The popular 2.5 mile Waihe‘e ridge trail that climbs the windward slope of the west Maui mountains will be temporarily reopened tomorrow, Saturday February 11, following completion of a first phase of improvements for increased public safety through surface improvements, drainage upgrades, and vegetative management.

Hawai’i’s small boat harbors, under the jurisdiction of the DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR), serve as the ocean gateways for thousands of kamaʿāina and visitors every year. In addition to maintaining 2,000 berths statewide and registering some 12,000 boats, DOBOR and its small boat harbors are used for a large variety of purposes. Boating, obviously, but also snorkeling, diving, touring, fishing and kayaking are among the frequent uses of our sixteen small boat harbors. All of these harbors and their ramps, piers, moorages, wash downs, comfort stations and parking lots require constant maintenance. While many boaters and commercial operators pay fees, any private boat owner can acquire an annual launch ramp decal for $50. These harbors also serve literally, as “safe harbors” during storms. These facilities are constantly exposed to the corrosive effects of salt air and salt water. This means, in addition to regular maintenance, the frequency in which you have to replace structures is greatly accelerated.

A project to make portions of the Lava Tree State Monument trail accessible for wheelchair users will begin on Monday, February 6. The park will remain open but portions of the trail will be intermittently closed while work is being performed in sections. The aim is to reduce the slope to be within acceptable limits, create rest stops and install signs to indicate the ADA approved route and pathway.

HONOLULU – Warning signs will be installed starting next week, to alert hikers about the possible presence of unexploded ordnance (UXO) at the start of several popular hiking trails in Maunawili Valley, which were once a part of a former military training camp located on the windward side of O‘ahu.