Department of Land and Natural Resources

(HILO) – Recent aerial surveys of 810,000 acres of Hawaii Island forests showed that a fungal infestation of ohia trees is much greater than earlier thought. Using a helicopter and specialized survey equipment, surveyors from a collaboration of state, county and federal agencies flew over 81,000 acres, January 11 - 15, 2016. Satellite imagery of ohia forests in 2014 resulted in an estimate of 15,000 acres infected by this newly identified disease. The latest survey, pending ground verification, estimates the infection has now spread to some 34,000 acres of the ohia forest on the Big Island.

LIHU‘E, KAUA‘I -- The latest step in the state’s ongoing efforts to restore the Pu‘u Ka Pele Forest Reserve on Kaua‘i is to protect the newly out-planted koa trees within the previously burned and logged area, by carrying out an animal control hunt within a designated portion of the forest reserve. This animal control will run for two months from Feb. 8, 2016 to April 8, 2016.

HONOLULU -- Applications for a vacant position on the State Commission on Water Resource Management are now being accepted for a new term that will begin July 1, 2016 and run for four (4) years, expiring on June 30, 2020. Applications and resumes should be postmarked no later than Friday, February 26, 2016.

KAILUA-KONA, HAWAII -- Salvage operations are expected to be completed by tomorrow of the 39’ Coast-Guard registered powerboat “Hoku Kea,” which ran aground Friday evening off Kohanaiki beach, west Hawaii.

KAILUA-KONA -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) will hold a combined public information meeting and formal public rulemaking hearing in West Hawai‘i to amend Hawaii Administrative Rules (“HAR”) Title 13, chapter 60.4, to establish the Ka‘ūpūlehu Marine Reserve.

KAILUA-KONA, HAWAII -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) has opened a new boating office at the Kailua Pier, in Kailua-Kona. DOBOR staff based in this office will manage the day-by-day operation of the Kailua Pier and provide support services for recreational boaters.

HILO -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Division of Forestry and Wildlife is holding a public hearing to provide the public the opportunity to present comments on proposed changes to government forest reserve lands on the island of Hawaiʻi.

(HONOLULU) - NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) has informed the State of Hawaii of its decision to continue the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary as it was first designated by Congress – as a sanctuary to protect humpback whales and their habitat.

KAILUA-KONA, HAWAII -- Salvage operations are expected to begin this week to remove a 39’ Coast-Guard documented powerboat “Hoku Kea,” which ran aground Friday evening off Kohanaiki beach, west Hawaii.

HILO -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) will conduct animal control activities specifically for trapping mouflon/feral sheep hybrids; staff hunting, and/or aerial shooting from helicopters for feral goats, feral sheep, mouflon and mouflon/feral sheep hybrids within palila critical habitat in the Mauna Kea Forest Reserve (Unit A), Mauna Kea Ice Age Natural Area Reserve (Unit K), Palila Mitigation Lands, and the Ka‘ohe Game Management Area (Unit G) on the island of Hawai‘i.