HI SB2908

Amends Hawaii's coastal zone management law to require that developments in special management areas not interfere with the natural course of beaches, including further accretion or erosion of private property.

Requires the coastal zone management authority to identify and categorize zones within special management areas by habitat, ecosystem, or resource type, and develop zone-specific guidelines for preservation and hazard mitigation.

Mandates that the authority presume one foot of sea level rise by 2050 and three feet by 2100 when planning coastal zone management.

Strengthens variance requirements for structures that artificially fix shorelines by requiring findings that shoreline erosion poses hardship, that less damaging alternatives like beach nourishment are not feasible, and that the structure is in the public interest.

Requires the authority to adopt rules establishing clear processes and guidelines for determining which facilities qualify for variances, how public interest is evaluated, and how hardship is defined for variance purposes.