Portlock oceanfront homeowners told to trim vegetation encroaching on public beach

About 10 or so Portlock oceanfront homeowners are being asked to cut back their shoreline vegetation in order to maintain lateral beach access for the public.

On Monday staff members with the state Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands walked the beach fronting more than a dozen homes and identified properties where the vegetation was growing beyond the high-water mark.

Under state law all beaches are public below the highest reach of the highest waves, and any encroachment onto this right of way is against the law.

Monday’s survey was the third round of compliance efforts in East Oahu in recent years.

State coastal experts Salvatore Saluga and Shellie Habel observed mostly naupaka and morning glory growing into the public area of the beach.

Saluga said homeowners will receive letters instructing them to trim or cut back their vegetation within 30 days.

“The beaches are public resources here in Hawaii,” Saluga said. “It’s the adjacent owners’ responsibility to maintain lateral access along the shoreline. They are in charge of maintaining the vegetation that fronts their property on the shoreline area, even if it goes below the high wash of the waves into state jurisdiction.”

Late last year the division asked a couple of dozen property owners in the Kahala area to remove from the public beach vegetation and other things, such as irrigation pipes.

Three and a half years ago, the state sent letters to several dozen oceanfront property owners between Kahala and Maunalua Bay.

Almost everyone complied with the request, officials said.

“With our beach areas shrinking due to sea level rise and erosion, it’s more important than ever before to maintain beaches for everyone’s benefit. We deeply appreciate the kokua beach-front property owners are demonstrating by clearing and ultimately keeping their vegetation off public areas,” OCCL Administrator Sam Lemmo said in a news release.

Hawaii has more than 700 miles of beaches and more than 1,000 miles of coastline.

Mike Tsai is on leave. His Incidental Lives column will resume when he returns.