(HONOLULU) – Restoration of a widely-used boat ramp at Pohoiki Bay, in the Puna District of Hawai‘i island, blocked by new sand during the 2018 Puna lava eruption is estimated to take between nine months and six or more years, and cost between $2.5 and $28 million, the State Land of Board and Natural Resources heard during a briefing today.
BLNR
(Honolulu) – DLNR has completed its independent review of the Mauna Kea Comprehensive Management Plan implementation by the University of Hawai‘i (UH). Over the past seven months, the review was conducted independently for DLNR by Kuiʻwalu Consulting, to provide DLNR and the Board of Land and Natural Resources relevant information as to whether Mauna Kea is being effectively managed.
(Wailea) – Starting October 1st, 2020, ‘Āhihi-Kīna‘u Natural Area Reserve will charge non-Hawai‘i residents a user-fee of $5.00 per vehicle. Two machines in the reserve’s parking lot accept credit or debit cards and produce the receipts that must be displayed on their dashboard while using the area. Use-fees paid by visitors will pay for infrastructure costs or projects that protect the reserve’s unique natural resources. Hawai‘i residents will not be charged but must still display a daily pass that will be generated from the same machines.
(Honolulu) - In a 7-0 decision Friday, the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) voted to reject an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for proposed aquarium fishing in West Hawaiʻi. The over 2000-page EIS had been produced by a group of ten West Hawaiʻi aquarium fishers and the National Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, on their proposal to ask the DLNR to issue permits to the ten aquarium fishers. The proposed permits themselves were not before the BLNR for decision.
(Honolulu) – In order to provide the DLNR and the Board of Land and Natural Resources relevant information, including community input, into whether Mauna Kea is being effectively managed, the department is launching an independent evaluation of the University of Hawai‘i’s (UH) compliance with the Mauna Kea Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP).
(Honolulu) – Catastrophic wildfires, degraded watersheds, epidemics of invasive species and disease are but a few of the challenges facing forest managers across the country and in Hawai‘i. Add these threats to increasing demands for a variety of uses of public forest lands and managers have their hands full.
(Hilo) – Administrative fines totaling $48,500 have been affirmed by Circuit Judge Greg K. Nakamura in a Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) decision against illegal commercial lava boat tours on Hawai‘i Island; in a ruling issued on September 27, 2019. Those fined are Henry K. Pomroy, Bill A. Fujimoto, and Ho‘okupu Fish Company, LLC.
(Honolulu) – The Legacy Land Conservation Commission has prioritized applications to protect 19,270 acres stretching from the southeast shore at Ka‘ū, Hawai‘i, to Kaua‘i's north shore, including lands on Maui, Moloka‘i, and O‘ahu.
(Honolulu) - Out-of-state visitors and commercial tour buses will begin paying parking fees at Koke‘e and Waimea Canyon State Parks on Kaua‘i beginning Friday, June 28, 2019.These fees were approved by Governor Ige in December of 2015 and had previously been approved by the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) in 2010. A DLNR Division of State Parks analysis of parking and entry fees for large state parks frequented by visitors and commercial tours companies were identified as a source for critically needed operating funds.
(Honolulu) – In a court order issued today, First Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Crabtree, affirmed a Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) decision to issue an incidental take license (ITL) and to require a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for the Na Pua Makani wind farm at Kahuku on O‘ahu’s north shore. The project would include as many as nine wind turbine generators creating approximately 25 megawatts of power.