Bill > SCR201

This Concurrent Resolution strongly urges the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to work with the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to lessen the negative impacts on corals and other vital coral reef resources during dredging operations in Hawaii's state waters. 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 overlooks the immense ecological value of corals in Hawaii, which are already under significant threat from climate change and human activity. It specifically calls for the District Engineer of the USACE in Hawaii to use their authority under federal regulations (33 Code of Federal Regulations section 330.4(e)(2)) to suspend permits for maintenance dredging, such as in Honolulu Harbor, and other channel dredging projects. This suspension would allow for collaboration with the DLNR and other federal partners to develop strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of dredging on identified coral colonies.