Above photo: Nakula Natural Area Reserve. Credit: DLNR After nearly two years without a meeting, the state Natural Area Reserves System Commission finally met on August 18. Over the course of four hours, the members voted on five proposals – … Continued
On August 11, three individuals facing fraud charges stemming from schemes perpetrated on the Hawaiʻi County Office of Housing and Community Development were arraigned in federal court. All three – Rajesh Budhabhatti, Gary Zamber, and Paul Sulla – pleaded not … Continued
On August 16, the Commission on Water Resource Management finally approved a permit for the construction of a well to serve the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaiʻi Authority (NELHA) in Keahole and the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation’s (HHFDC) … Continued
Kihei High: How will students at the new Kihei High School – now named Kulanihakoʻi – cross Piʻilani Highway to get to the campus? Until last year, the Department of Education maintained that it did not need to comply with … Continued
When it comes to meaningful environmental legislation, the 2022 Legislature managed to push several bills across the finish line that were then signed into law by Gov. David Ige. Here is a synopsis of a few of them. Pupukea: Act … Continued
Senate Bill 2070 (now Act 197) calls for the issuance of up to $50 million in special purpose revenue bonds to the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative, LLC. The purpose is to assist the company in a host of worthy endeavors, … Continued
The article in this issue, “Of Birds and Bees: Some Highlights of the Hawai‘i Conservation Conference,” includes incorrect pronouns for Kaleiheana-a-Pōhaku Stormcrow. It also does not clearly describe their translation work. A corrected version is available here.
On June 22, Alan Scott Rudo, a former staffer with the Hawai`i County Office of Housing and Community Development, signed a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, admitting his participation in a conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. That plea … Continued
By Patricia Tummons Heʻeia Estuary: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is asking for public comment on a revision of the management plan for the Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve. As described by NOAA, “this draft revised management plan is … Continued
The theme of this year’s annual Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference, held July 18 to 22 via Zoom, was “Pilina Mauli Ola — Connections that Offer Resilience and Hope.” So along with presentations reporting the latest results of various natural resource studies and management … Continued