Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement

(HONOLULU) – Kaniakapupu, in the forest above Honolulu, in the Nuuanu district, is central to the story of modern Hawai‘i. Not only was it the summer palace of King Kamehameha III and Queen Kalama, it was the first government building built in western style with mortar and plaster. Completed in 1845, Kaniakapupu was the “scene of entertainment of foreign celebrities and the feasting of chiefs and commoners. The greatest was a luau attended by 10,000 celebrating Hawaiian Restoration Day in 1847,” (from a plaque erected on-site by the Commission on Historical Sites). Earlier it was the site of a notable heiau for Hawaiian royalty.

(HONOLULU) – Two DLNR Divisions and the Mālama Pūpūkea -Waimea Makai Watch program teamed up over the weekend for the first “Splash” event, created to continue support and evaluation of the Makai Watch program, provide education on rules and regulations, and also address people’s perceptions about the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) in our local communities.

HONOLULU — Hawai‘i Governor David Ige today signed Senate Bill 2453 authorizing alternative sentencing for aquatic violations. The new law provides clear legal authority to judges, allowing them to more effectively tailor sentences when aquatics statutes are violated. The bill covers most regulations under the jurisdiction of the DLNR’s Division of Aquatic Resources, including most fisheries violations. Judges will still be able to impose jail time or fine defendants. Now they’ll also be able to sentence offenders to an educational course or resource-specific community service work.

(HONOLULU) – A proposal to close the Ala Wai Canal from the Ala Moana Boulevard Bridge to the Kalakaua Avenue Bridge during the IUCN World Conservation Congress, Sept. 1-10, 2016, will be considered at a meeting of the Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) on June 9, 2016.