Department of Land and Natural Resources

KAILUA-KONA, HAWAII -- Salvage operations are expected to begin this week to remove a 39’ Coast-Guard documented powerboat “Hoku Kea,” which ran aground Friday evening off Kohanaiki beach, west Hawaii.

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.

KAHULUI – ‘Iao Valley State Monument on Maui will reopen at 7 a.m. on Saturday, January 23, following completion of various park improvements, including closures of the two large capacity cesspools in the park that were mandated via a consent agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

HONOLULU -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Senator Maile Shimabukuro, and Representative Jo Jordan, with support from Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Hawaii, City and County of Honolulu and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, are holding a community workshop on Tuesday, January 26 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Kamehameha Schools Community Learning Center in Maili, to present the updated findings of the Lualualei Flood Mitigation Study.

Hanalei, Hawai’i –The Kauai Nēnē Habitat Conservation Plan (KN HCP) will hold the first in a series of public talks next week on the state bird of Hawai’i the endangered Nēnē. Project Coordinator Dr. Christian Vlautin will provide information about the Hawaiian Goose’s ecology and recovery on Kaua'i at 6 p.m. on Thursday, January 28 at Hale Halawai ‘Ohana O Hanalei Community Center at 5299 Kuhio Highway.

HONOLULU -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) will permanently close its office in the Melim Building at 333 Queen Street at the end of the business day on February 5, 2016 and remain closed for one week in order to move into a new building that has been completed on the grounds of Ke`ehi Small Boat Harbor.

(Kailua-Kona) Interested people are invited to review and discuss the preliminary alternatives for the management and development of Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park on Hawaii Island at a meeting on Saturday, January 30, 2016 at Konawaena Elementary School. The findings of studies conducted for the planning will be shared, along with the alternatives that address public use, management of important resources, and proposed facilities. Kealakekua is one of the most culturally and historically significant places in Hawaii and the goal of this park planning is to balance the preservation of the cultural values and historical sites with the recreational use of the park, especially the very popular Kealakekua Bay.

HILO -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources has closed the Muliwai hiking trail on the far cliff side of Waipio Valley and its Waimanu Valley campground, following the closure of Waipio valley access road on Wednesday to residents only by Hawaii County officials following confirmation of two cases of dengue in Waipio residents. Muliwai trail and Waimanu Valley can only be accessed via Waipio valley. Campers with existing permits will be contacted by DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife. No new permits will be issued until further notice.

HONOLULU -- Portions of the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Haleiwa small boat harbor are being used as an emergency command center authorized by the Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation, and set up by the Honolulu Police Department during multi-agency rescue efforts today for the missing crews of two Marine Corps helicopters which collided last night off Haleiwa. Officers from DLNR’s Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement are assisting by checking the shoreline from Waialua to Kaena Point for any debris.

The DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) will cooperate with the Hawaii Police Department criminal investigation.