Hawaii's Surfing Reserve Bill

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I recently received an email from my friend Drew Kampion. Here it is:

This just in from Fred Hemmings.
To help frame the issue, here's a piece I recently wrote, which has been adopted as a sort of "manifesto" by the World Surfing Reserves program created by Save The Waves [www.savethewaves.org].
Fred's "Hawaii Surfing Reserve Bill" parallels the path blazed by Australia's National Surfing Reserves program, and will in turn, I hope, templates other efforts in surfing communities around the world to dedicate, enshrine, and protect our surfing beaches, everywhere.
Consider providing a few words of support to the Champ's well-crafted legislation, as directed below.
drew

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Sen. Fred Hemmings" senhemmings@capitol.hawaii.gov
Date: February 16, 2010 11:09:30 AM PST
Subject: Hawaii Surfing Reserves Testimony Needed Now
The Hawaii Surfing Reserve Bill is scheduled to be heard this Friday, February 19 at 1:15 p.m. in Conference Room 016 at the State Capitol. Following is information on submitting testimony regarding the Bill. As you know, your testimony is vitally important to the success of this initiative which establishes surfing reserves for Waikiki and parts of Oahu’s North Shore areas. Here is the link for the committee hearing which has the bill attached is http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2010/hearingnotices/HEARING_EDT-WTL_02-19-10_.HTM
Please let us know if you have any questions or need further information. Please forward and cross post as appropriate. Aloha,
Charlotte Farmer
Legislative Aide to Senator Fred Hemmings
808.587.8388

Below is my letter to the State of Hawaii:
Dear Friends,

I just received word of the effort, led by your State Senator Fred Hemmings, to preserve most of the famous surf breaks on Oahu as recognized and historical locations.
I applaud this idea and I urge you to fully support this plan.
If the wonderful state of Hawaii is known best for anything around the world it is its surf!
From the Beach Boys to Jan and Dean, Hawaiian surf has been celebrated in song, movies and on the pages of magazines for longer than I have been alive, which is now over 62 years!
I am a long time surfer, since 1965, I have done most of my surfing in my native Texas on the Gulf Coast, and I lived in California for many years. I have surfed the west coast from the far south of Mexico to Vancouver Island. Every where I surfed I have met surfers whose dream was to go to Hawaii and ride the waves of your islands. Many of my friends have made this trip which is a pilgrimage for surfers!
I am sure the lure of the surf and the sand has had a tremendous boost to your tourist business and has also influenced non surfing tourists wishing to get a look at these places and the surfers that ride the waves.
To think that some of your famous breaks such as Sunset Beach, Waimea Bay, Pipeline, Haleiwa and others could be threatened by development screams of heresy most high to surfers and tourists!
In California Dana Point stands a mute testimony to what can befall a famous surf spot which is now lost forever. There have been and still are good breaks and beaches at risk here in Texas, Florida and other mainland spots.
Don’t let such things happen in Hawaii!
Sincerely,
Dicky Neely
Corpus Christi, Tx.

361-937-3768