On August 13, the state Land Use Commission voted to grant Hawaiʻi County’s petition for a declaratory ruling that short-term vacation rentals are not allowed for dwellings in the state Agricultural District. In so doing, it agreed with the county’s … Continued
On August 14, the state Commission on Water Resource Management approved a Pearl Harbor Water Shortage Plan, which dictates how the commission will determine when there is a water shortage and the actions various types of permitted users of the … Continued
FKW Injury: Another false killer whale has been injured in an interaction with the Hawai‘i longline fishery. This time, the interaction occurred when a shallow-set longliner targeting swordfish hooked the animal, making it an extremely unusual event. Interactions between false killer whales and longliners … Continued
By all accounts, the Mauna Kea Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP), prepared by contractors for the University of Hawai‘i and adopted on April 9 by the state Board of Land and Natural Resources, isn’t what it should be. Even its authors … Continued
The Department of Land and Natural Resources has been under pressure in recent years to transition, where appropriate, long-held revocable permits to a long-term disposition, be it a lease or an easement. But in the case of a nine-acre lot … Continued
What Maui County thought would be a slam-dunk request to the state Land Use Commission turned out to be anything but. Last month, the county went before the LUC with a request to have it extend, and expand by more … Continued
This month, the state Land Use Commission will resume its discussion of whether or not farm dwellings in the Agricultural District can be used as short-term vacation rentals, or STVRs. In February, Hawai‘i County submitted a petition to the LUC … Continued
Hu Honua Bioenergy has lost its effort to win Public Utilities Commission approval of its power purchase agreement with Hawaiian Electric. The PUC rejected the agreement on July 9, on the grounds that the price per kilowatt-hour was not competitive with that … Continued
On July 20, 3rd Circuit Judge Robert Kim heard arguments in the most recent litigation brought by ‘Aina Le‘a, Inc., intended to knock down hurdles that block its planned development of a mix of luxury and affordable housing, commercial space, … Continued