Beach Access In Hawaii: From Private Exclusion To Public Domain

Abstract

Having done the initial research and editing of the Bays and Harbors Voiume, Marine Atlas of Hawaii, I am submitting this 1974 publication as part of this honors thesis. This atlas, published by the Sea Grant Program of the University of Hawaii, is a compilation of historical; geographical; and quantitative materials gathered from various sources. It includes a fairly thorough physical description of all the shorelines of all the islands in the Hawaiian Archipelago, with specific bays and harbors detailed and mapped. This paper attempts to deal with another aspect of the coastlines: the beaches and access to them, focusing on one particular area. Lanikai Beach, on the windward side of Oahu,is used as a focal point because the history of public acquisition of certain easements there has become a classic example in the files of coastal zone planners and the Honolulu City and County Parks Department.