Heavy equipment work takes place on Kaanapali Beach Monday afternoon. Residents unhappy with the project went down to the beach Tuesday to stop the work. Courtesy photos
Shoreline activists stopped a beach “sand-pushing” project fronting the Westin Maui Resort & Spa in Kaanapali this week, putting the spotlight once again on opposing views over how to preserve the eroding beach for residents and resort guests.
Around 10 community members, including well-known advocate Kai Nishiki, headed to Kaanapali Beach Tuesday morning after seeing photos of sand being pushed along the shoreline by heavy equipment the day before.
After unsuccessfully asking the state Department of Land and Natural Resources to immediately issue a stop-work order on Monday — noting no public notice was given and public input was not taken on the project — Nishiki said they went down to halt the project themselves.
“We just felt called to go down and protect our right and protect our public beach ourselves,” Nishiki said on Wednesday.
Workers stopped and left after residents walked in front of the workers and machines, she said.
West Maui resident Junya Nakoa stands on Kaanapali Beach Tuesday morning. He was part of a group of residents who stopped sand-pushing work there after the state declined their request to order that the work be stopped immediately.
That led to talks with Westin management and a call Tuesday evening from interim General Manager Robert Thomas, who, according to Nishiki, told her they heard their concerns and were scrapping the project and would look into dune restoration.
Westin officials could not be reached for comment on Wednesday or Thursday.
This project is separate from the long-debated $10 million Kaanapali Beach restoration and berm enhancement project sought by the Kaanapali Operators Association Inc. to mitigate the impacts of rising sea levels and coastal erosion. In March, the state Board of Land and Natural Resources declined to fund about half of the project after hearing community opposition over the use of public funds for private interests, along with potential environmental, recreational and cultural impacts to the area during the work.
DLNR said in an email on Wednesday that this week’s project fronting the Westin Maui involved beach maintenance, or a sand push to alleviate the 18-inch drop between the resort property “and the beach which remained following the natural recovery of the dry beach along the Ka’anapali shoreline from the erosion event last summer and fall.”
It said the DLNR Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands deemed the project consistent “with minor maintenance of the beach” and the Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation issued the Westin a right-of-entry permit to conduct the work on state land. The permit expires today.
In an email obtained by The Maui News, DOBOR Administrator Ed Underwood told Nishiki he could not issue an immediate stop-work order “since the scope of work was reviewed and approved by the Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands.”
Nishiki said that sand-pushing just covers up the encroaching dirt fill and vegetation, which is leading to the steep erosion.
Also, when waves hit the dirt fill, that dirt gets into the ocean, which is not good for marine life or the ocean’s appearance.
She said that for years, she has been advocating for a comprehensive dune restoration plan and to have shoreline certifications done.
Nishiki also raised issues with the lack of oversight for sand-pushing, noting that there is no permit specifically for the sand-pushing but rather a “right-of-entry” permit that is given for that type of work and allows for entrance to state land to conduct the work.
She would like to see the state put on the Board of Land and Natural Resources agenda a “regulatory framework proposal” for sand-pushing and beach maintenance, one that “doesn’t skirt environmental, cultural and community involvement, notice and concerns.”
She said if the problem of erosion in the area were properly addressed instead of using short-term fixes, hotels wouldn’t have to “move sand around” and have the public lose access to the beach for a week for sand pushing.
The DLNR said the proposed work by the Westin also enabled the removal of fencing placed along the escarpment as a safety precaution, improving access to the beach.
It also recommended that the Westin consider replacing the existing grass berm at the edge of their property with a natural and native vegetative berm with designated beach access pathways.
“The DLNR will continue to work with the resort operators, local beach advocates, and the Maui County Planning Department to facilitate a dune restoration project fronting the Ka’anapali resorts aimed at improving beach health and increasing resilience,” the department said.
* Staff Writer Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.
Heavy equipment work takes place on Kaanapali Beach Monday afternoon. Residents unhappy with the project went down to the beach Tuesday to stop the work. Courtesy photo 
Heavy equipment work takes place on Kaanapali Beach Monday afternoon. Residents unhappy with the project went down to the beach Tuesday to stop the work. Courtesy photos 
West Maui resident Junya Nakoa stands on Kaanapali Beach Tuesday morning. He was part of a group of residents who stopped sand-pushing work there after the state declined their request to order that the work be stopped immediately.Today's breaking news and more in your inbox
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