Lanai has adopted a new islandwide special management area boundary — the first islandwide change in Hawaii since special management area boundaries were adopted in the 1970s, the county announced Monday.

The Lanai Planning Commission made the historic move on Feb. 21. Chairwoman Kelli Gima signed the decision and order that made the new boundary official on March 21.

The special management area was created as part of federal and state coastal zone management laws, with the purpose of preserving and protecting resources within the coastal zone.

Since January 2016, the commission has worked with the Planning Department’s Plan Implementation Division to revise the island’s boundary to include sites and features that warrant additional protections and reviews that come with inclusion within the special management area. The revised boundary accounts for the tsunami inundation zone, sea level rise and climate change, sand dunes and cultural and historic features.

“Chair Gima, the entire commission and the Lanai community were involved with this process, which is why it was so successful,” Division Chief Kathleen Ross Aoki said. “This was a key implementing action in the Lanai Community Plan update. It was a great collaborative effort and will really make the Lanai SMA boundary meaningful. Former Commissioner Stanley Ruidas should also be recognized for keeping this issue on the front burner.”

The staff report and adopted map can be found at www.mauicounty.gov/plan

ning. Scroll to “Hot Topics” and click on “Lanai Special Management Area Boundary Amendment.”

The department aims to continue SMA boundary amendments with Maui and Molokai.