(Kahului, Maui) – The three DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources (DOCARE) officers, assigned to the North Maui Community Fisheries Enforcement Unit (CFEU) are all Maui natives. They have a real and special connection to the 17-miles of state-controlled ocean water on Maui’s north shore. The CFEU, a partnership between the state with initial funding from Conservation International and the Harold C.K. Castle Foundation, was established to put sharp focus on a heavily used area; both by people recreating and by fishers. It’s those who fish that Officers Jeffrey Kinores, Nathan Hillen, and Joshua Rezentes focus their efforts on. In the three years since the establishment of this special unit, they’ve been able to shift their attention from enforcement to outreach and education. Also, while the first two years efforts were focused on illegal netting, the favorable weather conditions this past year saw officers shift to monitoring diving activity. In CFEU’s first year of operations (2013-2014), officers issued 41 total citations; 22 were for net violations. For the period beginning in 2015 and continuing until today, they issued 31 citations, including seven for netting violations and 14 for diving violations. That includes illegal take of lobster and undersized fish or exceeding bag limits.

KAHULUI – Visitors to the ‘Ahihi-Kina‘u Natural Area Reserve and Keone‘oi‘o (La Perouse Bay) area are advised that renovation of the Kanahena parking area is expected to create limited parking and traffic delays from August 29 through September 30.

HONOLULU – The major walkway along the coastline of Wai‘anapanapa State Park will be replaced beginning on September 6. The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of State Parks will be phasing the project over the next 6 months to avoid a complete closure of the walkway. However, the construction of the new 4-foot wide concrete walkway will disrupt access along portions of the path over several months. The current walkway provides access to the scenic lookouts along the coastline and to Pailoa Bay, the popular black sand beach. Pailoa Beach will be closed for approximately 2 weeks, probably in October, for the construction of a new concrete pathway with steps. The campgrounds, picnic tables, and restrooms will remain accessible but may require alternate routes during construction. Roadways and parking areas may be temporarily impacted by the construction activities.

(Haʻena, Kauai) — The DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) has finalized the management plan for the Hāʻena Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area (CBSFA) and will brief the Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) on the outcomes of the public comment process and the final management plan at its regular meeting on August 26th, 2016.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is supporting a proposed rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) which would prohibit approaching a Hawaiian spinner dolphin within 50 yards by any means. This would include commercial swim- with-dolphins programs.

HONOLULU -- As global climate change progresses, what will happen to Hawai‘i’s aquifers and the ecosystem services which healthy forest watersheds provide? Will we be able to meet our future fresh water needs for drinking and agriculture?

(Molokai) – Scattered across an expansive coastline of valleys, sea cliffs, boulders, and beaches, is a problem that affects everyone. “It doesn’t matter the name you give it, marine debris, ocean litter, coastal trash, or where it came from,” says James Espaniola of the Department of Land and Natural Resources. “The best thing to do is to get busy and do something about it.” That is exactly what The Nature Conservancy Molokai (TNC-Molokai), Kalaupapa National Historical Park (KNHP) and the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife’s (DOFAW) Natural Area Reserves System decided to do.

(Honolulu) – The deep, beautiful orange and black hue of Hawai’i’s official state insect is well known by visitors to native forests, and cultural practitioners. It is considered a critical pollinator for numerous native plants. The Kamehameha butterfly, like so many insects, plants, and animals in Hawai’i, is being crowded out of its traditional habitat by ever-encroaching human presence, the introduction of invasive predator species, and global climate change. Although the butterfly is historically known from all the main Hawaiian Islands (Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lanaʻi, Maui, and Hawai’i), it is no longer found in some areas where it used to be common and it appears to be declining. The Pulelehua Project includes an effort to map current populations of the Kamehameha butterfly using observations submitted by the public, combined with surveys of remote areas by scientists. Pulelehua is the Hawaiian word for butterfly.

(Click on image to watch video)

(Honolulu) - The Hawaii Dept. of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) has established a special website for information on the upcoming International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress Hawaii 2016, being held in Honolulu, Sept. 1-10, 2016.