DLNR Hosts Listening Session on Lanai, Feb. 29, 2012

William Aial Jr., Chair of the Department of Land and Natural Resources heard testimony from Maui residents at two meetings on the Valley Isle. He now heads to Lanai for similar meetings. Photo by Wendy Osher.

By Wendy Osher

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources will host a listening session on Lana`i later this month to hear community comments, questions and concerns regarding topics under the department’s jurisdiction.

The session, led by DLNR Chairperson William J. Aila, Jr., will run from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, February 29, 2012 at the Lana`i Senior Center.

Joining Aila will be First Deputy Guy H. Kaulukukui, and Water Deputy Bill M. Tam from Honolulu.

Similar meetings were held on Maui in September, and on Molokai in October.  During the Maui meetings, discussion surfaced on water management in Waihe’e, axis deer control, and the dredging of Lahaina Harbor.

The DLNR is responsible for the management of 1.3 million acres of state land, 3 million acres of state ocean waters, and 2 million acres of conservation district lands.  The department also has oversight for drinking water supply, fisheries, coral reefs, indigenous and endangered flora and fauna, and all of Hawaii’s historic and cultural sites.

Management responsibilities extend from the mountains to three miles out to sea from Hawaii’s coastlines.