Five years ago, state land on the Big Island experienced the biofuel equivalent of a gold rush. Bioprospectors – folks wanting to make a fortune from crops that could be used as feedstock in a variety of biofuel products – … Continued
Within a year of purchasing more than 1,100 acres of agricultural land from Galbraith Estate, the state Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC) has leased out about as much as it can without an additional source of water and/or requiring crop rotation. … Continued
When plans to build 3,500 more units at Turtle Bay Resort resurfaced in the mid-2000’s, the move set off alarm bells among community members worried about the impacts such a massive development would have on the North Shore’s rural character, … Continued
Serious legal questions surrounding the state Land Use Commission’s 1986 Decision and Order to redistrict of 236 acres owned by Turtle Bay Resort, LLC (TBR) will remain unanswered at least until the end of the next legislative session. On November … Continued
When the Hu Honua plant was proposed in 2008, the owners were Ethanol Research Hawai`i, a company owned by Hawai`i alternate energy entrepreneur Daniel KenKnight, which held around 10 percent of the equity, and MMARV Bioenergy, a subsidiary of Municipal … Continued
When it was originally proposed, the Hu Honua Bioenergy power plant, just north of Hilo in the village of Pepe`ekeo, seemed like an answer to several challenges facing the Big Island and the state as a whole. Using wood (biomass) … Continued
“When you’re talking about the aquatic species that need water to migrate up stream, if the stream is dry, obviously they’re not going to be able to migrate,” said Steve Gingerich, a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey who on … Continued
The state Board of Land and Natural Resources as it is known today dates back to July 1, 1962. On that day, a new law enacted by the 1962 legislature took effect, establishing the board as a six-member body whose … Continued