Streamlined Permiting Proposed for Fishpond Restoration

Maui fishpond photo by Wendy Osher.

By Wendy Osher

The state hosts a hearing on Maui tonight on a proposed plan to streamline the permitting process for the restoration of traditional fishpond systems.

The plan is aimed at simplifying and consolidating a “complicated and time-consuming regulatory path” for fishpond restoration in the state, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

State officials say the proposed program called Hoʻāla Loko Iʻa would provide cultural practitioners with a single application permit, consolidating a process that currently requires five permits that cover 17 federal and state regulations.

Under the single Conservation District Use Application, state officials say the applicant would be required to provide information on the following: history and ecology of the pond system, proposed work and best management practices, water quality plans, and the applicant’s relationship to the pond and associated ahupuaʻa.

The permit would be processed by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands.

Public hearings in Maui County include a meeting tonight, Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Maui Sanctuary Visitor Center; and tomorrow night, Thursday, Feb. 27, at the Lānaʻi Community Center from 5 to 7 p.m.