To judge by the testimony submitted, Senate Bill 1345, calling for holders of leases of state lands to be compensated if any acreage is withdrawn, was one of the less controversial measures taken up by the 2009 Legislature. Only the … Continued
The 2009 Legislature closed up shop in May, but suspense lingers over what it has or will have accomplished. The deadline for the governor’s veto is July 15, although she was to have submitted to the Legislature a list of … Continued
For two legislators, their proudest moment in the 2009 legislative session came with passage of a bill giving the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism half a million dollars to buy a spaceport license from the Federal Aviation Administration. … Continued
Act 212 of the 2007 Legislature set up the `aha kiole advisory committee as a first step toward developing a resource management system that would incorporate Native Hawaiian traditions. In the two years since then, the committee has been embroiled … Continued
On June 4, the state Land Use Commission unanimously approved a petition by Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. to designate more than 80 percent of its vast Maui fields as Important Agricultural Lands (IAL). While commissioners praised the company’s dedication to … Continued
Efforts of the Board of Land and Natural Resources to carry out the wishes of the state Legislature have earned the displeasure of – well, legislators. At a hearing last month in Hilo, three members of the Senate Committee on … Continued
Here is a short description of the businesses that have so far made public their interest in obtaining the use of state land in the Hamakua area for biomass, biofuels, or timber production: Hamakua Biomass Energy, LLC: This company has … Continued
A Seattle-based company has taken the first steps toward regulatory approvals of a wave energy project, possibly with an additional wind energy component, off Moloka`i that could generate up to 100 megawatts of electricity, according to the application filed in … Continued
Days before the departure of the Big Island administration of Mayor Harry Kim, the Hawai`i County Planning Department released draft guidelines for monitoring water quality in West Hawai`i. The “Revised Monitoring Protocol Guidelines” would, if adopted, establish more uniform reporting … Continued
Land Board Extends Deadlines to Complete Timber Mill It’s been about a decade since the state Board of Land and Natural Resources issued a timber land license to Tradewinds Forest Products, LLC, to log a portion of the state’s Waiakea … Continued