David Y. Ige

HONOLULU — The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is seeking new projects for the Hawai‘i Forest Legacy Program that will protect important working forest lands from the threat of conversion to non-forest uses.  The Forest Legacy Program, administrated through DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife, is accepting applications for conservation acquisition assistance through the program.

The Hawai‘i Forest Legacy Program works with private landowners, state and county agencies, and conservation non-profit groups to promote sustainable, working forests. Roughly 58 percent of the land in the State of Hawai‘i is privately owned.  Nationwide, millions of acres of privately-managed working forests have been lost or converted to other uses in the last 10 years with millions more that are projected to be at risk in the next decade.  Hawai‘i is not an exception to this trend.

“With the help of land trusts and conservation-minded landowners, we have been able to protect our important forest resources, preserve forest health and watersheds, shelter endangered species, and safeguard our culturally important sites,” said Suzanne Case, DLNR Chairperson.

More than 2 million acres of threatened private forests in the U.S. have been protected under the Forest Legacy Program, of which 45,000 acres have been protected in Hawai‘i. The Division of Forestry and Wildlife is currently working on projects that will protect an additional 5,000 acres of important forested watershed lands through the establishment of conservation easements.

Conservation easements are a relatively new conservation tool that allows a landowner to retain ownership of the restricted title to their property while providing permanent protection from development or unsustainable uses.  Often times, this economic opportunity provides landowners with an alternative to selling their land to development companies. Conservation easements are strictly voluntary to enter into and the restrictions are binding to all future owners in perpetuity.

“The national Forest Legacy Program is very competitive with only a few dozen projects funded by the U.S. Forest Service each year,” Case said. “Hawai‘i always puts in strong projects that compete well in this national program,” she noted.

The Hawai‘i Forest Legacy Program has identified forest lands throughout the state as important and in need of permanent protection.  More information about this status can be found in the State’s Assessment of Needs on the Hawai‘i Forest Legacy Program website (https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/forestry/lap/forest-legacy/).  The Hawai‘i program accepts both fee title and conservation easement acquisitions. Fee title acquisitions are voluntary and can provide landowners with the knowledge that their property will be managed and owned in perpetuity by the State of Hawai‘i.

The deadline for the next round of applications to the Hawai‘i Forest Legacy Program is August 17, 2015.  Applications can be found at https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/forestry/lap/forest-legacy/ and should be submitted to Irene Sprecher by email. Landowners and non-profits entities who are interested in participating in the Forest Legacy Program are encouraged to contact Irene Sprecher at the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife at (808) 587-4167 or by email at [email protected] to discuss their property and interest in the program.

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Media Contact:
Deborah Ward
DLNR Communications Specialist
Phone: (808) 587-0320