Pulitzer-winning poet transformed barren Hawaii land into 19-acre forest

W.S. Merwin, a celebrated poet, found solace and seclusion in Maui during the 1970s, where he dedicated himself to creating a lush 19-acre palm forest. This extraordinary project transformed a barren piece of land into a thriving ecological haven, showcasing an impressive array of palm species. Today, the Merwin Conser

August 19, 2026 9:31 AM ET The U.S. Forest Service filed a proposal Tuesday to rescind a 25-year-old rule that had prevented development on 44 million acres, nearly one-third of the National Forest System, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced.The USDA framed the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule as a