Before the massive flooding in April that even further isolated the remote towns of Wainiha and Ha`ena, located at the end of the road on Kaua`i’s North Shore, the 300 or so residents there were being overrun by tourists. On … Continued
If the state Board of Land and Natural Resources grants permission to one entity to divert water from a stream for a particular use, can that diverted water then be used for other things by other entities that don’t have … Continued
State legislators haven’t been alone in their efforts to codify recommendations from the December 2017 Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report (SLR report) prepared for the Hawaiʻi Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission in accordance with Acts 83 and … Continued
The state Legislature tried to make great strides to address the flooding projections in the Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report (SLR report) issued just before the session began, but wound up taking a baby step. Armed with the … Continued
On May 18, the majority of the state Board of Land and Natural Resources rejected its hearing officer’s recommendation to deny a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and Incidental Take License (ITL) for the proposed 25-megawatt Na Pua Makani (NPM) wind … Continued
The National Marine Fisheries Service closed the Hawai`i shallow-set longline fishery for the rest of the year on May 8 in accordance with a settlement agreement and federal court order stemming from a 2012 lawsuit brought by the Turtle Island … Continued
It’s been five years since the National Marine Fisheries Service adopted a take reduction plan (TRP) to address the Hawai‘i longline fleet’s interactions with false killer whales (FKW). The plan required vessels to use stronger branch lines and weaker hooks … Continued
In its first few meetings, Honolulu’s new Climate Change Commission has heard from a slew of city agency heads about the status of their respective agencies’ efforts to plan for climate change effects. Some agencies have gone further than others. … Continued
The Hawai‘i shallow-set longline fishery, which reportedly provides 50 percent of the domestic swordfish catch and generates about $3 million in revenue, could soon close for the third time since 2004 because of its interactions with federally protected sea turtles. … Continued
In January 2012, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issued a biological opinion (BiOp), which found that the Hawai‘i shallow-set longline fishery would not jeopardize the continued existence of loggerhead or leatherback turtles if it operated under a leatherback interaction … Continued