Court ruling on definition of public beach in Hawaii.

Shoreline reaffirmed at highest wash of waves; use of induced vegetation rejected

The Hawai`i Supreme Court has issued a ruling strongly reaffirming that the shoreline in Hawai`i, which marks the boundary between public beach and private land, extends to the highest wash of the waves, and rejecting the use of artificially planted vegetation to determine the shoreline The court, in a unanimous decision, reversed the state’s decision…

Emphasis on “vegetation line” in agency rules contradicts law, encourages abuse