April 2017 PDF
April 2017
TMT Opponent Objects to Evidence of His Suspension from the Hawai`i Bar
During the evidentiary portion of the contested case hearing for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), parties to the proceeding would often attempt to cast doubt on the credibility of witnesses. If successful, this process, known as impeachment, results in … Continued
New Report Suggests Sea Level Rise May Be Worse than Previously Thought
A new technical report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) suggests that climate change-induced sea level rise over the course of this century, especially in Hawai`i, may be far worse than predicted in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate … Continued
Board Talk: Board Reconsiders Granting Rent Discount to Non-Profits
Last August, the Board of Land and Natural Resources approved the continuation of all the revocable permits issued by the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation, except those for the Honokohau small boat harbor … Continued
Bills Facilitating Shoreline Easements Fail For Fifth Year at Legislature
For the fifth year in a row, bills intended to make it easier and cheaper for landowners to retain legally built shoreline structures that, through shoreline erosion, are now on public land have either been stalled or deferred. Senate Bill … Continued
TMT Hearing: Protesters’ Witnesses Speak to Hawaiian Culture, Practices
The Thirty Meter Telescope contested case hearing continued its no wake-dead slow progress into uncharted waters last month. While retired judge Riki May Amano was nominally at the helm, it was the band of protesters who seemed to have control … Continued
Hawai`i County Takes Renewed Interest in Keaukaha Seawall After DLNR Signs Off
About a year ago, architect Robert Iopa rebuilt a crumbling seawall in front of property he owns in the Keaukaha area of Hilo. He did not ask for, nor did he receive, permission from either the state Department of Land … Continued
`Aina Le`a Update: A Settlement, An Overdue Note, and a Possible Suitor
Not much has been happening on the land proposed for the Villages of `Aina Le`a, consisting of about 1,100 acres lying between Waikoloa town and the Mauna Lani resort in the South Kohala district of the Big Island. In the … Continued
New & Noteworthy: Kona Remediation, Reef Fish Census
Lead Removal in Kona: The Hawai`i County Department of Environmental Management has been granted a Conservation District Use Permit to remediate an abandoned metal salvage site in Kealakehe, in the North Kona district of the Big Island. At a recent … Continued
March 2017 PDF
(This PDF has been amended to correct an error regarding rules adopted by the state Board of Land and Natural Resources to protect parrotfish. They apply only to Maui, not to Lana`i. Errors regarding the location of a sea level rise workshop, … Continued