LIHUE — Two proposed changes to state forest reserve lands on Kauai are the subject of a public hearing at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Lihue State Office Building, 2nd floor conference rooms A, B, and C, at 3060 ‘Eiwa Street.
LIHUE — Two proposed changes to state forest reserve lands on Kauai are the subject of a public hearing at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Lihue State Office Building, 2nd floor conference rooms A, B, and C, at 3060 ‘Eiwa Street.
The first change is the addition of 164 acres to the Lihue-Koloa state forest reserve that would provide legal public and management access to a landlocked portion of the forest reserve.
The Lihue-Koloa state forest reserve was established in 1909, and encompasses 12,500 acres. It was created for watershed protection, and comprises two geographically distinct sections.
The larger section is situated primarily in the district of Lihue, and the smaller section in the district of Koloa. This section of the forest reserve is currently landlocked with no established legal access. The parcel being proposed for addition is currently unencumbered state land located directly south of, and adjacent to the smaller Koloa unit.
The proposed land addition contains an existing dirt road that traverses much of the parcel, ending very close to the existing forest reserve boundary, and accessible from a public county roadway.
The second proposed change is the withdrawal of 1,467 square feet from the Lihue-Koloa Forest Reserve.
Written testimony postmarked no later than March 14 can be sent to the Forestry Program Manager, Division of Forestry and Wildlife, 1151 Punchbowl St., #325, Honolulu, HI 96813.
DOFAW will later present a summary of public testimony, staff analyses and recommendations for further actions to the state Board of Land and Natural Resources. The board will decide whether to proceed with or change their previous recommendation for the proposed revisions to the forest reserve system.
Should the BLNR opt to proceed with the current recommendations, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources will send the items to the governor for final approval via Executive Order, a press release said.
