Department of Land and Natural Resources

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON MULTIAGENCY POST AND PRE-STORM ALA WAI CLEANUP UNDERWAY HONOLULU — The DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) is working closely today with the state Dept. of Transportation (HDOT) and the City and County of Honolulu to clean mud and debris that filled the Ala Wai canal ...
Read More 1/28/25 – MULTIAGENCY POST AND PRE-STORM ALA WAI CLEANUP UNDERWAY

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AREA PROTECTS LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY IN MAUNALUA BAY HONOLULU – Critical marine life in Maunalua Bay will be protected by the creation of a new Fisheries Management Area (FMA) approved today by the state Board of Land and Natural Resources. Based on community input and surveys ...
Read More 1/24/25 – FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AREA PROTECTS LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY IN MAUNALUA BAY

HĀ‘ENA, Kauaʻi  – After years of planning, permitting and saving money, the Hui Makaʻāinana o Makana, the nonprofit steward of Hā‘ena State Park, is preparing to start construction of a much-needed new comfort station there.

(HONOLULU) – At a signing ceremony today, Governor Josh Green, M.D., proclaimed 2025 as the “Year of Our Community Forests.”

HONOLULU – The cancellation of a decades-long set-aside of land from the state of Hawai‘i to the County of Kaua‘i has paved the way for Kaua‘i’s renowned forest bird and seabird recovery and protection programs to move into a joint facility.

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON NEW DLNR PODCAST EXPLORES CONSERVATION ISSUES FROM MAUKA TO MAKAI (HONOLULU) – Hawaiʻi Conservation Kuleana, a new podcast from the DLNR, launches next Monday, Jan. 13. Monthly episodes will explore the complex balance of conservation, cultural stewardship and community engagement in Hawaiʻi. Hawaiʻi Conservation Kuleana provides listeners with ...
Read More 1/8/25 – NEW DLNR PODCAST EXPLORES CONSERVATION ISSUES FROM MAUKA TO MAKAI

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON DECEASED WHALE DRAWS STATE, FEDERAL RESPONSE (KĪHEI, Maui) — The discovery of a deceased humpback whale calf is prompting a response from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE), the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR), and NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Responders are working with ...
Read More 1/3/25 – DECEASED WHALE DRAWS STATE, FEDERAL RESPONSE

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON DOCARE INVESTIGATING POSSIBLE HUNTING-RELATED SHOOTING IN WEST O‘AHU HONOLULU — Officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) remain on the scene of a shooting of a juvenile, possibly related to hunting activities in the Mākaha Valley of West O‘ahu, this morning. There is no ...
Read More 1/3/25 – DOCARE INVESTIGATING POSSIBLE HUNTING-RELATED SHOOTING IN WEST O‘AHU

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON OFFICERS PATROL AHU O LAKA FOR ILLEGAL CHRISTMAS TREE BONFIRES (HONOLULU) – Officers with the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) are reminding the community that burning Christmas trees on the sacred Ahu o Laka (Kāne‘ohe Bay sandbar) is illegal. Illicit ...
Read More 1/2/25 – OFFICERS PATROL AHU O LAKA FOR ILLEGAL CHRISTMAS TREE BONFIRES

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON KAIWI STATE SCENIC SHORELINE FIRST DAY HIKE EMBRACES MULTIPLE CULTURES (HONOLULU) – This morning, hundreds of people greeted the first sunrise of the new year at the annual First Day Hike. Over the last 13 years, all 50 states have offered First Day hikes as a way to ...
Read More 1/1/25 – KAIWI STATE SCENIC SHORELINE FIRST DAY HIKE EMBRACES MULTIPLE CULTURES

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON KAIWI STATE SCENIC SHORELINE FIRST DAY HIKE EMBRACES MULTIPLE CULTURES (HONOLULU) – The annual First Day Hike to greet the New Year’s first sunrise is on for Jan. 1, 2025. Over the last 13 years, all 50 states have offered First Day hikes as a way to promote ...
Read More 12/27/24 – ANNUAL FIRST DAY HIKE EMBRACES MULTIPLE CULTURES

  JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT FOCUSES ON ENDANGERED FOREST BIRDS (PU‘U MAKA‘ALA NATURAL AREA RESERVE, HAWAI‘I ISLAND) – To wrap up The Year of the Forest Birds (ka Makahiki o Nā Manu Nahele) in Hawai‘i, more than a dozen volunteers joined staff from the DLNR Division of Forestry and ...
Read More 12/24/24 – CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT FOCUSES ON ENDANGERED FOREST BIRDS

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON ʻĀKOʻAKOʻA CORAL RESTORATION NURSERY At the Center of Hawai‘i Island Reef Restoration   (KEĀHOLE, HAWAI‘I ISLAND) – Think of it as an intensive care nursery for Hawaiian corals. The ʻĀkoʻakoʻa Coral Restoration Nursery near the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport has been up and running since last spring ...
Read More 12/23/24 – ʻĀKOʻAKOʻA CORAL RESTORATION NURSERY

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON THE REEF HABITAT PLAN: FOR FISHERS, BY FISHERS Initiative to Improve Fish Habitat is Guided by the Knowledge of the Fishing Community HONOLULU – The local fishing community is encouraged to help shape the future of nearshore fishing in Hawaiʻi, by engaging with the Reef Habitat Plan, a ...
Read More 12/20/24 – THE REEF HABITAT PLAN – FOR FISHERS, BY FISHERS

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON YEAR OF THE FOREST BIRDS MARKED CHANGES FOR BIRDS, HOPE FOR THE FUTURE Wild Populations Faced New Threats and Saw New Opportunities in a Momentous Year HONOLULU – 2024 was “Makahiki o nā Manu Nahele: Year of the Forest Birds,” officially proclaimed by Governor Josh Green, M.D., in ...
Read More 12/19/24 – YEAR OF THE FOREST BIRDS MARKED CHANGES FOR BIRDS, HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

(HONOLULU) – The first batch of Achatinella fuscobasis, a rare Hawaiian snail species, was recently released into the Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve of the Ko‘olau Mountains on O‘ahu. The release marked a reintroduction to the forest for the species after more than 33 years in captivity.

(HONOLULU) – Twenty-five recruits are now fully commissioned conservation officers with the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE).

HONOLULU — A $9.2 million contract has been awarded to dredge Hawaiʻi Island’s lava-inundated Pohoiki Bay, which will bring relief to the boaters and fishers who have been unable to use the bay’s boat ramp since the eruption of Kīlauea volcano six and a half years ago.

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: 2025 URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY GRANT Celebrating the “Year of Our Community Forests”   December 12, 2024 HONOLULU – Community organizations across the state are encouraged to submit proposals for projects that celebrate and bring awareness to our community forests. This unique grant opportunity is ...
Read More 12/12/24 – REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: 2025 URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY GRANT

KĪPAHULU FOREST RESERVE, MAUI, Hawai‘i — Hawaiian crows known as ʻalalā are once again in their rightful place flying free and sounding calls in the forests of Hawai‘i, after a great deal of coordinated effort and planning.

HILO, Hawai‘i – The long-awaited completion of the dredging work at Wailoa Small Boat Harbor in Hilo has finally come for Hawaiʻi Island boaters.

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON FERAL PIG SPECIAL HUNT ANNOUNCED ON HAWAIʻI ISLAND FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 2, 2024 HILO, Hawaiʻi — A feral pig special hunt with dogs is now open in two zones: The Puʻu Mali Restoration Area portion of Unit A, Mauna Kea Game Management Area and Forest Reserve, excluding ...
Read More 12/2/24 – FERAL PIG SPECIAL HUNT ANNOUNCED ON HAWAIʻI ISLAND

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON AS SEABIRD FALLOUT SEASON CONTINUES, RESCUERS SHOULD PROTECT AGAINST AVIAN FLU     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 26, 2024    HONOLULU – Avian influenza strain H5N1 was detected in backyard birds on Oʻahu on November 15, 2024. The disease has not been detected in native seabirds. Even though ...
Read More 11/26/24 – AS SEABIRD FALLOUT SEASON CONTINUES, RESCUERS SHOULD PROTECT AGAINST AVIAN FLU

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON      MONK SEAL PUP AT HONOKŌHAU SMALL BOAT HARBOR PROMPTS OUTREACH TO FISHERS AND BOATERS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Nov. 25, 2024 HONOKŌHAU SMALL BOAT HARBOR, HAWAI‘I ISLAND — Many days lately, a five-month-old female Hawaiian monk seal, named Keaka (tag number T64/T65), is a frequent visitor to this busy ...
Read More 11/25/24 – MONK SEAL PUP AT HONOKŌHAU SMALL BOAT HARBOR PROMPTS OUTREACH TO FISHERS AND BOATERS

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION DIVISION STREAMLINING LAHAINA APPROVALS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Nov. 21, 2024 HONOLULU — In an effort to reduce delays and frustration for residents and commercial property owners preparing to rebuild in fire-ravaged Lahaina, the DLNR State Division of Historic Preservation (SHPD) is working to balance speed ...
Read More 11/21/24 – STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION DIVISION STREAMLINING LAHAINA APPROVALS

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON MASSIVE CORAL RECOVERY PROJECT COMPLETE ON HAWAI‘I ISLAND  Ring Provides Hundreds of Coral Colonies for Restoration FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 18, 2024 (HONOKŌHAU  SMALL BOAT HARBOR, Hawai‘i Island) — A collaboration of conservation divers has successfully removed and relocated nearly 11 years worth of coral growth from a ...
Read More 11/18/24 – MASSIVE CORAL RECOVERY PROJECT COMPLETE ON HAWAI‘I ISLAND

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Nov. 12, 2024   SLOW DOWN, WATCH OUT, AND LET NĒNĒ LIVE (KAHULUI, MAUI) – On Sunday, two nēnē born and raised on Maui were killed by cars in separate incidents. Endangered Nēnē are Hawai‘i’s State Bird. One of the birds was part of a ...
Read More 11/12/24 – SLOW DOWN, WATCH OUT, AND LET NĒNĒ LIVE

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 12, 2024 YOUTH INVITED TO ENGAGE IN CLIMATE SUMMIT AT THE HAWAIʻI STATE CAPITOL (HONOLULU) – Keiki, teens and young adults are encouraged to attend the Youth Climate Summit on Saturday, November 16 at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol. Youth can become climate champions and ...
Read More 11/12/24 – YOUTH INVITED TO ENGAGE IN CLIMATE SUMMIT AT THE HAWAIʻI STATE CAPITOL

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 8, 2024 GAME BIRD CROP STUDY UNDER WAY ON HAWAIʻI ISLAND The study will inform understanding of game bird diets (HILO, Hawaiʻi) – Hunters are invited to participate in the collection of crop samples from birds harvested on Hawaiʻi Island. The crop is part ...
Read More 11/8/24 – GAME BIRD CROP STUDY UNDER WAY ON HAWAIʻI ISLAND

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 6, 2024 ROAD OPENS IN MĀNELE SMALL BOAT HARBOR   (LĀNAʻI) –  After eight months of closures, most of the roadway in Mānele Small Boat Harbor has reopened. Multiple water main breaks created issues with the section between the upper road and the lower, ...
Read More 11/4/24 – ROAD OPENS IN MĀNELE SMALL BOAT HARBOR

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON WEEKLONG ART EXHIBIT CELEBRATES KAUA‘I FOREST BIRDS (LĪHUʻE, KAUA‘I) – “Wings and Woodlands: A Tribute to Native Birds and Forests,” is the latest Makahiki o Nā Manu Nahele event, a year-long celebration of these jewels of Hawai‘i’s forests. Kaua‘i is home to eight species of forest birds, six of ...
Read More 11/2/24 – WEEKLONG ART EXHIBIT CELEBRATES KAUA‘I FOREST BIRDS

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON CAT KILLING INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY AT KE‘EHI SMALL BOAT HARBOR   (HONOLULU) – The first horrifying discovery was made on Oct. 17, when staff from the DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) found the body of a feral cat, that appeared to be decapitated, floating near one ...
Read More 10/31/24 – CAT KILLING INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY AT KE‘EHI SMALL BOAT HARBOR

JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR DAWN CHANG CHAIRPERSON FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oct. 31, 2024   THE DREAM FOR MAUI’S MOTHER REEF First Baby Steps Underway for Summit-to-Sea Restoration (KAHULUI, MAUI) – Conservationists are often asked to describe their efforts in people terms. When thinking about what’s being called the Summit-to-Sea restoration of the Olowalu Reef on ...
Read More 10/31/24 – THE DREAM FOR MAUI’S MOTHER REEF