Hawaiian Electric awards grants to environmental nonprofits
Hawaiian Electric has awarded a total of $60,000 in grants to four environmental nonprofit organizations working to protect and preserve Hawaii’s natural and cultural resources. Their efforts, from managing the impacts of climate change to restoring and strengthening our forests and reefs, align with Hawaiian Electric’s efforts to advance a sustainable and resilient Hawaii.
• Blue Planet Foundation, the Honolulu-based nonprofit committed to a just and sustainable energy future for Hawaii, will use the grant to continue its work shaping the opinion and behavior of Hawaii’s residents as it relates to climate and clean energy. In addition to its existing initiatives, Blue Planet also will address new opportunities and challenges.
• Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL), which has a mission to save the world’s coral reefs, has been working to improve water quality on Hawaii’s reefs by preventing land-based pollution from entering the ocean and partnering with local communities to reduce threats. On the Big Island, CORAL will help Puako become the state’s first flagship community to transition from cesspools to improved wastewater treatment. Funding also will support a citizen science program to address sources of water pollution.
• Hawaii Environmental Restoration, founded in 2019, focuses on restoring the natural integrity of the environment, specifically the restoration and preservation of Keau‘ohana State Forest Reserve on the Big Island. The area is the largest and most intact lowland rainforest remaining below 1,000 feet in the state. The grant will support the continued restoration, management and protection of the critical habitat for rare native and endangered species. Grant monies also will be used to conduct community outreach and education.
• The Nature Conservancy works to protect forests and coral reefs in Hawaii through a collaborative, science-based approach that also blends in Hawaiian cultural traditions. To help create a sustainable Hawaii with a healthy environment, economy and communities, the nonprofit will collect and synthesize data on nearshore marine areas in West Maui and the Big Island, implement a Big Island forest carbon sequestration project, and conduct educational outreach through social media platforms to inspire and remind people of the importance and joys of nature during this global pandemic.
Tax filing deadline remains April 20
Taxpayers must file their returns by April 20, according to the state Department of Transportation, which decided in late March not to extend the Tax Year 2020 filing deadline.
While the law requires taxpayers to file by April 20, taxpayers are granted an automatic six-month extension (no form is required to request the extension) to file the return through Oct. 20 if one of these two conditions is met: the taxpayer is due a refund, or the taxpayer pays the properly estimated tax amount owed by April 20.
Taxpayers who are not able to pay the properly estimated tax amount owed should pay as much as they can to avoid additional interest and penalties. Residents can file Form N-11, Hawaii Resident Income Tax Return, for free using Hawaii Tax Online (hitax.hawaii.gov). Payments can also be made using Hawaii Tax Online or by submitting Form N-200V with the payment.