Board of Land and Natural Resources

The Board of Land and Natural Resources approved the purchase of more than 250 acres of watershed lands in southwest Maui known as Pōhākea or Māʻalaea Mauka for $8.2 million.

The parties that damaged coral and live rock near Honolua Bay with a yacht in early 2023 were originally fined $117,000. Now they’re on the hook for $1.8 million.

Despite concerns over cultural preservation and climate change, a small plot of state-owned land in Wailua, Kauaʻi, near the old Coco Palms Resort, will be put up for public auction. The Board of Land and Natural Resources voted 4-2 to offer the parcel to the highest bidder. HPR's Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi reports.

The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court says the state attorney general's office must pay attorney fees for using last year's Maui wildfire tragedy to file a petition in “bad faith” that blamed a state court judge for a lack of water for firefighting.

U.S. Army leases on Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island expire in five years, and the Board of Land and Natural Resources is considering a land exchange as an alternative to new leases. This idea was met with overwhelming opposition at a recent BLNR meeting. HPR's Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi has more.

The changes say that for two years, many hunting areas will have increased bag limits for pigs, goats and sheep. Some areas will also have expanded hunting periods.

The state Board of Land and Natural Resources has deferred a $117,000 fine against the people responsible for damaging coral with their yacht on Maui last year. Testifiers urged the board to gather information from the public and increase the fine. HPR's Mark Ladao has more.

The permit allowing the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Maunakea is under review by the Board of Land and Natural Resources. At issue is whether the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo met a condition that required TMT construction to begin within two years of the permit being granted. HPR’s Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi has more.

A petition has been started to oppose Gov. Josh Green's nominee, Dawn Chang, to head the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Chang spoke to The Conversation's Catherine Cruz to explain her position and what she brings to the table from her decades of experience.

The University of Hawaiʻi is submitting an updated Maunakea management plan to the state Board of Land and Natural Resources for final approval. The UH Board of Regents unanimously approved the supplement to UH’s comprehensive management plan last week despite recent action at the Legislature.