Kanaka‘ole tapped as acting chair of the Department of Land and Natural Resources

Ryan Kanaka‘ole will lead the Department of Land and Natural Resources as acting chair while Chair Dawn Chang is on medical leave, Gov. Josh Green announced Monday.

The designation is effective immediately. Kanaka‘ole serves as the department’s deputy director.

“Jaime and I send our heartfelt aloha to Dawn and her ʻohana as she recovers,” Green said. “Dawn has been a dedicated steward of Hawaiʻi’s lands, waters and wildlife and we wish her strength and a full recovery.”

Green said the department remains in good hands with the temporary transition.

“He brings steady leadership and a deep commitment to mālama ʻāina and community,” Green said. “The department’s work of protecting and managing Hawaiʻi’s natural, historical and cultural resources will continue and we look forward to welcoming Dawn back when she is ready.”

Day-to-day operations and public services at the Department of Land and Natural Resources will continue without interruption. The department’s leadership, boards and commissions remain fully staffed. Scheduled meetings and hearings for the Board of Land and Natural Resources and the Commission on Water Resource Management will proceed as planned.

The governor made the appointment under Hawaiʻi law, which allows for a temporary designation when department heads are unable to perform their duties. A written designation will be filed with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.

Kanaka‘ole previously served as a deputy attorney general with the Department of the Attorney General. In that role, he represented the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corp. and the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority. He also served as a deputy attorney general for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands from 2017 to 2023.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources oversees nearly 1.3 million acres of state lands, beaches and coastal waters, as well as 750 miles of coastline. It is also responsible for managing the state’s administrative districts and historic sites.