DLNR Seeks Advisory Council Applicants

The Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry and Wildlife, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, is seeking applications to fill the Big Island’s Laupahoehoe Advisory Council and the Pu’u Wa’awa’a Advisory Council’s vacant seats.

Members of the Laupahoehoe Advisory Council are expected and encouraged to provide guidance to DLNR and the USDA Forest Service on issues related to management, research, education, and public access in the Hawai’i Experimental Tropical Forest and state lands in the Hamakua District.

Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a Advisory Council members are expected and encouraged to provide guidance to DLNR for state lands in North Kona, including the PWW Forest Reserve, PWW Forest Bird Sanctuary, Kīholo State Park Reserve, and the makai lands of Pu‘u Anahulu.

The Laupahoehoe Forest is located on the windward side of the Big Island and includes 12,300 acres of wet tropical forest in both forest reserve land as well as a natural area reserve.

Pu’u Wa’awa’a’s ‘ahupua’a is 40,711 acres of state land and includes the forest bird sanctuary, Pu’u Wa’awa’a Forest Reserve, and Kiholo State Park Reserve. Located on the leeward side of the Big Island on the northern flank of Hualalai, Pu’u Wa’awa’a include tropical dry and wet forests, grasslands, and coastal ecosystems, including anchialine ponds.

Fourteen members make up the LAC, with two members each representing the following categories: cultural resources, natural resource management, recreation, education, Laupahoehoe community, Hawai‘i community at large, and scientific research.

Each member of the council serves a two or three-year term.

Interested LAC applicants are being sought to fill four open seats in the cultural resources, education, Laupahoehoe community at large, and recreation categories.

Applicants should have an appropriate background in the category area and also an interest in representing community stakeholders related to their respective categories.

Every two months, on the second Wednesday of even months, the LAC meets in Laupahoehoe from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The PAC is a group of 14 members who fulfill the following categories: Natural resource specialist and recreation use specialist (three members each), Hui ‘Ohana mai Pu‘u Anahulu a me Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a representative, and grazing specialist (two members each), cultural expert, neighboring landowner, business/ecotourism specialist, and grant writing expertise/coastal zone management (one member each).

Members of the PAC serve for a two or three-year terms.

Application positions are for Hui ‘Ohana mai Pu’u Anahulu a me Pu’u Wa’awa’a representative and grazing specialist.

Interested applicants should have a background in the category area, as well as an interest in representing community stakeholders related to their respective categories.

PAC members meet on a quarterly basis at Pu’u Wa’awa’a Forest Reserve in North Kona.

Those interested in serving on either of the councils should submit an application that will be reviewed by the Division of Forestry and Wildlife, the Hawai’i Experimental Tropical Forest working group, and current members of the Advisory Council.

The DLNR chairperson will make the final selections.

Applications including submittal instructions can be found online. Hard copy applications may be picked up at the Big Island Division of Forestry and Wildlife office at 19 E. Kawili St. Hilo, HI 96720, and at the Kamuela State Tree Nursery 66-1220A Lalamilo Road, Kamuela, HI 96743. Completed applications must be received at either of these locations by Dec. 22, 2015.

For more information on either the Laupāhoehoe or Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a Advisory Councils and the application process, contact the DOFAW branch manager, Steve Bergfeld, at 974-4221.