State land officials are proposing a series of changes to the boundaries of five Hawaii Island forest reserves.
State land officials are proposing a series of changes to the boundaries of five Hawaii Island forest reserves.
The measure, to be heard Friday by the state Board of Land and Natural Resources, would add thousands of acres to some, while removing one parcel from the Hamakua Forest Reserve.
According to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the 238-acre parcel was granted to the Boy Scouts of America as part of a land exchange in 2004 and is no longer state land.
The Mauna Kea Forest Reserve would see the biggest increase, with 6,887 acres added on its north and west boundaries.
The former pasture land already is protected palila habitat, set aside as a mitigation effort for the Saddle Road improvement projects.
According to DLNR, the lands need to be added to the forest reserve to comply with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s “biological opinion” for palila habitat mediation.
The Kohala Forest Reserve would see the return of 3,548 acres that were previously part of a national estuarine research reserve in Waimanu Valley.
The lands were withdrawn from the estuarine reserve in 1996.
The Hilo Forest Reserve would see 40 acres added that are now part of the Ookala Community Forest.
Additionally, the Honuaula Forest Reserve would get about 17.5 new acres that DLNR says could be used as an access corridor.
Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.