Every day, I’m scouring the Internet for land use and environmental news from around the state and around the world that means something for us here in Hawaii. Noteworthy today: drought reaches disaster level and the city is sued for its park plan.

• U.S. Agricultural Secretary Thomas Vilsack has designated all four Hawaii counties as farm disaster areas after economic losses because of the statewide drought, the Star-Advertiser reports.

• A Nanakuli landowner is suing the city over plans for park, saying it’s an attempt to shut down the industrial landfill.

• Soon-to-be-former Mayor Mufi Hannemann issued a press release saying that Nanakuli wants a regional park, not another landfill. It was part of a flurry of activity as he prepares to resign.

• Nissan dealers say about 1,000 people in Hawaii have expressed an interest in buying the electric Nissan Leaf, with about a quarter of those put down a $99 refundable deposit.

• In a Star-Advertiser op-ed today, three wrote that “Hawaii’s oil addiction threatens our island way of life.”

• A diverse partnership conserves 27 acres of Sunset Ranch land and open space on North Shore.

• In Florida’s Everglades, the U.S. Department of Agriculture formally unveiled its ambitious $89 million bid to buy easements and development rights from a well-connected ranch.

• Greenpeace finds evidence of unapproved genetically modified rice contamination in China’s emergency grain stores.

Enjoy more stories like these throughout the day at my Twitter.

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