Gov. Josh Green insists that he is following Hawaii law for filling a vacant special seat on the state water commission amid criticism of his procedure to do so. A response from Green to concerns raised by about 70 Hawaii environmental and Native Hawaiian cultural organizations over the lack of a key appointment to the Commission on Water Resource Management was received by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Wednesday following a Tuesday story about the criticism.
Green, in a statement, said he needs a minimum of three applicants from which to choose a new commission member, who in this instance must have substantial experience or expertise in traditional Hawaiian water resource management techniques including riparian use. This seat on the seven-member commission, sometimes referred to as the loea, or expert, seat, was vacated June 30 by Neil Hannahs after his completion of a second four-year term. A selection committee that Green helped form late last year, in anticipation of the then-impending departure by Hannahs, interviewed 13 applicants in January and February, then selected four applicants in February for Green to consider appointing to the commission.
At some point since then, two applicants withdrew. So Green said he can’t select one of the two remaining candidates because he needs at least three to pick from. “I am keenly aware of the heightened importance of filling the CWRM loea vacancy,” Green said.
“We are following due process of law after applicants withd.