#DLNR

House Bill No. 2329 allocates $150,000 to establish a one-year pilot program to reduce the population of rose-ringed parakeets on the Garden Isle.

Kupu ‘Āina Corps, a program formed to restore lands and communities affected by the wildfires on Maui and Hawaii Island, is now accepting applications for participants and host sites. Participants may apply for paid, career-building experiences with additional benefits. Organizations engaged in wildfire recovery and resiliency efforts on Maui and Hawai’i Island may apply as host sites.

A judge has granted summary judgment in favor of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) and the American Bird Conservancy (ABC), thwarting efforts by an advocacy group to restrain the use of the Incompatible Insect Technique (IIT) to control mosquito born avian malaria on East Maui.

A project to install fencing in West Maui to keep invasive, hoofed animals out of key watershed forests, has a mutually beneficial goal of enhancing human health and environmental well-being.

Each year between November and May, thousands of Koholā (humpback whales) return to Hawai‘i to breed, give birth and nurse their young. During this special time of year, boaters are reminded to reduce their speed and keep a safe and legal distance around whales.

A year ago today, nearly 700 gallons of diesel fuel spilled at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex at Haleakalā’s summit. Since then Air Force reports its officials have worked with the Maui community and Native Hawaiian organizations to remediate the site.

Kupu, a conservation and youth education nonprofit, is seeking applicants for the Hawai‘i Youth Conservation Corps Summer Program, which offers an intensive, hands-on experience into the world of conservation. Kupu is inviting applicants to apply for positions on Hawaiʻi Island, Kauaʻi, Maui, Molokaʻi and Oʻahu. Deadline to apply is Feb. 16, 2024.

Six months after reaching a settlement with owners of a luxury yacht for its grounding, removal and damage to natural resources, the owners still have not paid the thousands of dollars owed to the state.

Comprising 10 bills and two resolutions, the measures reflect the bipartisan efforts of six interim House working groups that collaborated with subject experts and various agencies and engaged in extensive discussions relating to the Lahaina wildfire.

A pair of nēnē were spotted along Uwapo Road in Kīhei, Maui behind Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice. Witnesses say the pair was observed trying to cross the road this morning.

Registration began Monday to those interested in participating in an axis deer control hunt program on Hawaiian Home Lands in Waiohuli.

The state is reporting progress in the transfer of state leases for pastoral and agricultural lands from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources to the state Department of Agriculture. “The transfer of these leases, representing tens of thousands of acres, will help to further preserve important agricultural lands and support the state’s self-sufficiency,” said Gov. Green.

The remote Kīpahulu area on the southeast side of Maui will become the third Community-Based Subsistence Fishing (CBSFA) area in Hawai‘i, following previous designations of Hā‘ena on Kaua‘i and Miloli‘i on Hawai‘i Island. 

Maui County closed Baldwin Beach Park and Lower Pā’ia Park (Baby Beach) due to the shark encounter.

State and federal responders have completed recovery and removal operations in or adjacent to Lahaina Harbor. The US Army Corps of Engineers will conduct final disposition of fire-damaged vessels and incident-generated debris removed during harbor operations.

“The major impact area, at this point, is pulverized coral,” Fuller said. Closer to shore, at the end of the runway, coral colonies have a multitude of white scars. Tops of corals are sliced off where the plane’s landing gear first struck, or during its salvage. 

The 46-foot Ka Imi Kai commercial fishing sailboat broke loose from its anchor or mooring in Māʻalaea Bay and grounded on Sugar Beach in Kīhei.

A Hawaiian monk seal was returned to its home in Kaua‘i waters after five months of treatment at the Kona mammal hospital for kidney stones, possible pneumonia and a fractured canine tooth that had become infected.

The state Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation plans to introduce legislation again in 2024 to try and address the issue of fairness when issuing permits for surf instruction companies to operate at the popular Kahaluʻu Bay surf spot on Hawaiʻi Island. This comes after a recent lottery, in which with three out of the four companies selected are owned by the same person.

While flames are no longer visible at the site of the Mililani Mauka fire on Oʻahu, the 1,600-acre burn area left behind is a reminder of the delicate landscape and its connection to the precious watershed below.