(Waiʻanae) – More than 75 Enterprise employees today joined the Arbor Day Foundation, the Department of Land and Natural Resources Kaululani Urban and Community Forestry Program, and the Waiʻanae Mountains Watershed Partnership (WMWP) to plant more than 750 trees at the Waiʻanae Kai State Forest Reserve in Waiʻanae. The event is part of a program – called the Enterprise Urban Tree Initiative – which invests in cities, through tree distribution and neighborhood planting events, which have been devastated by natural disasters.
Forestry & Wildlife
(Lana’i City)–Applications for the 2019 Lana’i mouflon sheep hunting season, together with instruction sheets, will be available at all Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) Offices Statewide beginning Monday, March 18, 2019.
(Lihue, Kaua‘i) – During the four-day-long annual meeting of the Pacific Seabird Group this week, ten researchers detailed the results of programs aimed at reducing the deaths of endangered and threatened native Hawaiian seabirds. They also explained how introduced predators, like cats and rats, continue to decimate seabird populations around the globe.
(Lihue, Kaua‘i) – A pu, pule, hula and chants celebrating native Hawaiian seabirds opened the 46th annual meeting of the Pacific Seabird Group (PSG) at the Aqua Kaua‘i Beach Resort, Wednesday night. This is only the second time this large group of seabird experts from across the Pacific have gathered for their annual meeting in Kaua’i.
(Honolulu) – An irreplaceable parcel of coastal land on O‘ahu’s northwestern shore has been donated to DLNR to protect it forever. The Tom family owned the roughly ½ acre parcel for decades, and they partnered with the North Shore Community Land Trust to transfer it to the State. DLNR plans to designate this iconic coastal area as an extension of the Kaʻena Point Natural Area Reserve (NAR).
(HILO)–The Kaulana Manu Nature Trail (formerly known as Kipuka 21) will be closed beginning March 2, 2019 for construction of restroom and parking facilities. The construction is expected to be completed by September, with the trail reopening soon after.
(Honolulu) – 38 years ago an intergovernmental treaty was signed that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. World Wetlands Day marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on February 2, 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar.
(Honolulu) – During a ceremony today at the Hawai‘i State Capitol, Governor David Ige proclaimed February as Hawai‘i Invasive Species Month. This long-standing recognition is intended to bring additional attention to the issue of invasive species. Simultaneously five individuals and four organizations were recognized by the Governor and legislative leaders as Hawai‘i Invasive Species Committee Most Valuable Players for 2019.
(Honolulu) – When Daniel Kapalikūokalani-Maile posted on Facebook last November that something was killing native naio trees in the Kapalama/Kalihi area, it prompted a rapid response from state and federal agencies and organizations.
(Kula)–An opening hearing will be held to receive testimony on the December 8, 2018 submittal of the Auwahi Wind Farm draft Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) amendment. Auwahi Wind Energy, LLC operates eight 3-megawatt wind turbines augmented by an 11-megawatt battery storage system located on ‘Ulupalakua Ranch, on the eastern side of the island of Maui. The project was constructed in 2012 and has been in operation since that time.