Castle & Cooke Resorts, Lanai’s biggest employer, has proposed to erect more than 150 wind turbines on the remote northwestern end of the island and lay an undersea cable that would send the power to Oahu.
The project’s supporters say it could be a revenue-generator for the island, but opponents fear it would cut off access to important hunting grounds and have a major impact on an area rich in cultural and archaeological sites.
HONOLULU – Kaheawa Wind Power II’s draft habitat conservation plan and environmental assessment are available for public review, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Tuesday.
Kaheawa Wind Power is a subsidiary of the Boston-based wind energy company First Wind, which already supplies windmill-generated electricity to Maui Electric Co.
Kaheawa Wind developed the draft habitat conservation plan in coordination with the service and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources as part of an application for an incidental take permit for endangered species.
The draft plan and environmental assessment are available for public review and comment for 30 days.
The Board of Land and Natural Resources will hear public testimony on the lease and grant of easement of public lands for Kaheawa Wind’s expansion beginning at 9 a.m. Friday at the county Department of Planning conference room at 250 S. High St. in Wailuku.
An incidental take permit is required when a development is likely to result in some harm to a threatened or endangered species. If approved, the permit would be in effect for 20 years.
DHHL to host two beneficiary meetings.
Department of Hawaii Home Lands News Release
The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) is considering re-designating Mo`omomi-Anahaki as a “Special District,” which would protect resources, provide stewardship opportunities and preserve the unique sense of place.
Mo`omomi-Anahaki current land use designation is “General Agriculture,” but at a beneficiary meeting in July it was clear the community is concerned about the potential for wind turbine development there.
DHHL will host two meetings to discuss the re-designation. The first will seek beneficiary input on land use and is scheduled for Oct. 27 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lanikeha Community Center. The second meeting, where beneficiaries can review the proposal and provide feedback before it is sent to the Hawaiian Homes Commission, is scheduled for Nov. 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lanikeha Community Center.
For more information, contact Kaleo Manuel at the DHHL Planning Office at (808) 620-9485.