News Releases

(Honolulu) – Following Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s announcement of the City and County of Honolulu Directive 18-01, the co-chairs of the Hawai‘i Climate Change and Adaptation Commission (the Commission) applauded this proactive move as an, “important step toward minimizing risks and adapting to the impacts of sea level rise.”

(Honolulu) – At least ten people on a Hawaiian Lava Boat Tours vessel were injured this morning after an explosion sent lava through the roof of the boat’s passenger cabin.  Other reports indicate as many as 12 passengers were hurt. Officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) along with the Hawai‘i County Police Dept. are investigating the incident.

(Honolulu)  A juvenile whale shark with heavy gauge line wrapped around its mid-section was spotted a second time this week.  Initial reports of the entangled whale shark were received on Sunday off Olowalu and then on Thursday several commercial snorkel/dive tour companies reported the shark on the backside of Molokini, off Maui’s south shore.

(Honolulu) – Today the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife’s (DOFAW) Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program reached a major milestone. For the last two years a group of volunteers in Kailua have been gathering information on individual trees in Kailua. They measure and map each tree and their data provides valuable information about urban trees that helps resource experts better manage these important community assets.  In recognition of the first team of Citizen Foresters, DLNR/DOFAW presented them with a DLNR & YOU Citizen Conservationist award.

(Honolulu) – When it comes to food Hawaiian monk seals behave much like dogs.  Feed them once and they’ll come back for more.  That’s one of the messages the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) and NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is relaying to fishers who frequent the small bay adjacent to the Kahe Power Plant on O‘ahu’s Wai‘anae coast.

(Puna) – The East Rift Zone Eruption event has destroyed important populations of two of Hawaiʻi’s endangered plants. This loss highlights the importance of managing other threats to native species across the state and the need to increase resilience of such populations.

(Hilo) – DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources (DOCARE) officers cited two more people for allegedly being in a closed area in the East Rift Eruption Zone over the weekend.

HILO – The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) announces the opening of the hunting season in the Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a forest reserve (PWW), youth and disabled hunt and makai sections pursuant to Title 13, Chapter 123, "Rules Regulating Game Mammal Hunting." DLNR-DOFAW also announces a special ungulate control program for the PWW mauka section pursuant to Title 13, Chapter 123-9, "Rules Regulating Game Mammal Hunting."  

(Honolulu) – One benefit of a smaller and quieter than usual 4th of July Waikiki flotilla was a big reduction in the amount of trash accumulating in the ocean and on the beach. For several years volunteers from Sustainable Coastlines and other beach clean-up organizations had boats in the water and people on the beach to pick-up after the ocean-going party. This year the groups elected to focus their attention on regularly scheduled beach clean-ups and were not able to support post-flotilla rubbish removal.

(Halawa, Moloka‘i) -- It took a community effort over several weeks to successfully clean up various kinds of marine debris from the beautiful beaches at the east end of Moloka‘i. More than 60 big bags full of trash were collected during a team effort between Moloka’i volunteers, a school class, staff from a local ranch, and help from several agencies. The biggest challenge was a net mass that was described as the size of a large SUV in one gigantic doughnut-like ball, about 25-30 yards across.