(Hilo) – Administrative fines totaling $48,500 have been affirmed by Circuit Judge Greg K. Nakamura in a Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) decision against illegal commercial lava boat tours on Hawai‘i Island; in a ruling issued on September 27, 2019. Those fined are Henry K. Pomroy, Bill A. Fujimoto, and Ho‘okupu Fish Company, LLC. “We are very satisfied with this ruling,” said Edward Underwood, Administrator for the DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DO

(Honolulu) – The Legacy Land Conservation Commission has prioritized applications to protect 19,270 acres stretching from the southeast shore at Ka‘ū, Hawai‘i, to Kaua‘i’s north shore, including lands on Maui, Moloka‘i, and O‘ahu. While thirteen properties requiring $15 million were recommended for funding, the existing budget of $6.4 million will fund five of the top ranked properties. The recommendations require approval by the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) and

HONOLULU – Gov. David Ige is recruiting qualified and dedicated people who are interested in serving on the State Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR). The governor is seeking applicants with balanced and inclusive perspectives, committed to the conservation and protection and sustainable use of Hawai‘i’s natural and cultural resources that are the public trust responsibilities of the DLNR. The Department of Land and Natural Resources manages public lands under its juri

HONOLULU – Gov. David Ige and the Thirty Meter Telescope International Observatory (TIO) today announced that construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) will begin the week of July 15, 2019. The State Department of Transportation announced that Mauna Kea Access Road will be closed and there could be lane and other road closures associated with large equipment movement beginning July 15. In addition, hunting units A, K, and G in the Mauna Kea Forest Reserve area will be

Four of the 12 Bottomfish Restricted Fishing Areas (BRFAs) around the state are scheduled to re-open to Deep-7 bottomfish fishing on July 1, 2019. They include BRFA C (Makahū‘ena, Kaua‘i), BRFA F (Penguin Banks), BRFA J (Mokumana-Umalei Pt, Maui), and BRFA L (Leleiwi Pt, Hawai‘i Island). Non-commercial fishers are still limited to taking or possessing a combined total of five “Deep 7” bottomfish per day. The “Deep 7” are: a) ‘ula‘ula koa‘eor onaga (Etelis coruscans); b) ‘ula

Leaders emphasize stewardship, safety and security during construction Gov. David Ige announced that the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) issued a notice to proceed (NTP) to the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project on Maunakea on Hawaiʻi Island. The permit was issued after DLNR confirmed the completion of the pre-construction conditions and mitigation measures required of the project in the Conservation District Use P

(Hilo) – Wailoa State Recreation Area in Hilo is unique among Hawai‘i State Parks given it’s one of a few parks in an urban setting, right on the edge of downtown Hilo. What also makes this beautiful park unusual, is the unique building which houses the Wailoa Center, which is the largest venue on Hawai‘i Island for showcasing the work of local artists. Wailoa Center (Photo credit: DLNR) The 12-sided (Dodecagon) building was completed in 1967, to help breathe new life into th