Department of Land and Natural Resources

The Hawai‘i State Water Commission approved a mediated settlement today that will immediately restore continuous flows in the Waimea River, as well as provide the opportunity for a renewable energy project, water for Hawaiian homesteading, and farming.

After wildlife biologists and veterinarians relocated a 10-month-old Hawaiian monk seal on March 30th from the Lihi Canal in Kapa‘a, to a beach on the island’s west side they’d hoped she would stay away from the canal. Two days ago the seal, identified as RH92, returned to the canal along with an adult seal (RK13). Together they’ve been seen feeding on small fish in the manmade waterway along with discarded fish parts. The return of RH92 to Lihi is prompting stepped-up public awareness and outreach and potentially enforcement of littering laws for fishermen who dispose of fish parts in the water.

Today, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, The Coca-Cola Company and the Ko’olau Mountains Watershed Partnership announced plans for a new replenishment project designed to help restore and recharge the Waiawa watershed which supplies the majority of O’ahu’s drinking water

Today, the Department of Land and Natural Resources delivered the Closing Report for the 2016 IUCN World Conservation Congress (Congress) to the Hawaii State Legislature. This follows closing of the accounting for the State’s hosting of the Congress as of March 31, 2017

Ka Iwi Coast Mauka Lands - a culturally important and spectacular scenic coastline located in east O'ahu that has been threatened with development for decades - will be preserved in perpetuity in its natural state. The announcement, made today by the City and County of Honolulu, State of Hawai'i, Ka Iwi Coalition, Livable Hawai'i Kai Hui and The Trust for Public Land, ends a 40-year-long struggle to protect this beloved landscape

Officers from the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) joined with county and federal partners on this past Saturday to monitor the spring break “flotilla” occurring at Waikiki beach.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources will be holding a summer series of community “talk story” outreach events on Kauai to help local residents and visitors learn about, and understand the Garden Island’s natural and cultural resources, cultural protocol, and regulatory aspects.

A 10-month-old female Hawaiian monk seal was moved today from the Lihi canal at Kapa‘a to a beach on Kaua‘i’s west side. RH92 had been frequenting the canal in recent weeks, likely attracted by discarded fish scraps. A team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s, National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) translocated the seal and fitted her with a satellite tag (to track her movements) before she was released back into the wild.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for the navigable waters surrounding the Kilauea Volcano active lava flow entry into the Pacific Ocean on the southeast side of the Big Island, Hawai’i, Tuesday.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife will briefly close the Keanae Arboretum for two days, on Wednesday, March 29 and Thursday, March 30, 2017. This closure will allow a contractor to safely remove trees that recently fell across the trail within the arboretum. The arboretum will reopen on Friday March 31.