Kaua‘i cesspool conversion relief program nears launch
LIHU‘E — Over one and a half years after a county bill was passed, Kaua‘i’s Residential Cesspool Conversion Program is one step away from finally getting off the ground.
Biden administration invests $16m in Hawaiian honeycreeper conservation
The Biden administration is investing nearly $16 million into a multi-year, multi-agency initiative aimed at preventing the imminent extinction of Hawai‘i’s ecologically and culturally crucial forest birds.
Hawaiian kahuli motor into new home
HONOLULU — Thousands of rare and endangered Hawaiian kahuli (land snails) had a major upgrade to their digs last week, as the state’s Snail Extinction Prevention Program officials relocated the mollusks from a small trailer in Kailua, O‘ahu, to a lab in Pearl City, O‘ahu.
Kaua‘i to get dedicated kupuna watchdog
After nearly 50 years, Hawai‘i’s long-term care ombudsman program will finally deploy full-time staff to the neighbor islands — a move that officials hope will aid significantly in the state’s attempts to combat elder abuse.
An effort to protect native forest birds studied on Kauai
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) released Friday a draft environmental assessment for the use of biological control measures on Kaua‘i in an effort to protect the island’s endangered native forest birds from extinction.
Rapozo rebukes state politicians over water management agencies
LIHU‘E — What started as a County Council meeting on how agencies regulate Kaua‘i’s water ended in an admonishment of state politicians by council chair Mel Rapozo, as he accused Gov. Josh Green and the Hawai‘i Legislature of failing to provide sufficient funds for state and county water management groups.
7-Eleven Hawai‘i reaches settlement on cesspools, fined $145K
Slurpees, saimin and… cesspools?
UH buoy, aquatic drone set for Kaua‘i deployment to study fossil fuel impact on reefs
LIHU‘E — Researchers at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa are set to deploy this summer a research buoy off Kaua‘i’s coast alongside multiple aquatic drones, as part of a project to assess Hawai‘i’s vulnerability to climate change impacts.
Kaua‘i County identifies new potential landfill site
Kaua‘i County is moving to build a second landfill site in Kekaha, Department of Public Works Solid Waste Division officials said, as the division’s head suggested the island’s existing site will likely shut down years before another could open.
Judge rules Kaua‘i County, Hawai‘i DOH violating federal pollution law
A federal judge ruled this week that Kaua‘i County and the Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) violated federal law by releasing polluted water into the Kikiaola Small Boat Harbor without proper permitting.
‘Managed retreat’ may be beach erosion option
KAPA‘A — The County of Kaua‘i Planning Department met with community members on Wednesday evening to discuss the island’s future as it grapples with a series of existential threats due to increasingly severe climate change impacts.
Hawai‘i Medical Reserve Corps receives $376K in federal grants
LIHU‘E — The Hawai‘i Medical Reserve Corps has been awarded $376,000 in federal grants in an effort to bolster the state’s ability to respond to disasters and other public health emergencies.
Reef Camp teaches Kaua‘i’s keiki aloha ‘aina
ANINI BEACH — Aquatic environmental nonprofit Reef Guardians is undertaking its fifth annual Reef Camp at Anini Beach, an educational summer program for keiki ages 8 through 13 focused on Kaua‘i’s diverse aquatic ecosystem.
Hawai‘i wins best license plate award in landslide
The Automobile License Plate Collectors Association this week bestowed the state of Hawai‘i with the 2022 Best Plate Award, recognizing the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s depiction of its iconic voyaging canoe Hokule‘a at O‘ahu’s Kualoa Bay, the site of its inaugural launch in 1975.
NOAA plans massive marine sanctuary in Pacific Ocean
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is set to draft a management plan designating 770,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean as a National Marine Sanctuary which, if approved, would be the largest protected ocean area on Earth.
Invasive coconut rhinocerous beetle discovered on Kaua‘i
LIHU‘E — State officials are rushing to protect Kaua‘i’s palm trees after environmentalists discovered invasive coconut rhinoceros beetles in Lihu‘e — a first for the island.
Kaua‘i’s Nawiliwili Stream ranked nation’s most frequently polluted beach
Kalapaki Bay’s Nawiliwili Stream is the most consistently overpolluted beach tested by national environmental group Surfrider Foundation, according to the group’s annual report on water quality.
Kaua‘i Pride Parade and Festival about ‘love and support’
LIHU‘E — From top to bottom, Kaua‘i knows how to slay. Community members of all ages and backgrounds lined Rice Street on Saturday morning for Kaua‘i’s fifth annual Pride Parade and Festival, a celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride Month and the island’s queer community.
Kaua‘i’s ‘akikiki expected to soon be extinct in wild
LIHUE — Forest bird conservationists on Kaua‘i are now combating both invasive species and growing pessimism, as environmentalists fear this field season may mark the last time they see ‘akikiki in the wild.
Kaua‘i County Council passes resolution supporting public access of Coco Palms lands
The Kaua‘i County Council approved in a 4-2 vote on Wednesday a resolution urging the state Board of Land and Natural Resources to prioritize public access for disputed land surrounding the derelict Coco Palms Resort after nearly failing to come to a decision for the second time in two weeks.