In the years since he purchased Kuka`iau Ranch, owner David S. DeLuz Sr. has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funds to support his cattle operation. According to the Environmental Working Group, which tracks subsidies made by the … Continued
When it comes to the prospects of growing high-value koa in plantations, Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods CEO Jeffrey Dunster and University of Hawai`i forester J.B. Friday do not see eye to eye. They disagree over the yields of marketable koa that … Continued
On its face, the plan to reforest more than 7,000 acres of Kuka`iau Ranch is remarkable. Using a combination of government grants, private philanthropy, and market drivers, a substantial chunk of the northern slope of Mauna Kea would be restored … Continued
Malaekahana Park Managers Stay While DLNR Seeks a New Lessee The Friends of Malaekahana (FOM), which has managed the 36-acre Kahuku section of the Malaekahana State Recreation Area for nearly 20 years, on O`ahu’s north shore, has dodged eviction, but … Continued
A challenge to a proposed 14-lot subdivision in an old growth `ohi`a forest on the western slopes of Mauna Loa has resulted in the Hawai`i County planning director admitting that her department made mistakes in the process of approving the … Continued
Water War: On June 6, the Hawai`i Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the appeals of the Commission on Water Resource Management’s June 2010 amendments to the interim instream flow standards (IIFS) for four west Maui streams collectively known … Continued
The staff of the Commission on Water Resource Management is too nice. That was the general consensus of commissioners at a May 16 meeting where, in one violation case after another, fine recommendations were minimal, to say the least. In … Continued
“Anybody who sees this would say, ‘Oh, my God! What are we doing?” That comment came from Hawai`i County Council member Brenda Ford, who represents the South Kona area where the Planned Unit Development proposed for the ahupua`a of Waikaku`u … Continued
What do fishery council members and executive directors talk about when the public isn’t listening? At a meeting of the federal Council Coordination Committee held last month in Hawai`i, at the Mauna Lani Bay Resort, it was possible to get … Continued
Land Board Approves Legacy Land Projects On May 11, the Land Board unanimously approved funds totaling $4.6 million for seven projects of the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Legacy Land Conservation Program aimed at protecting more than 12,000 acres … Continued