House Bill 2408 and Senate Bill 2937, which proposed transferring to the state Department of Transportation the authority to approve its own revocable permits, stalled out this legislative session. And that may be a good thing, given recent revelations over … Continued
Who knew that the threats posed by unexploded bombs would be such a blessing to threatened and endangered Hawaiian wildlife? In June, the state Board of Land and Natural Resources is expected to decide whether or not to keep most … Continued
Last month, the Natural Area Reserves System Commission unanimously approved a one-year special use permit to the San Diego Zoo for the much-anticipated release this year of the endangered native Hawaiian crow, also known as the ‘alala. The release follows … Continued
On March 10, contrary to a request from the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation (NHLC) for immediate action on its petitions to amend the interim instream flow standards (IIFS) of about two dozen East Maui streams, Commission on Water Resource Management … Continued
At the rate the Hawai`i longline fleet is catching bigeye tuna, it may, for the second year in a row, reach its annual catch limit for the Western and Central Pacific well before the year’s end. If that happens, it … Continued
In the coming months, the state Commission on Water Resource Management is expected to hear oral arguments on contested case hearing officer Lawrence Miike’s January 16 proposed Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, and Decision and Order regarding Na Moku … Continued
On February 4, First Circuit Judge Rhonda Nishimura granted an interlocutory appeal of her January 8 ruling that four holdover revocable permits held by Alexander and Baldwin and the East Maui Irrigation Co., and renewed by the state Board of … Continued
According to court documents, the appeal of Judge Nishimura’s January 8 ruling is expected to cover the following issues, among others: Whether she correctly ruled that the permits were invalid under Hawai`i Revised Statues Chapter 171 (the state’s law governing … Continued
Sparks Fly Over Fireworks Permit, $2,500 Deposit to Clean Up Debris For years, right-of-entry permits brought by the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Land Division for fireworks displays at state beaches have garnered little, if any, opposition. Last year, a … Continued
Two years ago, research by the University of Hawai`i’s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) revealed that flooding from the combination of a one-meter rise in sea level and a hurricane or a tsunami could affect 80 … Continued