Maui faces water rights questions as island continues wildfire recovery
William Brangham:
His group's victory was part of a steady progress made by Native Hawaiians over the years.
But when the wildfires swept through Lahaina, killing 100 people and destroying thousands of buildings, some raised questions about whether those legal fights over water made this disaster worse.
During the fire, the administration of Hawaii's Democratic governor, Josh Green, suspended the state's water code and, with it, protections for Native farmers water rights. The next day, a major real estate developer, the West Maui Land Company, asked state officials if it could permanently reduce the amount of water it had to provide those farmers.
West Maui made the request for — quote — "fire suppression in our community." Soon after, Governor Green seemed to echo those concerns.
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