The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of State Parks has begun repair work to the 0.4-mile loop trail at Akaka Falls State Park, necessitated due to accidental damage caused by earlier removal of invasive albizia trees in February this year. Site Engineering was selected as contractor and cost estimate is $297,400. Work is expected to be completed in December.
Early morning visitors to the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve in East Oahu were delighted to see a Hawaiian monk seal resting on the beach. At first, it was thought the seal might be “Rocky,” the female who pupped a seal on Kaimana Beach over the summer, prompting worldwide media attention for mom and her precocious pup. Since Rocky has never been tagged, volunteers and staff from Hawai’i Marine Animal Response (HMAR) now say they can’t be sure of this seals identity.
A continuing project to remove rockfall hazards along the slopes of the iconic Diamond Head State Monument is now focused on the crater interior, and anyone planning to hike the summit trail between late October into late November, needs to carefully review the construction schedule that now includes some all-day weekday closures. See the Division of State Parks website at https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/oahu/diamond-head-state-monument/
The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), in partnership with the State Office of Planning, will be holding the first-ever Hawai‘i Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission (Climate Commission) meeting on October 11.