More than 30 years after the state Constitution was amended to require the protection of agricultural land, the state Land Use Commission has designated the first official Important Agricultural Lands. Once a land is protected with this label, any decision … Continued
Ever since the state Legislature created the ‘aha kiole advisory committee in 2007 to lay the groundwork for an indigenous knowledge-based natural resource management system, the committee and its community coordinator have been hounded by controversy. Critics first alleged (and … Continued
While many might argue that the `aha kiole advisory committee over-stepped its bounds at times, the committee’s final report to the Legislature suggests that it did most of what Act 212 directed it to do: The committee developed best practices … Continued
Land Board Adopts Schedule of Fines for Fishing, Boating Infractions Last December, the state Board of Land and Natural Resources approved rules for a Civil Resource Violations System (CRVS) to expedite the resolution of minor infractions of state environmental laws. … Continued
Bringing Back the Beach I: Owners of the Sheraton Waikiki, whose beach disappeared years ago, want to bring back a beach in front of the hotel by building three 160-foot-long T-head groins along about 500 feet of shoreline, now defined by … Continued
Say you’re in West Maui and decide to take a dip at Kahekili Park, just north of the Ka`anapali resort area. The water sparkles at the foot of the wide beach. It looks inviting. But, according to a recent U.S. Geological Survey … Continued
If sewage effluent that has not been disinfected reaches nearshore waters, it stands to reason that at least some of the bacteria it contains will be carried there as well. But to date, few studies have been done to investigate … Continued
The decline of coral cover in nearshore areas of Maui has been dramatic in recent years. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Aquatic Resources reported in 2006 that, since 1999, mean coral cover at nine reefs … Continued
By now, everyone who attends a hearing on a proposed natural area reserve or an application for a fence or any other plan to protect habitat for native Hawaiian species knows the drill. There’s the predictable, earnest testimony from those … Continued
The decision of Governor Linda Lingle to shut down the state’s Kulani Correctional Facility, a 200-bed minimum security prison, came down like the proverbial ton of bricks on the communities of East Hawai`i. Kulani prison, on the windward slopes of … Continued