#DLNR

The Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources said recent counts found about 70 of the Native Hawaiian goose eating cat food left on the lava rocks near busy Queens Marketplace.

More than $20 million worth of projects are left to be completed at the harbor, including work on the piers and dinghy dock that cost $8 million and are expected to start this year.

Regular maintenance dredging of the Lahaina Small Boat Harbor begins on Monday, June 1. All dredged material will be disposed at the landfill, due to the potential presence of debris from the 2023 wildfires in the sediment.

New virtual field trips are being offered this year to remote seabird sanctuaries: Lehua Island, 19 miles west of Kauaʻi, and Hōlanikū (also known as Kure Atoll), 1,400 miles away at the furthest reaches of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. The virtual excursions use 360˚ photos and videos, as well as interviews with field biologists and cultural practitioners, to provide educational exploration of otherwise inaccessible locations.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources – Division of Aquatic Resources invites people on all islands to join in the Makahiki Kuleana Kahakai on June 6, 2026. As part of the Year of Our Coastal Kuleana, this event serves as a day of collective action to mālama the shorelines, waterways and community spaces that sustain life in Hawaiʻi. Two events are already planned on Maui including a dune restoration project at Kapukaulua (Baldwin Beach Park) on June 5, 2026; and a World Ocean Day event at Stable Road in Spreckelsville on June 6, 2026.

In June, the DLNR Division of State Parks will submit to the Maui Planning Commission a proposal for phased construction that is aimed at improving the overall beach experience at the popular Mākena State Park.

The abundance of axis deer on Maui Nui continues to cause environmental, safety and economic challenges for its residents. The DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife is asking residents of Maui, Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i to participate in a short survey describing how axis deer are impacting their lives.

Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Awareness Month returns this May for its ninth year, bringing together residents, farmers, government agencies and community organizations to tackle one of the state’s most persistent environmental and economic threats.

The original reason for the creation of the Maui reserve in 1908 was to protect freshwater resources, and that is still a need although how to accomplish it now is different.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources is investigating social media postings on Instagram that appear to show an adult male throwing an object toward a monk seal while it was swimming in the water off the Lahaina shoreline.

A Hawaiian monk seal pup was born at sunset, Sunday, May 3, on Kaimana Beach, to the 15-year-old female Kaiwi (RK96), who is known to visit Oʻahu’s south shore.

The plan will guide how the state, county agencies, Native Hawaiian organizations and communities work together to identify, protect and steward Hawaiʻi’s historic and cultural resources from 2026 through 2034.

At the Kewalo site, the restoration project builds on previous efforts by DAR and partners from Kuleana Coral Restoration to save live corals after an anchor-damage event in 2024. The project also provides a new educational experience for recreational divers and operators. 

Ten schools have been selected to participate in the statewide Shade Trees for Schools program, a joint effort of the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife’s Kaulunani Urban & Community Forestry Program and the Hawaiʻi Department of Education.

Maui County is considering returning some of the soil runoff from last month’s flooding back to landowners who lost large swaths of property so they can rebuild.

The DLNR Division of State Parks will begin critical upgrades to the pedestrian bridge crossing Wailuku River at ʻĪao Valley State Monument on April 27, 2026. The work will continue through June 26, 2026.

Hawaiian monk seal peak pupping season is underway across the islands, a critical time for one of the state’s most endangered species. Monk seals give birth year-round, but the months from March through August are the busiest for births.

The Hyatt Regency Maui says it needs to shore up the beach after last month’s Kona storm swept away much of the sand, but community members say it will lead to more beach loss.

The DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife is seeking community input on a draft management plan for the Makawao State Forest Reserve on Maui. Feedback will help guide oversight of the area for the next 10 years.

This initiative seeks to engage artists to explore the realities of climate change and channel their art to inspire and connect Hawaiʻi residents to climate challenges around the state.