastal-erosion hazard maps could be used to establish rate-based building setbacks. Setbacks would be site-specific in order to reflect the nature of coastal erosion. These setbacks would also incorporate the proposed style of development. Construction-style considerations would include the size and expected lifetime of the planned structure. Larger, immovable buildings and those with lifetimes of more than 50 years would have deeper setbacks than small, movable structures.

To support increasing shoreline setbacks in Hawaii County contact the Department of Planning East Hi: 961-8288 West Hi: 327-3510.

Encourage Beach Nourishment.

Beach nourishment is a technique used to restore an eroding or lost beach or to create a new sandy shoreline It involves the placement of sand fill with or without supporting structures along the shoreline to widen the beach. It is the only management tool that serves the dual purpose of protecting coastal lands and preserving beach resources.

Some homeowners associations on Maui have implemented small-scale, privately-funded successful beach nourishment projects. Business owners interested in learning more about beach nourishment should contact the State Department of Land and Natural Resource, Coastal Lands Program at (808) 587-0446.

Beach Nourishment at Sugar Cove, Spreckelsville, Maui. Before and after small-scale beach nourishment project implemented entirely with private funding. Above photo taken June 1996; below photo taken October 1997.

Develop and Install Best Management Practices.

When coastal erosion threatens property, coastal landowners are usually unaware of the different types of coastal protection measures that are available and the applicable environmental concerns and permitting requirements.

Conventional coastal protection structures (i.e., seawalls and revetments) cause beach narrowing and loss.

Instead (for example) the use of sand bags and large sand-filled geotextile tubes ("sea bags") will temporarily control coastal erosion. Another example may be concave or "V" shaped structural hardening designs that may retain sand better than linear structures.

In addition, developers and landowners should consult with various experts and governmental agencies, such as the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Coastal Lands Program at (808) 585-0446. These agencies are familiar with coastal erosion in order to get appropriate recommendations on project design.

Comply with Building Codes and Land Use Regulations.

During the planning phase, the applicant should incorporate the advice of the County Planning Department East Hi: (808) 961-8288 West Hi: (808) 327-3510, comply with building codes and land use regulations to decrease the risk of coastal hazards.

Developers and landowners should also acknowledge developments along the shoreline are subject to the risk of coastal erosion and any request to protect structures and property with shoreline armoring is currently discretionary.

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For more information on mitigation advice for businesses you can visit the following websites: