News Releases

(Līhu‘e )  —   The DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) announces the availability of applications for special feral goat hunt in Hunting Unit A, Kekaha Game Management Area (GMA) on the island of Kaua‘i. Permits will be limited determined by a lottery. Depending on the number of applicants, not all hunters may be drawn for the hunt. There will be no stand-by list. Applications are available at various vendors and all hunter check stations on Kaua’i. Deadline to submit applications will be Friday, January 15, 2021. Lottery to assign dates will be on Wednesday, January 20, 2021.

 (Honolulu) – To protect the health of Oahu’s largest drinking water source during times of temporary water shortage, the Commission on Water Resource Management (CWRM) adopted the Pearl Harbor Water Shortage Plan at its August 18, 2020 meeting. The plan identifies the actions that CWRM and water use permit holders will take if a water shortage is declared in the Pearl Harbor Aquifer Sector Area. These actions include reducing pumping from wells and increasing hydrologic data collection from CWRM’s monitor well network.

(Honolulu) – Using new DNA barcoding technology, a pair of shark researchers at the University of Hawai‘i‘s - Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) have determined a tiger shark caused fatal injuries to a 56-year-old Lahaina man, who was bitten at Maui’s Honolua Bay on December 8. Separately, by measuring bite marks on the surfer’s board, they have determined the shark was approximately 14.3-feet-long. 

(HONOLULU) – Just before the gate opened at Diamond Head State Monument (DHSM) at 6 a.m., a relatively short string of cars began cueing up. Their passengers, and numerous cyclists and pedestrians became the first visitors to the iconic park, since it was closed exactly nine months ago due to COVID-19 concerns. 

(Hilo) – The opening of the 2020-2021 Game Bird Hunting Season at the Kahua/Ponoholo Ranch Cooperative Game Management Area will begin on Saturday, December 19, 2020.  This game bird hunting season will run through Sunday, January 17, 2021, with legal hunting days on Saturdays and Sundays, only. The hunting area will be open from 6:30 am to 5:00 pm. All hunters must be checked out of the area by 5:00 pm as the gates will be locked at that time. During this season, the areas that are open for hunting may change on a weekly basis as cattle operations are actively taking place.

(Kahului, Maui) – After receiving an anonymous tip a pair of officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) cited a 37-year-old Kahului resident on suspicion of selling undersized ahi. The species is one of the most popular food fish in Hawai‘i. 

(Honolulu) – At its October meeting, the Hawai’i Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission (Climate Commission) endorsed two recently completed documents that operationalize the recommendations of the state’s Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report (2017). These guidance documents, produced in support of the Commission’s Climate Ready Hawaiʻi Initiative, help state and county planners and government officials plan for growing impacts of sea level rise to communities, natural and cultural resources, and critical infrastructure.

(Honolulu) – The DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) is releasing Holomua: Marine 30x30, a place-based approach to enhance nearshore fisheries and improve fishing opportunities. This is DAR’s nearshore strategic plan to restore marine resources that support traditional Hawaiian practices, the island economy, and the livelihoods of many residents. The Roadmap to Holomua: Marine 30x30 outlines programs and activities by DAR and its partners to achieve effective management of nearshore waters with at least 30% established as marine management areas by 2030. 

(HONOLULU) – Diamond Head State Monument’s (DHSM) unprecedented closure, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, comes to an end on Thursday, Dec. 17, exactly nine months since the gates were closed.

(HONOLULU) – Though they had been given notice last week, when clean-up teams arrived at a half dozen illegal camps on public lands yesterday, the occupants of three camps strung together seemed surprised they had to move. Such are the challenges of dealing with dozens of homeless camps, in multiple locations, on lands managed by DLNR.