Department of Land and Natural Resources

(Honolulu) – Recent social media posts have shown photos and expressions of concern for sea turtles reportedly trapped or affected by the East Rift Zone Eruption on Hawai‘i island, in the Kapoho and Pohoiki areas.  DLNR and NOAA Fisheries are aware of these postings but so far there has been little actionable information.

(KAILUA-KONA) – Volunteers are invited to participate in a community workday on July 28th to help restore the anchialine pool at Ka’elehuluhulu Beach. The event is called Sand Castles for Conservation and the DLNR Division of State Parks are sponsoring it. People are encouraged to help build sand castles using only sand from the anchialine pool.

(Hilo) – In the last few weeks an additional eight people have been cited for loitering in the East Rift Eruption Zone - seven of them in the last 24 hours.

(HONOLULU) - Are you a part of the community that cares for our lands and waters?  While natural resource managers and conservation professionals prepare to gather in Honolulu this week for the annual Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference, they represent only a part of the larger community of stewards.  Community-based and civic stewardship groups are crucial to the well-being of our communities, yet many of their activities are not understood or even recognized.  

(Honolulu)- DLNR Chair Suzanne Case has notified Hawai‘i County Mayor Harry Kim of the State’s termination of a grant agreement with the County that would have provided $1.33 million in matching funds from the State Land Conservation Fund for the acquisition of over 300 acres of private property that formerly reached the Waiʻōpae coastline immediately south of Vacationland at Kapoho, Puna. 

(Kailua-Kona) - A new plaque that memorializes the spot where Captain James Cook was killed on Hawai’i island in 1779 is back on the historic Captain Cook memorial Awili landing at Kaʻawaloa.

LIHU‘E -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) announces the opening of the black-tailed deer hunting season on the island of Kaua‘i.  Rules and conditions regulating game mammal hunting in Title 13, Chapter 123 will be in effect.

(Lihue) -  Hāʻena State Park, the adjacent Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park and the popular Kalalau Trail have been closed since the unprecedented flooding in mid-April.  The same storm which caused multiple landslides along Kūhiō Highway, isolating communities beyond Hanalei, severely damaged park infrastructure at Hāʻena and caused significant impacts along the Kalalau Trail.

(Honolulu) – Each day for ten days a group of twenty teenagers gather in the morning for their latest lessons on the preservation of O‘ahu’s coastal, wetland, and forest areas. This is the second year of Kupu Kōkua Camp, a partnership between the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) and the non-profit Kupu which trains thousands of young people each year in conservation, sustainability and environmental education.

HONOLULU --   The DLNR Division of State Parks will close the Pu‘u ‘Ualaka‘a  (Tantalus) state wayside all day on Thursday, July 19 while a tree contractor will be working on removal of a large earpod tree and other tree trimming in the park. The tree is fairly large so the whole parking lot will be closed. Tour companies are being notified. The lookout road will be barricaded and park closed signs will be posted. The park will reopen on Friday.

(Hilo) – The flow from fissure #8 is slowly creeping to the State of Hawai‘i’s Pohoiki Boat Ramp adjacent to Hawai‘i County’s Issac Hale Park.  During an assessment of eruption impacts today, steam and volcanic gasses from the nearby ocean entry wafted over the tall trees in the park’s now empty parking lot.  Stephen Schmelz, Hawai’i Island Branch Manager for the DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) estimates the lava, if it maintains its current course and speed, could overtake Pohoiki and Issac Hale Park within the next few days.

(Honolulu) – Following Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s announcement of the City and County of Honolulu Directive 18-01, the co-chairs of the Hawai‘i Climate Change and Adaptation Commission (the Commission) applauded this proactive move as an, “important step toward minimizing risks and adapting to the impacts of sea level rise.”

(Honolulu) – At least ten people on a Hawaiian Lava Boat Tours vessel were injured this morning after an explosion sent lava through the roof of the boat’s passenger cabin.  Other reports indicate as many as 12 passengers were hurt. Officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) along with the Hawai‘i County Police Dept. are investigating the incident.

(Honolulu)  A juvenile whale shark with heavy gauge line wrapped around its mid-section was spotted a second time this week.  Initial reports of the entangled whale shark were received on Sunday off Olowalu and then on Thursday several commercial snorkel/dive tour companies reported the shark on the backside of Molokini, off Maui’s south shore.

(Honolulu) – Today the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife’s (DOFAW) Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program reached a major milestone. For the last two years a group of volunteers in Kailua have been gathering information on individual trees in Kailua. They measure and map each tree and their data provides valuable information about urban trees that helps resource experts better manage these important community assets.  In recognition of the first team of Citizen Foresters, DLNR/DOFAW presented them with a DLNR & YOU Citizen Conservationist award.

(Honolulu) – When it comes to food Hawaiian monk seals behave much like dogs.  Feed them once and they’ll come back for more.  That’s one of the messages the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) and NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is relaying to fishers who frequent the small bay adjacent to the Kahe Power Plant on O‘ahu’s Wai‘anae coast.

(Puna) – The East Rift Zone Eruption event has destroyed important populations of two of Hawaiʻi’s endangered plants. This loss highlights the importance of managing other threats to native species across the state and the need to increase resilience of such populations.

(Hilo) – DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources (DOCARE) officers cited two more people for allegedly being in a closed area in the East Rift Eruption Zone over the weekend.

HILO – The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) announces the opening of the hunting season in the Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a forest reserve (PWW), youth and disabled hunt and makai sections pursuant to Title 13, Chapter 123, "Rules Regulating Game Mammal Hunting." DLNR-DOFAW also announces a special ungulate control program for the PWW mauka section pursuant to Title 13, Chapter 123-9, "Rules Regulating Game Mammal Hunting."  

(Honolulu) – One benefit of a smaller and quieter than usual 4th of July Waikiki flotilla was a big reduction in the amount of trash accumulating in the ocean and on the beach. For several years volunteers from Sustainable Coastlines and other beach clean-up organizations had boats in the water and people on the beach to pick-up after the ocean-going party. This year the groups elected to focus their attention on regularly scheduled beach clean-ups and were not able to support post-flotilla rubbish removal.

(Halawa, Moloka‘i) -- It took a community effort over several weeks to successfully clean up various kinds of marine debris from the beautiful beaches at the east end of Moloka‘i. More than 60 big bags full of trash were collected during a team effort between Moloka’i volunteers, a school class, staff from a local ranch, and help from several agencies. The biggest challenge was a net mass that was described as the size of a large SUV in one gigantic doughnut-like ball, about 25-30 yards across.

(Hilo) – Over the past week the number of citations written for loitering in closed areas in the East Rift Eruption Zone has dropped.  Officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement have only written two citations, bringing the total since the eruption began in early May to 84.

(Honolulu) – Compared to the past two Independence Day flotillas off Waikiki, this year’s was tame.  Officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) joined with counterparts from the Honolulu Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services Division and the U.S. Coast Guard to show an enormous safety presence at today’s annual ocean gathering.

(Honolulu) – Local non-profit marine protection organizations are offering $5000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the deaths of dozens of Hammerhead shark pups found at Keehi Boat Harbor last Tuesday, June 26th. The exact cause of death remains unknown, however, illegal nets are suspected. While this case was the first to be reported in this area; there have been a number of reports across the state where sharks appear to have been intentionally tortured or killed.

(Honolulu) - Access to the Honolua Bay Marine Life Conservation District on Maui has been reopened after having been closed since Tuesday afternoon, June 26. The closure had been prompted by the continued presence of sharks in the bay, apparently attracted to dead fish.

KONA — The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of State Parks will conduct early closures of four West Hawai‘i parks on the Fourth of July holiday.

LIHU‘E — The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) will open this year’s season for plum harvesting at Koke‘e State Park, Kaua‘i on Sunday, July 1. While for a number of reason there are not many plums this year, the season will tomorrow to allow legal picking this weekend by permit.

(LIHUE, KAUAI) – A new study from Kauai’s Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve has demonstrated how different types of management may enable the long-term survival of the Puaiohi, a critically endangered native thrush that is central to maintaining healthy native forests. With fewer than 500 Puaiohi left in the wild, maintaining this small population of the last remaining native seed dispersing species is of particular importance.

(Honolulu) – The central Public Land Trust Information System (PLTIS) available only to State and County agencies since January 2015 becomes accessible to anyone tomorrow, June 29, 2018.  The online site is found at https://pltis.hawaii.gov

(Honolulu) - Access to the Honolua Bay Marine Life Conservation District on Maui is closed due to a continued presence of sharks in the bay.  DLNR and Maui Ocean Safety have confirmed shark sightings since Tuesday afternoon, June 26.

(Hilo) – Two more people have been cited by officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) for being in an East Rift Zone Eruption closed area.

(Hilo) – Four more people have been cited by officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement for being in an East Rift Zone Eruption closed area.

(Hilo) – Two Hilo residents were cited by a DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources (DOCARE) officer for loitering in a closed area under Hawai‘i County ordinance (HCC7-10).

DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES News Release DAVID Y. IGE GOVERNOR SUZANNE D. CASE CHAIRPERSON For Immediate News Release June 24, 2018 EAST RIFT ZONE ERUPTION BRINGS DRAMATIC CHANGES ...
Read More 06/24/18 – East Rift Zone Eruption Brings Dramatic Changes To State Lands

(Honolulu) – The current eruption of Kīlauea has forever destroyed the Waiopae Tidepools Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD). Less than 1% of the marine environment in Hawai‘i is fully protected by these districts, so the loss of Waiopae is extremely significant.  

(Honolulu) The State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Kamehameha Schools (KS) signed a historic agreement today to promote the recovery of 32 federally-endangered species and one threatened species on the Island of Hawaiʻi.

(Honolulu) - The Hawai’i Commission on Water Resource Management issued its East Maui interim instream flow standards decision today.

(Hilo) – Officers from the Hawai‘i County Police Department and the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) cited six people over the past 24 hours for loitering and refusing to evacuate in lower Puna. This brings the number of citations issued since the eruption began in early May to around 47.

LIHU‘E, KAUA‘I -- The staff of the Commission on Water Resource Management (Commission) will be holding a public fact-gathering meeting to receive testimony and any additional information to be compiled as part of an Instream Flow Standard Assessment Report. This report will serve as the primary reference of best available information for subsequent amendments to the interim instream flow standards for the surface water hydrologic unit of Wailua (2040) - Waikoko and North Fork Wailua streams, on Kaua‘i.

(Honolulu) – The recent deaths of three critically endangered Hawaiian monk seals on O‘ahu due to toxoplasmosis is very sad and could have been entirely preventable, according to a joint statement from the heads of the Hawai‘i Departments of Health (DOH) & Land and Natural Resources (DLNR).

(Lihue) – Henry and Reese are six-year-old and three-year-old Border Terriers respectively, who spent most of last week crisscrossing the rugged, hot, wind-swept terrain of tiny Lehua Island.  Lehua is a State Seabird Sanctuary and the site of an intensive restoration project over the past nine months to protect seabirds by removing invasive rats. In 2017, the partners of the Lehua Island Restoration Project applied a conservation bait to remove the population of invasive Pacific rats which eat the chicks of nesting seabirds and devour the native plants that help support a large variety of bird life here.

(Hilo) – The urge to get up close and personal to lava during the current Kilauea eruption is not only unsafe but people who get caught now potentially face steep fines and jail time.

(Honolulu) – In preparation for the expected July 4th flotilla off Waikiki, five DLNR Division of Conservation and Resource (DOCARE) officers are engaged in a week-long jet ski rescue training course.  Over the past few years DOCARE officers, along with people from multiple partner agencies, have rescued dozens of people who’ve been unable to reach shore during flotillas, due to alcohol use, improper flotation devices, exhaustion and changing ocean conditions.

(Honolulu) - Between 80 and 100 outrigger canoes and catamarans on the beach at Lanikai were posted with notices today. Owners have 72 hours to remove their vessels from unencumbered State lands or face their boats being impounded.

HONOLULU --   A two-month project to rehabilitate two historic World War II-era structures known as the Lanikai “pillboxes” on the popular hiking trail on Ka‘iwa ridge, Kailua will finally begin on Thursday, June 21, 2018. 

HILO – Recent volcanic eruptions on the Big Island have forced the sole source of black cinder to vacate its harvesting plant, jeopardizing the island’s tropical floral business, a major economic industry in East Hawaiʻi. These businesses provide plants and flowers to flower and lei shops and stores for sale statewide and out-of-state exports.

(HONOLULU) – Are you a private landowner, non-profit group, or local government agency interested in protecting and managing forested lands? The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Division of Forestry and Wildlife is seeking new projects for two federally-funded forest acquisition programs:  the Community Forest Program and the Hawaiʻi Forest Legacy Program.

(HONOLULU) – A workshop for landowners and land managers interested in managing their land for forestry will be held on June 30 on O‘ahu to provide information on programs that can help them implement their forestry projects. The West O‘ahu Soil and Water Conservation District and the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) have partnered with Nick Dudley, research forester, of the Hawai‘i Agriculture Research Center (HARC) to present this event. Register today to explore how agroforestry, native forest management, and small-scale high value hardwood production can optimize your land function and value. Workshop is limited to 30 attendees.

KAHULUI -- The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is proposing to establish a light industrial and commercial business park at Pulehunui on Maui.  The 280-acre DLNR Industrial and Business Park is located along Maui Veterans Highway (formerly known as Mokulele Highway) adjacent to the Hawai‘i National Guard Armory and the County Raceway Park in Central Maui, in the vicinity of the former Naval Air Station Pu‘unēnē and Maui Humane Society. 

(Hilo) – Seven more people were cited Wednesday night by officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) for loitering in a closed area. Like eighteen people previously cited, the seven allegedly bypassed established check-points or were found in closed areas.

(Honolulu) – Deep in the Honouliuli Forest Reserve, high in Oah‘u’s Wai‘anae Mountains, a sophisticated monitoring station is watching Caly 24-hours a day, seven-days a week. Caly (cyanea calycina) or haha in Hawaiian, is one of less than 200 members of this species left on O‘ahu.

(HONOLULU) —  Effective June 15, 2018, the Department of Land and Natural Resources district and administrative offices will begin issuing hunting licenses and stamps for the new hunting season (July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019). A valid hunting license is required for hunting on public and private lands.  All game mammal hunting is regulated by Hawai‘i Administrative Rules Title 13, Chapter 123, and all game bird hunting is regulated by Hawai‘i Administrative Rules Title 13, Chapter 122 (see https://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw “Administrative Rules” for all legal hunting days).  

(HONOLULU) Do you know a school, community group or non-profit organization that cares about greening our environment? Funding is available to help get your project off the ground.  The Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program announces a call for statewide grant applications with new and expanded opportunities for projects that support urban and community forestry.

(Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i) -The Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Hunter Education Program will be holding a field seminar at Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a Forest Reserve on Thursday, August 2, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

(HILO) – Forestry managers on Hawai‘i island report one-third to one-half of the total acreage of the Malama Kī Forest Reserve has been impacted by the month-long East Rift Zone volcanic eruption. 

(HILO) – Another warning today for people to stop sneaking around check-points in Lower Puna to try and get close to active lava flows.  Saturday officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) cited an additional eight people for loitering in a disaster area under Hawai‘i County Code.  This brings to 18, the number of citations DOCARE has issued during the last week to people for by-passing check-points and entering dangerous areas.

(HILO) – People trying to get close-up views of lava in Lower Puna were cited by DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) officers last night. Seven individuals will have to make court appearances to face charges of loitering in a disaster zone under Hawai‘i County code.  Since the beginning of the East Rift Zone eruption in early May, DOCARE has been assisting Hawai‘i County Police, the Hawai‘i County Civil Defense Agency and the National Guard in manning check-points and conducting patrols to keep people out of dangerous areas. 

(LAHAINA) -- The Commission on Water Resource Management will hold an informational meeting to update the community and address questions on the implementation of amended interim instream flow standards (IIFS) for the surface water hydrological units of Ukumehame, Olowalu, Kaua‘ula on the island of Maui.

(KAILUA-KONA) -- Celebrate the third annual World Oceans Day, “Healthy Oceans, Healthy Planet” at Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area on June 8, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is free to the public, except for a $5 parking fee at Hapuna Beach for non-Hawai‘i residents.

HONOLULU -- The 25 winners of the 12th annual My Hawai‘i Story Contest focused on the environment were recently announced. The students will be presented with awards and prizes at the Hawai'i Conservation Conference on July 25, 2018, at the Hawai'i Convention Center in Honolulu.

(HILO) – A 38 year old San Jose, CA man was cited by a DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) officer two nights ago for loitering under Hawai‘i County code. The DOCARE officer was checking barricades in Nanawale Estates when he spotted a red light in the sky.  A short time later he encountered Huawen Wu flying a drone in a restricted flight zone.  DOCARE reports the man was on Nanawale Blvd., and then took Forest Road where he allegedly set up his drone at about 9:30 p.m. to get aerial photography of an active lava flow.

(HILO) – Officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) and other law enforcement agencies have adopted a zero-tolerance policy toward anyone who violates closures in the disaster area associated with the current eruption of Kilauea and associated lava flows.

(HONOLULU) – The Board of Land and Natural Resources today reviewed the draft Hā’ena State Parks Master Plan, recommended that the Governor accept the Final Environmental Impact Statement, and delegated authority to the Chair of the Board to approve the final Master Plan following acceptance of the EIS by the Governor.

LIHU‘E --  The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is reminding residents and visitors to Kaua‘i that certain forest and park areas on Kaua‘i which suffered damage during historic flooding in mid-April remain closed.

(HONOLULU) –Hawai‘i’s critical shortage of affordable dwellings will get a boost from a USDA Forest Service Wood Innovations grant. Nationwide the U.S. Forest Service is awarding almost $8 million in grants for projects in 20 states to expand and accelerate wood products and wood energy markets. The grants are intended to stimulate the removal of hazardous fuels from forests and reduce the risk of wildfires, promote overall forest health and reduce forest management costs.

(HONOLULU) -  The DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife has closed the Malama Kī Forest Reserve on Hawai‘i island due to lava now flowing into it. Today maps showed one of three separate lava flows heading to the ocean with one going through the forest reserve.

(HONOLULU) -  The DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife has closed the Malama Kī Forest Reserve on Hawai‘i island due to lava now flowing into it. Today maps showed one of three separate lava flows heading to the ocean with one going through the forest reserve.

(HONOLULU) - The Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) has given the greenlight to Champlin/GEI Wind Holdings LLC’s Na Pua Makani Power Partners LLC’s plans to build a 25-megawatt wind farm near Kahuku on the north shore of Oahu.

HILO -  The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) will be conducting maintenance work on Muliwai trail and Waimanu campground between May 20-25. The campground and trail will be closed during this period.

HONOLULU --  Kids of all ages are invited to find their own adventure at the iconic Diamond Head State Monument, on “Kids to Parks Day,”  Saturday May 19 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

(HONOLULU) - The Commission on Water Resource Management (Commission), in a public meeting Tuesday, fined the Olowalu Water Company, Inc. (OWC) of Maui the maximum allowable fine of $1,500 (includes $500 administrative fine) for construction of a concrete dam/spillway on the Olowalu Stream without a permit.  

(HONOLULU) – A team from the O‘ahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC) conducted part of a regularly planned aerial sketch mapping mission over the southern Ko‘olau Mountains today.  Their mission was cut short due to bad weather but they hope to finish their work soon.

HONOLULU -- The Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) voted on May 11, 2018 to approve administrative fines against Henry K. Pomroy, Bill A. Fujimoto, and Ho‘okupu Fish Company, LLC, regarding instances of illegal commercial lava boat tours on Hawai‘i Island.  Pomroy was issued a criminal citation for violation of Hawai‘i Administrative Rules, but the Hawai‘i County Prosecuting Attorney's Office dismissed the criminal citation, leading the DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) to bring a civil enforcement action to the BLNR.  A contested case hearing was held on the enforcement action and BLNR voted to adopt the Hearing Officer's findings of fact, conclusions of law and decision and order.

(HILO) – Earlier this week, four Hawai‘i County men received cease and desist orders from DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) officers for lava rock removal. The men all admitted their roles in the unlawful removal of tons of lava rock from the Mauna Loa Forest Reserve.

(HILO) – Tahitian prawns, caught in Hawai‘i streams, are a popular treat at graduation and other spring-time parties and get-togethers.  The DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) is encouraging people to know the source of their prawns. Evidence has suggested that poisons used to kill garden and household pests has been used not only to kill prawns, but is wiping out all of the aquatic wildlife in some east Hawai‘i streams.

LIHU‘E, KAUA‘I -- Polihale State Park on Kaua‘i will reopen to the public on Tuesday May 15, following repairs to the heavily flood-damaged entry road.  The initial repairs, consisting of filling and grading the most damaged section of the unpaved 5-mile roadway and making drainage improvements, will allow for hardy vehicles to access the beach and camping areas within the popular West Kaua‘i park.  A second phase of road repair will be ongoing for approximately two weeks after the reopening, and park visitors may experience some delays due to the construction. 

HONOLULU -- The Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) approved a settlement today between the DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) and Stephen E.J. Koehne regarding illegal commercial operation in Hanalei Bay ocean waters on Kaua‘i.

(HONOLULU) – A rapid response team of experts from state and federal agencies and non-government organizations formed over the last week to investigate the deaths of several ʻōhiʻa trees in the Moloa‘a Forest Reserve on Kaua‘i’s northeastern side.

(LIHUE) – Officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement  (DOCARE) arrested 32-year-old Bronson Nakaahiki of Kekaha, Kaua‘i today after witnesses reported seeing him allegedly slice a threatened Green sea turtle’s throat and then harvest meat from it on Kekaha Beach.

HONOLULU – The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and the City and County of Honolulu invite NFIP insured renters, home and business owners affected by the April 13 flooding event on O‘ahu, to attend an informational session conducted by a NFIP General Adjuster:

Effective immediately, the DLNR Division of State Parks has closed its Lava Tree State Monument and Mackenzie State Recreation Area until further notice.  Gates to these parks will be locked and closure signs posted. This action was taken after consultation with Hawaii County Emergency  and Parks and Recreation which recommended the closures due to earthquake activity in the Puna area.

(HILO) – Officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) are seeking information about the person or persons who butchered a 250-pound green sea turtle at Onekahakaha County Beach Park in South Hilo. A DOCARE officer estimates the turtle’s shell as at least 80 centimeters in size. Officers report that the turtle’s front two flippers were amputated and it appeared the suspect(s) was interrupted and left the scene without the turtle.  

(HONOLULU) – Following a series of statewide public hearing on proposed changes to rules regulating activities within Hawaii’s Forest Reserve System, the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife is reminding everyone that input and comments on the rules will be accepted until May 11, 2018. The rule changes are in response to evolving natural resource concerns and the needs of managers and forest users.

LIHU‘E – The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) announces an open fishing season for rainbow trout in the Koke‘e Public Fishing Area (PFA) on Kaua‘i, beginning Saturday, June 16, 2018.