Advances in Biocontrol Are Praised At Hilo Meeting on Invasive Species
One of the oldest arguments against biological control concerns the introduction of the mongoose to Hawai‘i. True: mongooses were introduced to Hawai‘i in the 1880s by sugar growers who believed they would knock back the problem of rats in cane … Continued
Conservation Conference Highlights: Tracking Invasive Plants and Animals
In addition to last month’s invasive species conference in Hilo, the Hawai‘i Conservation Conference, held in July in Waikiki, also hosted speakers and featured posters reporting some of the latest developments in invasive species monitoring and control. The following are … Continued
New & Noteworthy: Rust Rule, ‘Alala, Coming Events
Puccinia Rule: On August 27, the state Board of Agriculture (BOA) unanimously approved a rule intended to reduce imports of plants that could carry a fungus, Puccinia psidii, that poses a danger to ‘ohi‘a trees. As Environment Hawai‘i reported more than four … Continued
Board Talk: Erosion, Sea Level Rise Threaten Sand Island Wastewater Plant Outfall
The Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant collects sewage from more than 400,000 residents and visitors in Honolulu and discharges 66 million gallons of effluent a day into the sea via along, wide underground outfall. The 84-inch-wide outfall extends a mile … Continued
Board Talk Cont.: Auwahi Wind Farm Gets to Kill More Bats
On August 23, the Land Board voted to accept a supplemental environmental impact statement for the Auwahi wind farm on Maui and approve a new Habitat Conservation Plan for the take of an additional 119 endangered Hawaiian hoary bats over … Continued
Board Talk Cont.: Cruise Ship Fee Hikes Go To Public Hearings
On June 14, the Land Board voted to increase mooring fees for the state’s small boat harbors. The vote was not unanimous and was made after the board rejected a contested case hearing request from members of the public. Increases … Continued
Court Rules Largely Against Plaintiff In Lawsuit Over Kahala Resort Permit
For the last two years, David Kimo Frankel has tried to get the Department of Land and Natural Resources and its board to stamp out what he saw as illegal commercial use of a state beachfront parcel rented since the … Continued
Is Total Payout of $11 Million Enough For Condemned Land at Ma’alaea Harbor?
On June 27, 2013, the state of Hawai‘i deposited $4.165 million with the 2nd Circuit Court. The action was the first step toward condemning about an acre of land adjoining Maui’s Ma‘alaea harbor that the state had been leasing since … Continued