(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).
News Releases
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/
(Honolulu) – The latest DLNR & You television special, The Endangered Forest Birds of Hawai‘i, documents the efforts of dozens of organizations and hundreds of people across the state to halt the extinction of critically endangered forest birds.
(Kahului, Maui) – Shoreline access to the ocean at the ‘Ahihi Kina’u Natural Area Reserve on Maui is again open. Access was restricted for nearly two weeks after a Humpback whale carcass washed onto shore on December 30, 2016.
(Honolulu) – DLNR Chair Suzanne Case has announced that Robert Farrell begins work on Jan. 17, 2017 as the new Enforcement Chief for the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE). Case said, “We are fortunate to have a leader who has extensive conservation enforcement experience both within our own agency and with other organizations tasked with protecting natural and cultural resources. In addition, Bob’s close ties to Hawai’i, its people and as a respected DOCARE officer make him the perfect fit to lead the division.”
HONOLULU – Gov. David Ige, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) and the U.S. Secretaries of Interior and Commerce have signed an updated Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) adding OHA as a co-trustee of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. It is the largest, contiguous, fully protected conservation area in the U.S. and encompasses 583,000 square miles of ocean waters, including ten islands and atolls in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
(Lihue, Kaua‘i) – Two of three baby Nene photographed grazing in lush grass alongside the Hanalei River last month were killed by cars as they attempted to cross a highway. Video shot by DLNR and distributed to media across the state on Dec. 28, 2016, showed a family of Nene; mother, father and their three goslings resting and eating on the stream’s bank underneath the Hanalei Bridge. The deaths of the two goslings happened last week.
KAILUA-KONA, HAWAI‘I -- A capital improvement project for the Honokohau Small Boat Harbor mauka boat ramp is scheduled to begin on January 30, 2017, that will include the removal of both concrete loading docks and installation of new loading docks with new plastic lumber fendering and cleats. The project has been contracted to Isemoto Contracting and will cost $562,700.