(Lihue, Kauai) Hawaii’s forest birds are one of the best examples anywhere in the world, of what’s known as adaptive radiation. This means a few founding individual species evolved into a multitude of species. They’re also a key reason Hawaii holds the unenviable nickname of “extinction capitol of the world”, as many species have disappeared since the arrival of people to the islands. Most of the remaining are highly endangered and the subject of intense conservation efforts. Habitat loss and degradation, non-native predators, landscape-altering invasive weeds, and avian disease spread by mosquitoes have all contributed to the current predicament faced by these species.
Announcements
HONOLULU -- As global climate change progresses, what will happen to Hawai‘i’s aquifers and the ecosystem services which healthy forest watersheds provide? Will we be able to meet our future fresh water needs for drinking and agriculture?
(Molokai) – Scattered across an expansive coastline of valleys, sea cliffs, boulders, and beaches, is a problem that affects everyone. “It doesn’t matter the name you give it, marine debris, ocean litter, coastal trash, or where it came from,” says James Espaniola of the Department of Land and Natural Resources. “The best thing to do is to get busy and do something about it.” That is exactly what The Nature Conservancy Molokai (TNC-Molokai), Kalaupapa National Historical Park (KNHP) and the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife’s (DOFAW) Natural Area Reserves System decided to do.
(Honolulu) – The deep, beautiful orange and black hue of Hawai’i’s official state insect is well known by visitors to native forests, and cultural practitioners. It is considered a critical pollinator for numerous native plants. The Kamehameha butterfly, like so many insects, plants, and animals in Hawai’i, is being crowded out of its traditional habitat by ever-encroaching human presence, the introduction of invasive predator species, and global climate change. Although the butterfly is historically known from all the main Hawaiian Islands (Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lanaʻi, Maui, and Hawai’i), it is no longer found in some areas where it used to be common and it appears to be declining. The Pulelehua Project includes an effort to map current populations of the Kamehameha butterfly using observations submitted by the public, combined with surveys of remote areas by scientists. Pulelehua is the Hawaiian word for butterfly.
KAHULUI - The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) will close the Kula Forest Reserve, Walpoli Access Road, Kahananui Forest Reserve – Papa‘anui Tract, and Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area from Monday, September 12, 2016, through Friday, September 23, 2016, to allow scheduled road repairs, road safety improvements, and fuel mitigation work (such as removing underbrush) and to be completed for both the unpaved and paved sections of the road.
There were 210 available slots for hunters to be selected in our Puu Waawaa Forest Reserve Mauka Ungulate Control Program. To accommodate for the high demand for hunting in this area as shown in previous years, we initially decided to limit the hunting trips to one (1) hunt per hunter. However, we received very few applicants for this year’s program. There were a total of 169 applicants. Consequently, there were several unfilled hunting slots after the first draw. Under these circumstances, we decided to redraw from the overall applicant pool to fill the remaining hunting slots. Therefore, some applicants were selected to hunt on multiple dates.
LIHU‘E, KAUA‘I -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) announces the opening of the Kekaha Game Management Area (KGMA) of Hunting Unit A to black-tailed deer hunting season on the island of Kaua‘i. The Department of Hawaiian Homelands (DHHL) has granted a one year license agreement extension to DLNR, extending to to August 31, 2017.
(HILO) – Hawaii’s forestry industry is being encouraged to provide input for a possible Request for Proposals (RFP) for harvest and reforestation endeavors at the Waiakea Timber Management Area (WTMA) on Hawaii Island. The DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) published a Request for Information (RFI) on July 21, 2016. It asks for guiding information on the resources of interest, markets, products, harvest practices, processing, transportation, financing, etc.
(HILO) – The yellow, white-and-gray palila, a highly endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper, is one of the world’s most isolated birds. It lives only in a small patch of māmane forest on the western slope of Mauna Kea volcano on Hawai‘i Island. With the opening today of the new Palila Forest Discovery Trail, visitors will be now able to see palila and other native species that call this distinctive ecosystem home.
WAILUKU -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), pursuant to Chapter 195D, Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes, will hold a public hearing to receive testimony on the Revised Draft Honuaʻula Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). The hearing will be held July 27, 2016 starting at 5:30 at the J. Walter Cameron Center, 95 Mahalani St, Wailuku, HI 96793.