Board Talk: Land Board Seeks Multimillion Dollar Bond For Undedicated Infrastructure at Sand Island
Is the state Department of Land and Natural Resources going to get stuck with having to upgrade or maintain dilapidated sewage and drainage systems after the Sand Island Business Association’s lease ends? In July 1992, the DLNR issued a 55-year … Continued
Board Talk: House Blesses Auction of Lands Used By Yacht Club
On April 19, in accordance with a decision made earlier this year by the Board of Land and Natural Resources, the state House of Representatives adopted a concurrent resolution authorizing the public auction of a 55-year lease for submerged lands … Continued
Board Talk: Sierra Club Finally Gets Contested Case Hearing
On August 13, in accordance with a May 28 ruling by the 1st Circuit Court, the Board of Land and Natural Resources finally granted the Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi’s request for a contested case hearing on permits that would allow … Continued
Board Talk: Board Issues Large Fine For Kona Site Damages
On August 13, the Land Board fined the archaeological firm Garcia and Associates (GANDA), and one of its principals, Cacilie Craft, $144,000 after determining it had failed to prevent damages to historic sites on land in North Kona owned by … Continued
Board Talk: Overbuilt Revetment Draws Fines, Removal Order
Douglas Johnson, owner of a shrinking beachfront lot in Punaluʻu, Oʻahu, has repeatedly violated the terms under which the Department of Land and Natural Resources allowed him to install temporary emergency erosion control revetments over the years. Most recently, on … Continued
New & Noteworthy: Honokohau Headache, Staph Alert, and a Correction
Honokohau Headache: In 2020, Environment Hawaiʻi detailed in its August and September cover stories the strife surrounding the auction of a 10-year lease to operate the boat storage yard at Honokohau small boat harbor in West Hawaiʻi. Until recently, the … Continued
Two Important New Acts Address Statute of Limitations, Ag CPRs
Two developments lie behind the 2021 Legislature’s passage of acts relating to land use laws in Hawaiʻi: A state Supreme Court ruling that interpreted the applicability of the statute of limitations for grievances filed over a Land Use Commission decision; … Continued
Climate Change, Resource Protection Addressed in 2021 Legislative Actions
The 2021 Legislature may not be remembered for actions that will have sweeping, dramatic impact on Hawaiʻi’s environment. Still and all, a number of bills that will push the state closer to a cleaner, sustainable future did manage to cross … Continued
What Weighs on Legislators’ Minds Is Frequently Revealed in Resolutions
Legislative resolutions don’t carry the weight of law, but they do provide clues as to what statutory changes might be given serious consideration in years to come. This year, the resolution that received the most publicity was probably Senate Concurrent … Continued