Bill > SR194

This Resolution strongly urges the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to collaborate with the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to lessen the negative impacts on corals and other vital coral reef resources during dredging activities within state waters. Dredging, the process of removing sediment from waterways, is necessary for maintaining shipping channels essential for commerce, and is often permitted under a federal program called Nationwide Permit 35 (NWP 35). The resolution expresses disagreement with the USACE's current assessment that the destruction of at least seventy coral colonies is considered a minimal environmental impact, arguing that this underestimates the significant ecological value of Hawaii's corals, which are already threatened by climate change and other human activities. Therefore, the resolution calls for the USACE to update its environmental impact analysis and for the District Engineer to use their authority under federal regulations to suspend NWP 35 for projects like the maintenance dredging of Honolulu Harbor, requiring permit holders to work with the DLNR and other federal agencies to mitigate damage to identified coral colonies.