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
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
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
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
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
On July 25, the state Endangered Species Recovery Committee ap- proved an amended Habitat Conservation Plan for Auwahi Wind Energy, LLC’s 24-megawatt wind farm at Ulupalakua Ranch on Maui. If the plan also receives approval from the Board of Land … Continued
Did it fall short, or go too far? The National Marine Fisheries Service’s recently completed biological opinion (BiOp) for the Hawai‘i swordfish longline fishery would allow individual vessels to hook more endangered loggerhead and leather back sea turtles in a … Continued
One of the terms and conditions in the shallow-set fishery BiOp requires NMFS to conduct a workshop with fishermen, observers, relevant experts and NMFS’ Protected Resources Division staff to “determine whether there are more effective methods for removing more fishing … Continued
At its March meeting, the council threatened to complain to NOAA brass that Mike Tosatto, director of NMFS’ Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO), might not be the best man for the job if his office did not complete by the … Continued
Kekaha Violations: A federal judge has found that the state Agribusiness Development Corporation has been violating the Clean Water Act for years, as the century-old drainage system it owns discharges millions of gallons a day into the Pacific Ocean along … Continued