DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

News Release

LINDA LINGLE

GOVERNOR

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LAURA H. THIELEN, CHAIRPERSON

Phone: (808) 587-0401

Fax: (808) 587-0390

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For Immediate Release: November 16, 2007

Workshop To Assist Landowners to Conserve,
And Restore Hawai'i Native Plants and Animals

HILO — The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is offering a free workshop titled, “Landowner Assistance: Environmental Conservation and Restoration.”

The workshop will be held from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 6, 2007.
at the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i Moana Hoku Room, 600 ‘Imiloa Place in Hilo.

For more information, and to register, contact Charmian Dang via email at Charmian.C.Dang@hawaii.gov or by calling (808) 587-4155. Deadline for registration is November 26.

“DLNR believes there is a critical need to engage private landowners in Hawai‘i in the conservation and restoration of habitat for our native plants and animals,” said Laura H. Thielen, DLNR chairperson. “We are working to establish state, federal, and private partnerships to more effectively conserve and protect our native ecosystems and watersheds.”

“This workshop is a collaborative effort between multiple state and federal agencies to inform private landowners, in one forum, about several programs that can provide funding and technical assistance to landowners who want to do conservation and restoration,” Thielen said.

“It is also a method of carrying out our conservation priorities as identified in the recently completed Hawai‘i Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy, as well as many of the recovery plans for threatened and endangered species,” she said.

Participating agency staff will assist private landowners with various conservation concerns such as restoration planning, outplanting, and evaluation as well as invasive species concerns and controls.

Workshop topics include:
- how to restore your land to native forest
- how to improve native wildlife habitat on your land
- how to address problems with invasive species on your land

Representative from DLNR, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, as well as the Big Island Invasive Species Council and the University of Hawai‘i Cooperative Extension Service will be present.

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For more information, media may contact:
Deborah Ward
DLNR Public information specialist
Phone: (808) 587-0320