The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife’s Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program is bringing its successful and unique Citizen Forestry Tree Inventory Program to the Honolulu ahupua‘a of Waikiki. The program, which begins training in mid-October, seeks volunteers to become Citizen Foresters and help gather valuable data about Honolulu’s urban trees that contributes towards improved management of these important community assets.
Forestry & Wildlife
The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of State Parks has begun repair work to the 0.4-mile loop trail at Akaka Falls State Park, necessitated due to accidental damage caused by earlier removal of invasive albizia trees in February this year. Site Engineering was selected as contractor and cost estimate is $297,400. Work is expected to be completed in December.
Six young ‘Alalā—critically endangered Hawaiian crows—were released into Pu‘u Maka‘ala Natural Area Reserve on the Island of Hawai‘i, today. The first group of birds: two females and four males took some time to emerge from the aviary where they had been temporarily housed and they appeared to show a natural curiosity for their surroundings. Plans are to release a second group of five birds: two females and three males in mid-October from the same release aviary
A wildland fire burning adjacent to Ha‘ena State Park on Kaua‘i’s north shore has closed the park and the popular Kalalau Trail in the Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park.
The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) will close the Kula Forest Reserve, Waipoli Access Road, Kahikinui Forest Reserve – Papa‘anui Tract, and Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area for two weeks from Monday, October 2, 2017, through Friday, October 13, 2017, to allow for scheduled road repairs, trails repairs, road safety improvements, and fuel reduction work.
The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) is pleased to announce that application forms for the 2018 Lana‘i Axis deer hunting season, together with instruction sheets, will be available at all DOFAW offices statewide beginning Monday October 2, 2017. Applicants may apply online.
The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Island Conservation, and other Lehua Island Restoration Project partners became aware of social media posts, photos and video that show dead fish or birds that posters claim were killed by a rodenticide currently being used to eradicate non-native, damaging (invasive) rats from the island. However unlikely the connection, the project partners take any potential risks to non-target species and marine life, extremely seriously.
HILO -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife will conduct an ungulate control program at Puu Waawaa Mauka (above Mamalahoa Highway), during three consecutive weekends in September: Labor Day weekend Sept. 2-4, Sept. 9 and 10, and Sept. 16 and 17. During these dates hiking will not be permitted.
HILO -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) this month will conduct animal control activities specifically for trapping mouflon/feral sheep hybrids; staff hunting, and/or aerial shooting from helicopters for feral goats, feral sheep, mouflon and mouflon/feral sheep hybrids within palila critical habitat in the Mauna Kea Forest Reserve (Unit A), Mauna Kea Ice Age Natural Area Reserve (Unit K), Palila Mitigation Lands, and the Kaohe Game Management Area (Unit G) on the island of Hawai‘i.
(HONOLULU) – Today, hope reigns for Lehua Island, as an operation commenced to make the island’s threatened wildlife safe from introduced, damaging, invasive rats. DLNR and its partners carried out carefully made plans to remove the invasive rats with support from Native Hawaiian and local communities. Dozens of Federal and State permits affirming that the operation poses very little risk to people, marine mammals, fish, sea turtles, birds, or other wildlife were secured in advance of the operation.
