Department of Land and Natural Resources

(Honolulu) – Two successive summers of serious coral bleaching in waters around the main Hawaiian Islands and in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands has led to the development of the first-ever Hawai‘i Coral Bleaching Recovery Plan.

(Hilo) - Assistance provided by the Native Hawaiian community allowed officers from the Hawai‘i Branch of the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) to make contact with a suspect in the recent case of graffiti damage found at the Mauna Kea Ice Age Natural Area Reserve (NAR). As a result of this contact and investigation, Hope Cermelj of Kalapana, Hawai‘i was issued a citation for violating Rule 13-209-4 (3), Prohibited Activities within a Natural Area Reserve. Cermelj will be required to appear in Hilo District Court.

(Kahului, Mau‘i) - On one side of the Waihe‘e Ridge Trail, hikers look deep into the Waihe‘e Gorge. On the other, they look across Makamakaole Gulch and out into the shimmering Pacific Ocean. On a clear day, yet another view is across the entire central plain of Maui all the way to the top of Haleakala. This challenging, but scenic trail is considered the most popular path on Mau‘i in the State’s Nā Ala Hele Trail and Access Program.

(Hilo)--The Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) is requesting the public's assistance in providing information related to a criminal investigation of Prohibited Activities in a Natural Area Reserve (NAR).

(Kailua-Kona) - Compared to large mainland wildfires, Hawai‘i’s are relatively small. Yet the percentage of land mass burned each year in the islands is equal to or exceeds the acreage burned in many western states.

LIHU‘E – The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) announces an open fishing season for rainbow trout in the Koke‘e Public Fishing Area (PFA) on Kaua‘i, beginning Saturday, June 17, 2017.

(Lihue, Kaua‘i) – After more than a month of rehabilitation a pueo (Hawaiian Short-Eared Owl) was released late yesterday on private ranch land in west Kaua‘i. The release site is near to where the young bird was rescued in late March and taken to the Save our Shearwaters (SOS) facility at the Kaua‘i Humane Society.

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), Palila Mitigation Lands, and the Ka‘ohe Game Management Area (Unit G) on the island of Hawai‘i.

HONOLULU – If you love your fresh-caught local lobster or Kona crab, remember the closed season for ula (spiny lobster), ula papapa (slipper lobster) and Kona crab runs from May 1 through the end of August. During that time it's illegal to take, possess, or sell these shellfish.

(Honolulu) – The DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) is recruiting candidates to fill approximately 25 (twenty-five) positions for Conservation Resources Enforcement Officers (CREO) II, III, and IV. DOCARE’s mission is to effectively uphold the laws that serve to protect, conserve and manage Hawaiʻi’s unique and limited natural, cultural and historic resources held in public trust for current and future generations of visitors and the people of Hawai’i nei.