Department of Land and Natural Resources

(LAHAINA, MAUI) – Three sophisticated sampling instruments are now gathering information from the ocean waters just off the coast of this fire-ravaged west Maui community. The devices, on loan from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), will collect data over time. 

(HONOLULU) – Some owners of commercial ocean tour companies, not only lost their vessels in the Lahaina fire, several lost homes as well. DLNR Chair Dawn Chang acknowledged their losses during a virtual meeting with nearly 100 operators today. The Lahaina recovery meeting was intended to answer as many questions as possible about the status and futures of the Lahaina Small Boat Harbor, Mala Wharf, Ma‘alaea Small Boat  Harbor, and Ka‘anapali launch area in west Maui.

(LĀHAINĀ, HAWAI‘I) – Always mindful of the human toll and property destruction around them, 13 owners of vessels moored in the Lāhainā Small Boat Harbor were granted access Monday to check on their boats. 

(WAIMEA, HAWAI’I ISLAND) - As many as 1,000 people were expected to attend a wildfire fair today, organized by the Waimea Resilience Hub, at the Mana Christian 'Ohana's Kahilu Town Hall.  Planning for the fair began last winter, well in advance of wildfires on Hawai’i Island and recent ones on Maui, including the blaze that leveled Lāhainā town and killed more than 100 people, with five dozen others still unaccounted for. 

(LĀHAINĀ, HAWAI‘I) – Prior to the August 8 fire, the Lāhainā Small Boat Harbor was a busy port for private vessels, commercial tour operators, and the interisland ferry service.  Waterway access to the harbor is currently restricted by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), in coordination with the County of Maui, until a full assessment of damage is completed. This will be followed by the removal of potentially dozens of boats, many of which remain safety and navigational hazards as they rest below the ocean surface.

(HONOLULU) – Organizations across Hawai‘i are encouraged to apply for grants to protect and enhance our urban and community trees and forests. The funding source is the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and grants are made available from the US Forest Service through Kaulunani, the state’s Urban and Community Forestry Program which is part of the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW).

(WAIHOU SPRING FOREST RESERVE, MAUI) – Indicative of serious drought conditions, in upcountry Maui, is the need for daily attention along the fire lines of the 1,000-acre Olinda fire. It started the same day, August 8, as the devastating fire that leveled Lāhainā town and left hundreds dead or unaccounted for. 

(LĀNAʻI CITY)-Applications for the 2024 Lānaʻi axis deer hunting season will be available this month, beginning Monday, September 18, 2023. The Lānaʻi axis deer season will consist of four hunts: an archery hunt, a youth hunt, a muzzleloader hunt, and a general rifle hunt.

(HONOLULU) - The DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) is requesting interest in managing the parking lot operations at the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor. To be considered, interested parties must submit a qualifications questionnaire to DOBOR by September 15, 2023.

(HONOLULU) – Despite being some of the rarest, slowest-moving creatures on Earth, our kāhuli (Hawaiian land snails) are popping up in living rooms across the country. Their sudden appearance is thanks to a new episode of the Pacific Heartbeat series produced by local nonprofit Pacific Islanders in Communication and broadcast nationally by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The hour-long episode, titled “Hawaiʻi’s Precious Resources,” combines three short documentary films that feature natural and cultural resources in Hawaiʻi.