Wind Farms’ Representatives Pick Apart Draft Guidance on Takes of Endangered Bats
Last month, Environment Hawai‘i reported on a new draft bat guidance document aimed at helping the state Endangered Species Recovery Committee (ESRC) make decisions regarding the Habitat Conservation Plans and Incidental Take Licenses that are required for wind farms to incidentally harm … Continued
New & Noteworthy: Kealakekua Grading, ROD, and Betsy Gagné
Grading at Kealakekua: Within the last few weeks, extensive grading has occurred on a 73- acre parcel near Kealakekua Bay and adjacent to land that is part of the Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park. Owner of the parcel is the Kealakekua … Continued
Lahaina Sewage Treatment Plant Needs Clean Water Permit, High Court Says
For decades, Maui County has been pressured to seek a Clean Water Act permit for discharges of partly treated effluent from its Lahaina sewage treatment plant into nearshore waters. The effluent is pumped into injection wells deep into the ground, where … Continued
From the Archives: The Roots of Ranching in Hawai‘i: From Vancouver to Parker and Beyond
On the occasion of completing 30 years of continuous publication – a mile- stone that will be attained in June – Environment Hawai‘i will be reprinting from time to time articles that we believe display the breadth and the depth of the … Continued
Board Talk: COVID-19 Effects on Tenants, Legacy Lands
COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts Spur DLNR To Consider Rent Deferrals, Fee Waivers Surf schools, concessionaires, and other businesses that pay rent or fees to the Department of Land and Natural Resources have pleaded for leniency, as government orders issued to control … Continued
Draft Guidance Would Further Curb Number of Bats Wind Farms Can Kill
Several million dollars have been spent over the past few years on research, habitat restoration, and land acquisition to mitigate the unexpectedly high number of endangered Hawaiian hoary bats being killed by wind farms across the state. Last month at … Continued
New & Noteworthy: ‘Pretty Stable’
Where on O‘ahu are endangered Hawaiian hoary bats most active? According to an acoustic monitoring study launched in 2017, “by far and way, the bulk of activity is on northern part of the island,” said Joel Thompson of the Oregon-based … Continued
Wespac: Deep-Sea Mining
At the council’s March meeting, University of California at Santa Barbara professor Douglas McCauley briefed members on the potential threat deep sea mining poses to Hawai‘i’s pelagic fisheries. McCauley, who runs a website called Deep Sea Mining Watch, said mining could start occurring … Continued