“My thing is, you never turn away what the Legislature gives you.” That’s what state Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC) executive director James Nakatani told then-Department of Agriculture director Scott Enright five years ago, when Enright asked why, out of all … Continued
Board Levies $272,000 in Fines Against West Hawaiʻi Aquarium Fish Poachers On February 26, the state Board of Land and Natural Resources levied a record fine against husband and wife aquarium fish collectors Stephen Howard and Yukako Toriyama. The couple … Continued
“Grandfathered seawall! … Motivated seller!” a December 2018 sales pitch for the property at 59-175C Ke Nui Road on Oʻahu’s famed Sunset Beach proclaimed. Motivated, indeed. Within three months, the owner sold the lot for about half a million dollars … Continued
Sunset Seawall Court Case: On February 10, 1st Circuit Judge Jeffrey Crabtree will hear arguments on the state’s January 12 motion to compel Sunset Beach homeowners James and Denise O’Shea to produce documents supporting their claims that the state holds … Continued
Last year, environmentalists and the development community jockeyed over bills aimed at revamping the City & County of Honolulu’s energy code and parking regulations to help mitigate or minimize climate change effects. In testimony to the City Council, organizations such … Continued
Board Continues Revocable Permits For Kaua‘i Utility’s Water Diversions On December 11, the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) barely mustered enough votes from the Board of Land and Natural Resources to secure a revocable permit to divert water from Wai‘ale‘ale … Continued
In April 2017, the state Commission on Water Resource Management voted to adopt the terms of a mediated agreement intended to end the years-long conflicts over the diversion and waste of stream water via the Kokeʻe and Kekaha ditch systems … Continued
Land Board Fines Trash Hauler $62,000 for Leaving Full Roll-Offs On State Land Being contrite might have helped, but John Guinan, Jr., owner of The Trash Man, LLC hauling company, chose to fight. He ended up with a fine nearly … Continued
Koʻolauloa Plan Advances: On November 19, the Zoning and Planning Committee of the Honolulu City Council voted to adopt a revised Sustainable Communities Plan for the windward Koʻolauloa area that limits Hawaiʻi Reserves, Inc., which manages the land in Laʻie … Continued
For the last five years, the state Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) has basically had to ignore its normal duties of protecting and helping manage Hawai‘i’s natural resources. “Homelessness has taken away from all that,” DOCARE officer Gerard Villalobos … Continued