▪ USA Today on Hawaii's Land Use Dynamics

Martin Kasindorf at USA Today has written a story Land-use debate ugly in paradise about the competing sides about a proposed development on Molokai:

"There is trouble in paradise," says Annie Van Eps, 59, an art gallery manager who moved from California five years ago. "This has split our island. Can't we have one island that's not developed?"

Opponents of the proposal say Molokai needs to guard its stoplight-free rural lifestyle and scarce water more than it needs 200 millionaires and 100 more jobs. Wariness toward moneyed newcomers who don't adopt Molokai's laid-back pace can have racial overtones, too.

On the other side of the coin:

John Sabas, vice president of Molokai Ranch, says the cattle operation is losing money and needs to sell land. To win community support, the ranch is offering to give control of 51,000 of its 65,000 acres to a land trust for conservation, and to reopen a resort that closed in 2000 with the loss of 100 jobs.

Is this debate unique to Molokai, or Hawaii?  No, but it's rare that the dynamics of Hawaii's land use scene get displayed on the national stage.