HILO – The Department of Land and Natural Resources’ (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, is now accepting applications for vacant seats on the Laupāhoehoe Advisory Council (LAC) and the Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a Advisory Council (PAC) on Hawai‘i island.
Forestry & Wildlife
HONOLULU -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife announces the opening of the 2015-2016 game bird hunting season on Saturday, November 7, 2015.
LIHU'E – Seven fledgling ‘A‘o (Newell’s Shearwaters) were released by school children from two Kauai schools this week as part of the annual E Ho‘opomaika‘i ‘ia na Manu ‘A‘o (A Cultural Release of the Native Newell’s Shearwater) event. This is the eighth year the Kauai Endangered Seabird Recovery Project (KESRP) and the Save Our Shearwaters (SOS) project teamed up to give local keiki the chance to be a part of the release of rehabilitated ‘A’o fledglings. Fourth-grade students from Wilcox Elementary School and Island School participated in the blessing and releases.
HILO -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) 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), and the Ka‘ohe Game Management Area (Unit G) on the island of Hawai‘i. Aerial shooting is required for compliance with the federal court order mandating the removal of sheep and goats from critical habitat for palila, a bird endemic to Hawai‘i.
(LEHUA ISLAND) – “100% success,” is how a researcher with Island Conservation describes this week’s non-lethal bait experiment on this small island, 17 miles west of Kauai, just off the northern tip of Niihau. State, federal, and non-profit partners conducted helicopter application of bait that is non-toxic, which they hope will ultimately lead to the use of rodent bait to eliminate Lehua’s rat population. Invasive rats are the primary predator of three federally-listed and/or endangered and threatened candidate seabird species that could establish breeding colonies on Lehua. Newell’s shearwaters, Hawaiian petrel, and the Band-rumped storm petrel may have been nesting there prior to the introduction of rats and rabbits. Rabbits have been eradicated from the island.
HONOLULU - The Department of Land and Natural Resources will keep closed its coastal and low-lying state parks and forest areas (including wildlife sanctuaries, natural area reserves and game management areas) on all islands on Thursday morning until staff are able to monitor adjacent ocean conditions for safety before reopening them.
KAUAI COUNTY – The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) has partnered with the conservation non-profit Island Conservation (IC) and a group of interested stakeholders to study the introduced population of rats on Lehua Island.
(KAHULUI, MAUI) – The Nakula Natural Area Reserve (NAR) on the Leeward slopes of Maui’s Haleakala covers 1500 acres and spans elevations from 3600-9200 feet above sea level. The Nakula NAR was established in 2011 and is adjacent to the Kahikinui Forest Reserve. Both are components of the Leeward Haleakala Watershed Restoration Partnership (LHWRP).
Due to the continued approach of Hurricane Ignacio, DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife Maui district will close all Maui Forest Reserves, Game Management Areas, Wildlife Sanctuaries and Natural Area Reserves, for public safety due to threats of heavy rain and flash flooding, effective at 6 pm Sunday .
HONOLULU — The Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program is leading the way for urban forestry practices in Hawai‘i with a new cutting-edge forested rain garden project planned for next month in Kailua, O‘ahu. Kaulunani is a federally funded urban forestry program of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife, and is operated by the non-profit organization Friends of Hawai‘i’s Urban Forest (dba Smart Trees Pacific.)