(Līhuʻe) - New FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) will become effective on February 26, 2021 and could impact a property’s flood risk and requirements for federally mandated flood insurance. The DLNR, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Kaua‘i County are informing property owners and renters that updated flood studies for the Hanapēpē and Waimea rivers and Moloa‘a stream and bay may have changed property’s flood risk.
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(POLIHALE STATE PARK, KAUA‘I) – Emotion overcomes Raylene “Sissy” Kahale as she describes the significance of Polihale to Hawaiian families who have lived here for many generations. “Polihale is like our home. You don’t go to the bathroom at the same place you sleep or eat off. This place is so sacred. I don’t think people realize the mana that it brings and gives. When you come here it feels like coming home,” Kahale says, as tears well up.
(Honolulu) – Park improvements at Wa’ahila Ridge State Recreation Area, on O‘ahu begin next week. Improvements include the repaving and expansion of the parking area, walkway replacement and new pathways to the picnic area. New speed bumps will be added. The project includes repairs to the pavilion and comfort stations, as well as the removal of tree hazards.
(Līhue) – As the response to COVID-19 continues, so will the additional hunting days enjoyed by hunters on Kaua‘i. The additional hunting days were added in May 2020 by the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) Kaua‘i Branch, and has resulted in a sustainable supply of both hunting recreation and animals harvested.
(KAHULUI) – It started as a father-son kayak off the west coast of Maui to view and photograph Humpback whales. 45-year-old Daniel Sullivan and his 15-year-old son Tristan, of Kula, paddled out on their two-man, 12-foot hard-shell kayak from the west side of the pali at around 11:30 Tuesday morning. There was a slight swell but clear water. Daniel Sullivan recounted the incident in his own words in the following social media post:
(Honolulu) – Commercial vessels, regardless of size are required to ensure that all their passengers and crew wear masks to prevent the spread of Covid-19. This follows the recent Presidential Executive Order and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requirement for immediate action requiring mask-wearing on all domestic modes of transportation on land and sea.
(HONOLULU) – It’s believed drowning is the likely cause of death of at least two of three Hawaiian monk seals found dead on Kaua‘i last September, November, and December. Constraints caused by the COVID-19 pandemic delayed completion of post-mortem examinations.
(Kahului) - The DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) and the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) are investigating an unusual shark encounter this afternoon.
Today, the State’s first wetland restoration project on Kaua‘i, the Kawai‘ele Waterbird Sanctuary is about to expand. You can’t canoe, cross-country, these days, but the addition of 100 acres of wetland will provide additional habitat for native Hawaiian birds and as Jason Vercelli of the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) put it, “If you can protect, restore, and re-create wetland areas, you’ll end up with a big sponge.”
(HONOLULU) – Nearing the top of the popular Hawai‘iloa Ridge Trail in East O‘ahu look to your right and take in Pia Valley. This 300-acre parcel of rainforest in the southern Ko‘olau mountains will now be protected forever, thanks to a generous donation.