(HONOLULU) –The upcoming State of Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT) repair work on the Mākaha Bridge will close part of Farrington Highway from Friday, September 29 through Sunday October 1. Farrington Highway will be fully closed between Kili Drive and Makau Street during the Phase 2 Closure. No through traffic will be allowed during these times. During this time vehicular access to the Kuaokalā Forest Reserve, Mokulē‘ia Forest Reserve and Kuaokalā Game Management Area, managed by the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), will be affected. The forest reserves, game management area and all trails will remain open and accessible from the Mokulēʻia side only, via foot and bike.
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(LAHAINA, MAUI) – Remote automatic weather stations (RAWS) have been installed recently in Lahaina in areas with invasive grasses that can be vulnerable to wildfires. The technology enables the Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) to collect data to predict fire behavior and monitor fire-stoking fuels.
(MAUNA LOA FOREST RESERVE, HAWAI‘I ISLAND) — For seven years, Alex Wang, Wildlife Biologist with the DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), has searched for signs of the band-rumped storm-petrel, or ‘akē‘akē, nesting on Hawai‘i Island. After a long process of night surveys requiring patience, method refinement, and a generous dose of resolve, that day finally arrived in July.
(HONOLULU) – Governor Josh Green, M.D., signed a second Emergency Proclamation last Friday, regarding the former Uncle Billy’s Hilo Bay Hotel. It extends the first disaster emergency relief period designated in the July 18, 2023, proclamation, until November 13, 2023.
(HONOLULU) – Natural resources are cultural resources in Hawaiʻi, and managing ecosystems requires an understanding of their cultural context. This is the guiding idea behind a new video series called "ʻIke Kaiāulu,” translated as “Community Knowledge,” produced by the Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) at the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR). While the series is ongoing and will expand over time, the first four installments were recently released and feature experts in the fields of la‘au lapa‘au (medicinal plant collection), wood carving, kilo limu (seaweed observation), and stewardship of special areas.
(LAHAINA, MAUI) – Three sophisticated sampling instruments are now gathering information from the ocean waters just off the coast of this fire-ravaged west Maui community. The devices, on loan from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), will collect data over time.
(HONOLULU) – Some owners of commercial ocean tour companies, not only lost their vessels in the Lahaina fire, several lost homes as well. DLNR Chair Dawn Chang acknowledged their losses during a virtual meeting with nearly 100 operators today. The Lahaina recovery meeting was intended to answer as many questions as possible about the status and futures of the Lahaina Small Boat Harbor, Mala Wharf, Ma‘alaea Small Boat Harbor, and Ka‘anapali launch area in west Maui.
(LĀHAINĀ, HAWAI‘I) – Always mindful of the human toll and property destruction around them, 13 owners of vessels moored in the Lāhainā Small Boat Harbor were granted access Monday to check on their boats.
(WAIMEA, HAWAI’I ISLAND) - As many as 1,000 people were expected to attend a wildfire fair today, organized by the Waimea Resilience Hub, at the Mana Christian 'Ohana's Kahilu Town Hall. Planning for the fair began last winter, well in advance of wildfires on Hawai’i Island and recent ones on Maui, including the blaze that leveled Lāhainā town and killed more than 100 people, with five dozen others still unaccounted for.
(LĀHAINĀ, HAWAI‘I) – Prior to the August 8 fire, the Lāhainā Small Boat Harbor was a busy port for private vessels, commercial tour operators, and the interisland ferry service. Waterway access to the harbor is currently restricted by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), in coordination with the County of Maui, until a full assessment of damage is completed. This will be followed by the removal of potentially dozens of boats, many of which remain safety and navigational hazards as they rest below the ocean surface.