TMT Decision Upheld: Judge Greg K. Nakamura of the 3rd Circuit Court has found in favor of the Board of Land and Natural Resources in a case brought by opponents of the Thirty Meter Telescope. On April 1, the judge issued … Continued
The Hawai`i longline fishery faces a conundrum. How can it get around a limit on its haul of bigeye tuna without appearing to violate the international treaty under which that limit was set? The Hawai`i Longline Association, whose members represent … Continued
For the last three years (2011-2013), Congress authorized the Hawai`i longliners to take up to 1,000 more metric tons of tuna annually than is allowed under the quota system set up by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission. And … Continued
“I don’t trust the Planning Department – even now” said Hawai`i County Councilmember Margaret Wille. Wille, whose district includes a seven-lot gated subdivision known as Kohala Kai along the coast north of Kawaihae harbor, made the comments March 7, as … Continued
DLNR Rule Amendments Expand Protection of Live Rock and Coral The state Board of Land and Natural Resources has amended its rules protecting coral and live rock to improve the board’s ability to prosecute violations and impose penalties for damages. … Continued
Deep Percolation: Will an aquifer recharge more quickly under a forest than a grassland? The answer, according to research carried out on leeward Haleakala, is an unambiguous yes. Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey simulated rainfall events at two areas at … Continued
Under rules proposed by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry and Wildlife, transporting or releasing introduced wildlife without a permit would be a petty misdemeanor. In addition to a minimum fine of $100, first-time offenders … Continued
Maui Mouflon? Investigations into how axis deer arrived on the Big Island have turned up one intriguing theory: that at least some of the deer were brought from Maui in exchange for mouflon from the Big Island. Lending credibility to … Continued
It’s not a done deal yet, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is on its way toward clearing south Maui’s `Ahihi-Kina`u Natural Area Reserve of unexploded ordnance deposited during the 1940s, when the Navy used the area for target … Continued
The 2011 session of the Hawai`i Legislature won’t go down as a great one so far as the environment is concerned. Robert Harris, executive director of the Sierra Club, Hawai`i Chapter, has called it “deeply disappointing.” Still, several of the … Continued