Editorial
Oh, Give Me A Home: Rent-Free, Please, at Pu`uwa`awa`a I can’t afford to buy a house in Hawai`i, and rent is expensive. But for a favored few, the state, bless its heart, has a subsidized housing program that allows them … Continued
The Roots of Ranching in Hawai`i: From Vancouver to Parker and Beyond
Christmas morning, 1857. At the Seamen’s Bethel in Honolulu, the Reverend S.C. Damon was conducting divine services, an event duly applauded by the yet-young Pacific Commercial Advertiser. “This is a new feature in the celebration of Christmas at these islands, … Continued
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO… The Exotic Pest Insect Committee, Part II
What an accomplishment for lobbyist Jon Okudara. He managed in the late 1980s to become executive director of a state-created and -funded committee that spent about $833,000 in the 1990s, ostensibly on efforts to address the agriculture industry’s fruit fly … Continued
Design Flaws Block Phase IV Opening. Phase I, II Closure of Central Maui Landfill
The state Department of Health is concerned that Maui County’s landfill plans don’t meet with accepted design standards or federal regulations. And because of that, the DOH has been holding up the opening of Phase IV of Maui’s Pu`unene landfill … Continued
'Every Coconut Tree Was Full in a Moment…'
Thomas Manby, master’s mate to Captain George Vancouver on the Discovery, described the reaction of Kamehameha to the longhorn cattle Vancouver had brought with him and which he presented to the king in February 1793: The cattle greatly delighted him, … Continued
Board Talk
Honda Magnate Bulldozes Kaua`i Bluff, Causing Mud to Blanket Pila`a Bay Pila`a Bay on the wild and rugged North Shore of Kaua`i was known for its crystal clear water and abundance of limu. It was also a major source of … Continued
Pasture or Trees? Graziers, Planters Pulled Territorial Government in Different Directions
In 1905, the government of Hawai`i began the process of setting aside forested areas of the islands as reserves, to be protected for their watershed value. By that time, hundreds of thousands of acres of the islands’ forests had already … Continued
Kahikinui: After Years of Decline, On the Brink of a 'Great Rising'
After more than a century of abuse by cattle ranching, Kahikinui, meaning “the great rising,” is on an upswing. Although still isolated, rugged, and dry, the land there managed by the state Department for Hawaiian Home Lands has for the … Continued
Goby Dreams, an Underwater Invasion, And Albatross Mysteries at Midway
This summer’s meeting in Hilo of the Society of Conservation Biology focused on island ecosystems. Not surprisingly, many of the sessions addressed issues with a strong local angle. This is our third and final report on highlights of the conference: … Continued
Will Navy's New Sonar System Drown Out the Songs of Whales?
With the right set of ears, you could dive in the ocean and hear a full symphony of sounds: The chirps and moans of whales, the growls and grunts of seals, the background din of wind and waves, the far-reaching … Continued