Due to the continued approach of Hurricane Ignacio, DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife Maui district will close all Maui Forest Reserves, Game Management Areas, Wildlife Sanctuaries and Natural Area Reserves, for public safety due to threats of heavy rain and flash flooding, effective at 6 pm Sunday .

HONOLULU — The Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program is leading the way for urban forestry practices in Hawai‘i with a new cutting-edge forested rain garden project planned for next month in Kailua, O‘ahu. Kaulunani is a federally funded urban forestry program of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife, and is operated by the non-profit organization Friends of Hawai‘i’s Urban Forest (dba Smart Trees Pacific.)

HONOLULU – Due in large part to the weather delays in the construction, the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Division of State Parks is modifying the closure dates for Makapu‘u Lighthouse Trail in Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline. The trail will now be open from Friday, August 28 through Monday, September 14. To allow for the removal of the existing asphalt road and repaving of the one-mile long road, the trail will be closed for seven (7) days from Tuesday September 15 through Wednesday, September 23. The trail will be open on the weekend of September 19-20.

HILO -- A public vehicular access route to the Ka’u Forest Reserve will soon be established along three miles of road along the lower boundary of this majestic forest reserve that spans over 61,000 acres on the south-eastern slopes of Mauna Loa, Hawaii. It will make more accessible areas of the reserve for public use which includes hunting, recreational opportunities, cultural uses, personal gathering and educational programs and activities.

(HONOLULU) - Andy Bohlander, a Shoreline Specialist with the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program, working with the DLNR Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands (OCCL), is a man with a lot of miles on his shoes. He is part of the team at OCCL charged with making sure that Hawaii’s public beaches remain accessible to the public and free of encroachments that may inhibit access, like structures and vegetation.

HONOLULU — The Department of Land and NaturalResources (DLNR) is pleased that the federal government has incorporated state input into new rules aimed at further protection for the critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal, by focusing protection on areas most important forforaging, pupping and resting.

HONOLULU -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), will hold public hearings on proposed amendments to revise thrill craft zones and restrictions within Keehi Lagoon, Oahu.

HONOLULU -- New fishing rules for the first-ever Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area (CBSFA) in Ha‘ena, Kaua‘i, which Governor David Ige signed into law last week, take effect today. The rules are aimed to preserve and protect fishing practices that are customarily and traditionally exercised for purposes of native Hawaiian subsistence, culture, and religion.

LIHU‘E, KAUA‘I -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of State Parks will hold a public meeting next week on the Master Plan and EIS for Hâ‘ena State Park and will be held on Wednesday, August 19, 2015 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Hanalei Elementary School Cafeteria. The address is 5-5415 Kûhio Highway, Hanalei, HI 96714.

HILO -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and County of Hawai‘i are inviting Big Island residents and property owners to attend important upcoming public information meetings next week on changes in the new FEMA Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps (DFIRMs) for Hawai‘i County.