Hawaii
Pressure mounts for Gov. Green to prove he supports Native Hawaiian water rights
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaiian rights groups are putting more pressure on Governor Josh Green to prove he supports Native Hawaiian water rights and restoration of natural streams.
On Monday, he got a letter from more than 70 groups and individuals demanding that he immediately appoint an expert on traditional water use to the state water commission.
Some say the delay is causing more distrust in the Hawaiian community.
The pressure is increasing because the Commission on Water Resource Management literally decides how much water a commercial developer or a tiny taro farm will get.
By law, one commissioner has to be an expert in traditional practices, which are supposed to be among the highest priorities.
The week of the Maui fires was also the deadline for hundreds of requests for water permits from the commission – many requests in West Maui pit traditional taro farmers against big landowners and developers.
Not a single one has been approved, and the commission hasn’t had the required expert on traditional uses since June.
Hawaiian Studies Professor Kamanamaikalani Beamer said filling the vacancy is urgent and good for all parties.
“If they’re adjudicating and making decisions without this critical seat, they may miss, you know, critical areas, and they may face litigation in the future as a board,” he said. “So, it’s really in everyone’s best interest to follow the state Constitution.
Activists say Governor Green received a list of four candidates from a selection committee in February. At some point, two dropped out, so in August, the commission posted a notice that the process would start again from the beginning.
Water rights advocates say that’s unnecessary because the two remaining candidates are qualified experts.
That’s why a letter signed by 74 people and groups – including OHA and the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, is demanding that the governor just choose already.”
Two experts remain on that list. And you know, given the multitude of issues that Hawaii faces around water, we need to have that seat filled immediately and as quickly as possible,” Beamer said.
The letter says, “…the historical deprivation of Hawaiian water rights has perpetuated generational trauma within the lāhui and has compromised our islands’ water, food, housing, and climate security.”
The broad support for the appointment is also fueled by distrust, according to Earthjustice Attorney Leinaala Ley, who said in recent weeks, the administration has not answered basic questions about the process, like when nominees withdrew and why an appointment wasn’t made in time for confirmation by the legislature.
“If you know that information isn’t shared, then it really contributes to this atmosphere of distrust and feeling that the administration has not been supportive of native Hawaiian communities, traditional and customary practitioners, and really even the larger West Maui community that’s facing a lot of water challenges right now,” Ley said.
Distrust for many advocates peaked when the administration temporarily removed Water Commission Deputy Director Kaleo Manuel over false claims he denied water to fight fires. The governor hugged Manuel at the CNHA Hawaiian Convention earlier in September, followed by an apology at the start of the governor’s address.
“We hurt Kaleo deeply, and I feel a great sadness that I was part of that,” he said.
“I humbly apologize for those moments because we are not going to be perfect…I acknowledge I will never be perfect.”The letter delivered Monday implied that the apology did not end the issue.
“We have not, however, forgotten the mistreatment that the most recent Native Hawaiian deputy director, Kaleo Manuel, received from this administration.”
Ley said it appears to many that the delay in appointing someone who could push the commission more towards the needs of traditional users is to allow the administration to shop for nominees.
“It really raises all those concerns of is this process being manipulated,” she said. “Is the administration waiting to get names that, for whatever reason, it finds more politically palatable? So, transparency could really go, you know, a long way in rebuilding community trust.”
State DLNR Chair Dawn Chang, who also chairs the water commission, told the commission two weeks ago that the law says the governor should be sent a list of at least three candidates by the selection committee and that the governor had an “inadequate” number of names before him.
She said the two remaining from the original list of four can still apply. She encouraged activists to use the “coconut wireless” to drum up more candidates before the Oct. 11 application deadline.
The governor’s office didn’t directly respond to questions about why the appointment was delayed or when the prior applicants dropped out.
The quote provided by the governor’s office said, “The Governor welcomes Native Hawaiian water rights advocates to apply for the practitioner seat on the water commission.”
Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
Hawaii
Hawaii officials say 2023 wildfire was sparked by down power lines
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Hawaii
Maui Fire to release cause report on deadly US wildfire
The Maui Fire Department is expected Wednesday to explain exactly how the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century was sparked last year.
The historic Maui town of Lahaina was destroyed and 102 people were killed the disastrous wildfire. Several agencies have investigated the fire, detailing the poor conditions — including hurricane-force winds and emergency response missteps — that contributed to the tragic outcome. But so far, those reports have stopped just short of analyzing the fire’s origin and cause, leaving that to the Maui Fire Department and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Maui Fire Department asked the ATF to help with the cause and origin investigation last year, and the ATF’s findings will be included as an appendix to the department’s report.
What is already clear: Many things went wrong before and during the disaster. The National Weather Service gave advance warning that a hurricane passing far offshore would bring strong winds to the island, dramatically raising the fire danger. But an investigation by the Fire Safety Research Institute for the Hawaii Attorney General’s office found “no evidence” that officials prepared for the fire danger despite the warning.
A Hawaiian Electric power line fell early on the morning of Aug. 8, sparking a fire in overgrown brush near the edge of town. Fire crews responded and stayed for several hours until they believed the fire was extinguished. After they left, flames were spotted again and though firefighters rushed back, they were no match for the wind and flames.
Communication between the police and fire departments was spotty, cellphone networks were down and emergency officials did not activate the emergency sirens that might have warned residents to evacuate. Power lines and poles had fallen in many locations throughout town, and police blocked some roads to protect residents from potentially dangerous power lines. First responders also had trouble getting a firm answer from Hawaiian Electric representatives if the power had been cut to the area.
The blocked roads contributed to gridlock that left fleeing people trapped in their cars as the flames advanced. Others died in their homes or outside as they tried to escape. The death toll surpassed that of the 2018 Camp Fire in northern California, which left 85 dead and destroyed the town of Paradise.
In the months since, thousands of Lahaina residents have sued various parties they believe to be at fault for the fire, including Hawaiian Electric, Maui County and the state of Hawaii. The defendants have often tried to point fingers at each other, with Hawaiian Electric saying the county shouldn’t have left the first fire unattended, and Maui County contending the electric utility failed to take proper care with the power grid. Exactly who was responsible for clearing brush and maintaining area has also been a point of contention among the defendants, along with the utility’s lack of a public safety power shut-off program.
A few days before the one-year anniversary of the wildfires, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green announced a $4 billion settlement. That’s the amount the defendants — including Hawaiian Electric, the state, Maui County, large landowners and others — have agreed to pay to settle claims.
But the deal is tied up in court, awaiting a decision from Hawaii Supreme Court on whether insurance companies can go after the defendants separately to recoup what they’ve paid to policyholders. Lawyers for people seeking compensation fear allowing insurance companies to sue Hawaiian Electric and others will subvert the deal, drain what is available to pay fire victims and lead to prolonged litigation. ___
Boone reported from Boise, Idaho.
Hawaii
Warriors took their preseason training camp to Hawaii. But they’re not here to vacation.
LAIE, Hawaii — The Warriors spent their first morning of training camp doing yoga overlooking the Pacific Ocean’s kaleidoscopic blue. They’re staying at the property where the hit 2008 comedy “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” was filmed. Following their first practice, Gary Payton II shot videos on an old-school, handheld camcorder.
After a fairly subdued Media Day at the Chase Center, the vibes are high. On the island of O’ahu, finding peace and serenity isn’t difficult.
But the Warriors aren’t here for mai tais and luaus. They have too much on their plate.
Golden State wants to implement more structure into their offensive system, striking a middle-ground between organized chaos and more set plays to feature younger players. They want to shoot more 3s while figuring out life without Klay Thompson. They want to return to an elite defense and improve in transition on both sides of the ball. They want to fold in three new veterans and hold competitions for, potentially, three spots in the starting lineup — establishing what Steve Kerr calls a “feisty” identity in the process.
“Last year, we spent a lot of the year unable to find certain combinations that fit,” Kerr said after the team’s first practice at BYU Hawaii. “The starting lineup is going to have to be dependent on the first five, but also the second five. I think we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
With how rarely NBA teams, especially the Warriors, practice during the season, training camp and the preseason is a major point in the team’s development. Golden State has five days in Hawaii, so not only is their training camp to-do list long, it must be expedited.
Steph Curry has said repeatedly that he’s open to change to the offensive system. Part of that is due to Thompson’s departure, but also the harsh reality of finishing 10th in the Western Conference last year. The way Golden State has played for years may not maximize this roster’s strengths as much as it had in the past; the personnel’s different.
“This feels like a new beginning for us in a lot of ways,” Kerr said. “Last year felt like an extension of what we already knew. Part of that is the way that Steph and Klay had each been a part of our heart and soul…it’s a pretty dramatic change. So we have to turn that into a positive.”
In years past, the Warriors had the advantage of rare continuity. Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green were teammates for 12 years, and the rest of the team orbited around them. They didn’t have to reinvent themselves, only tweak things and make some additional installations on top of what they were already running.
This team, with Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski rising, and Kyle Anderson, De’Anthony Melton and Buddy Hield entering the mix, calls for more experimenting.
Kuminga in particular is expected to be a focal point. Outside of Curry, he’s the team’s most natural scorer as a downhill threat and terror in transition. Pushing the pace should help him, and running more set plays to put him in advantageous spots could juice the offense, too.
But Kuminga is one of the players mired in a competition for a starting spot. Unless the Warriors start Draymond Green at center, the spacing gets clunky with both Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins on the floor. Defense is a primary priority for Kerr, and Kuminga hasn’t always been the most consistent defender.
“It’s definitely more challenging because we’ve got new guys and everyone, of course, wants to start,” Kuminga said. “It’s great, it’s actually great going at each other every day. That’s just going to give us that mentality of going out there and playing hard.”
Kuminga could also be a player to increase his 3-point shooting volume. Podziemski has said he wants to get upwards of eight triples up per game — an admittedly ambitious goal. But Kerr hopes to empower him, as well as Wiggins, Moses Moody and Melton, to let it fly.
“I want to be a high-volume 3-point shooting team,” Kerr said. “I think that’s important for us. The big shift is Klay’s not here. So, we were fourth in the league in 3-point attempts last year, but Klay probably shot eight or 10 of them himself every game. So we’re going to have to fill that void, and that’s going to have to come from multiple people.”
Melton and Podziemski are in the mix to start in the back court next to Curry. When asked what his ideal backcourt partner would be, Curry said he likes the options the team has. Melton the defensive-minded ball hawk, Podziemski the connector who developed some chemistry starting with Curry last year, and Buddy Hield the new movement shooter.
Whatever the combinations, it’s clear the Warriors are committed to some shake-ups. Last year, Curry said you can’t do the same thing over and over again and expect the same results. So, Golden State is going to try out some new looks.
“I’ve said it plenty of times, we need to evolve,” Curry said. “How we’re featuring the talent that we have on this team, this is the roster that we have and I think we have enough, just by putting guys in the right places, to be successful. And leveraging what’s worked with our system over the years. So there’s a fine balance there.”
It’ll be tough to find that balance in a week in Hawaii. But building the foundation in paradise has to be the start.
Notable
– Buddy Hield spent much of the first practice period open to the media shooting with assistant coach Chris DeMarco, who helped recruit him to the Warriors while he coached Hield on the Bahamian National Team. Hield was the last player shooting on the court after practice wrapped up.
– Andrew Wiggins didn’t practice on Tuesday because he was under the weather. Everyone else participated.
– Kyle Anderson’s retooled jumper looks much better than it did last season, particularly off the dribble. He’s never going to have a fast release, but a more fluid motion could help him keep defenses honest from the outside; two seasons ago, he shot a career-best 41% from deep on low-volume.
– Steph Curry brought his Olympic gold medal to training camp. “I keep it on me,” he said.
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