Ever since the designation of the ‘Iao aquifer as a ground water management area, questions have lingered over the actual amount of water that’s available for withdrawal from that source. The aquifer was designated in July 2003, when the 12-month … Continued
It’s a familiar tale: A small group of diversified farmers demands that stream water continue to be diverted into an old, leaky sugar irrigation system, despite the fact that neither they, nor the state, can afford to fix or maintain … Continued
Horses on Sliding Sands trail. Drownings in ‘Ohe‘o Gulch. The continued spectre of an expanded Kahului airport throwing down the welcome mat to hosts of invading species. Traffic jams at sunrise. And, not least, the delicate problem of how to … Continued
When it comes to survival, the nine-lived house cat has nothing on the little Laysan duck. Fifteen hundred years ago, it was found on all the main Hawaiian islands, but after the introduction of rats and other predators, only the … Continued
Land Board Issues Concessions To Na Pali Zodiac, Kayak Operators The three companies operating boat tours along Kaua‘i’s Na Pali Coast have been awarded three-year concession permits from the Board of Land and Natural Resources to continue their operations in … Continued
Interested in seeing water restored to diverted streams to protect stream life or asserting your rights as a Native Hawaiian or taro farmer? Don’t expect the state Water Commission to have a ready answer. Over the past year, staff with … Continued
What a difference a decade makes, yes? No, actually. When it comes to the Commission on Water Resource Management, time seems to have stood still in the nine years since state auditor Marion Higa published a scathing report on the … Continued
In 1996, state auditor Marion Higa found that the administrative rules of the Commission on Water Resource Management “do not address native Hawaiian water rights,” whether they are appurtenant and surface water rights (most wetland taro growers have appurtenant water … Continued
How useful is a planning document that takes so long to complete that by the time it’s finished, it’s hopelessly outdated? That is the question that needs to be asked and answered by the Commission on Water Resource Management as … Continued
Want to know how much of the taxpayer’s dollar goes to fuel the state’s Natural Areas Reserves System? Maybe you’re interested in the state’s level of support for commercial versus recreational fishing, the development of forest products, or maintenance and … Continued