BY DEBORAH WARD – HONOLULU – The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) will hold statewide public hearings, starting November 8, for Hawaii Administrative Rule (HAR) amendments to update Chapters 13-122 and 123, hunting rules for game birds and game mammals.
The proposed changes relate mainly to re-establishing the stamp, tag and application hunting fees in place before 2008, providing for permits for disabled hunters, and updating descriptions and maps of public hunting areas, including removal of some Natural Area Reserves from public hunting and adding public hunting areas such as the Pu‘u Mali Mitigation Area on the Big Island and agricultural lands on Kauai.
The full text of the proposed rules with amendments can be found at https://hawaii.gov/dlnr/rules (Chapters 13-122 and 123) and https://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw Copies are also available from Division of Forestry and Wildlife district and administrative offices for a small copying and postage fee.
Public information meetings will start at 6 p.m. at each location, followed by public hearings scheduled as follows and not to exceed 2 hours:
- Moloka‘i: Monday, November 8, 2010 at 7 p.m.; Mitchell Pau‘ole Center, 90 Aiona St., Kaunakakai, HI 96748;
- Lanai: Tuesday, November 9, 2010 at 7 p.m.; Lana‘i Elementary and High School Cafeteria, 555 Fraser Ave., Lana‘i City, Lana‘i, HI 96763;
- Maui: Wednesday, November 10, 2010 at 7 p.m.; Lihikai School Cafeteria, 335 Papa Ave., Kahului, Maui, HI 96753;
- O‘ahu: Friday, November 12, 2010 at 7 p.m.; Jefferson Elementary School Cafeteria, 324 Kapahulu Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815;
- Kaua‘i: Monday, November 15, 2010 at 7 p.m.; Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School Cafeteria, 4431 Nuhou Street, Lihue, HI 96766;
- Hawai‘i:
- Hilo, Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at 7 p.m.; Hilo High School Cafeteria, 556 Waianuenue Ave., Hilo, HI, 96720;
- Kona, Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 7 p.m.; Kealakehe High School, 74-5000 Puohulihuli St., Kailua-Kona, HI 96740.
All interested persons are urged to attend the public hearing to provide testimony. Persons wishing to present written comments may also e-mail them to dlnr@hawaii.gov or postmark written testimony by Monday, November 29, 2010 to: DLNR, Public Hunting Rules, P.O. Box 621, Honolulu, HI 96809.
Any person requiring a special accommodation (i.e. large print materials, sign language interpreters) should make a request by writing to the DLNR address in the preceding paragraph or by calling 587-0393 (V/T). The request will need to be received at least 4 days before the hearing date.
Submitted by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources