Revocable permit hearing on East Maui stream diversions
On Friday, the Board of Land and Natural Resources will consider renewing Alexander & Baldwin's temporary permits for water that they have had for nearly 40 years. These diversions were originally installed more than 100 years ago to transport water to sugarcane fields and as a result drained loʻi kalo and dried out vibrant traditional farming communities throughout the East side of Maui. The Sierra Club proudly stands with the taro farmers and cultural practitioners seeking to fully restore these streams. They have secured some amazing wins for Hawaiʻi's native resources and the culture that relies on them. Now it is just a matter of ensuring those victories are actually enforced. Add your name to list of those who stand with Hawaiʻi's water warriors. E ola i ka wai!Learn more about the history of this struggle and prepare for the next legislative session by reading more here.
Sample testimony:
Email to: blnr.testimony@hawaii.govSubject: Testimony on agenda item D-7 Aloha Chair Case and members of the Land Board,I support the full restoration of all taro-feeding streams in East Maui. I stand with the taro farmers, cultural practitioners, scientists, and concerned residents advocating for East Maui streams. This board should establish and enforce a timeline to ensure that the diversions from these streams are completely and permanently closed, all trash and debris is removed, and the dumping of water from one stream to another is strictly regulated to prevent flooding of downstream farms. Downstream farmers should be regularly consulted in the process to restore this stream ecosystem.Mahalo,[name]