Department of Land and Natural Resources

Hawai’i’s small boat harbors, under the jurisdiction of the DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR), serve as the ocean gateways for thousands of kamaʿāina and visitors every year. In addition to maintaining 2,000 berths statewide and registering some 12,000 boats, DOBOR and its small boat harbors are used for a large variety of purposes. Boating, obviously, but also snorkeling, diving, touring, fishing and kayaking are among the frequent uses of our sixteen small boat harbors. All of these harbors and their ramps, piers, moorages, wash downs, comfort stations and parking lots require constant maintenance. While many boaters and commercial operators pay fees, any private boat owner can acquire an annual launch ramp decal for $50. These harbors also serve literally, as “safe harbors” during storms. These facilities are constantly exposed to the corrosive effects of salt air and salt water. This means, in addition to regular maintenance, the frequency in which you have to replace structures is greatly accelerated.

A project to make portions of the Lava Tree State Monument trail accessible for wheelchair users will begin on Monday, February 6. The park will remain open but portions of the trail will be intermittently closed while work is being performed in sections. The aim is to reduce the slope to be within acceptable limits, create rest stops and install signs to indicate the ADA approved route and pathway.

HONOLULU – Warning signs will be installed starting next week, to alert hikers about the possible presence of unexploded ordnance (UXO) at the start of several popular hiking trails in Maunawili Valley, which were once a part of a former military training camp located on the windward side of O‘ahu.

If you drive a car, fly in a plane, use air-conditioning to cool your home, or engage in other activity powered by fossil fuels that emit greenhouse gas, you may soon have new ways to offset your emissions locally, by supporting Hawaiian forest restoration.

HONOLULU - The Department of Land and Natural Resources is asking current Mala Wharf tenants to contact its Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation, Property Management Branch so they can receive information about keeping their storage rental agreements in force, following the reissuing of a one-year revocable permit (RP) for that property. A&K Ventures, LLC will begin management of dry-land boat and trailer storage at Mala Wharf on Maui, on March 1, 2017.

(Wailuku, Maui) – Interested people are invited to an informational meeting on the initial phases of the Iao Valley State Monument flood repair project by the DLNR Division of State Parks.

(HONOLULU) – When 7-year-old Malia Rillamas first spotted the bird, she pointed it out to her dad Jonathan. The family, from Haleiwa, pulled off the country road on O‘ahu’s north shore on the afternoon of Jan. 15, 2017 to see if they could help. A short time later Brian Smith of Wahiawa also pulled over. Together the trio watched as the pueo (Hawaiian short-eared owl), hopped across the road and ultimately into a deep roadside ditch. They discussed what to do and who to call and eventually called 9-1-1 which put them in touch with the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE).

Watch "The Endangered Forest Birds of Hawaii," to learn about extraordinary efforts underway to save rare, endemic birds from extinction.

It’s the only Natural Area Reserve in Hawai‘i where the ocean and water activities are the primary draw for visitors and residents. The Ahihi-Kina’u Natural Area Reserve has one mile of open coastline and attracts hundreds of people every day to surf, snorkel, or simply to enjoy the clear waters of the Reserve. It’s part of a vast ocean playground on Maui’s south shore, with the corridor managed and maintained by a variety of county and state agencies. This means there are different rules and guidelines for each locale. Fishing might be allowed in one place but not another. One area may be closed, another is open. Dogs are allowed here, but not there.

The Kalalau trail will be closed to day-hikers on Thursday, January 19, for a rockfall mitigation project (weather permitting). The project site is located between Hāʻena and Hanakāpīʻai stream. Overnight hiker/campers with a valid camping permit will be allowed access on the trail with intermittent pedestrian controls at the work site. They may experience short delays. Day-hikers will not be permitted on the trail during this period. The closure notice is also posted on the State Parks website at https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/