GOVERNOR GREEN ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT TO THE BOARD OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

News Release from Office of the Governor, January 8, 2026

HONOLULU — Governor Josh Green today announced his appointment to the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR). Governor Green’s appointee to the BLNR is:

James (Jay) John Kamealoha Carpio: A Native Hawaiian born and raised in Wailuku, Maui, brings a lifetime of hands-on conservation and ʻāina stewardship to public service. He has worked as a hunter and guide, rancher, land manager, master fisherman and farmer, grounded in the day-to-day realities of conserving Hawaiʻi’s land, water and marine resources.

Carpio holds a Bachelor of Science in agriculture and horticulture from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and is a co-founder of the Maui Nui Makai Network and The Limu Hui, two community-based conservation organizations focused on restoring nearshore ecosystems and traditional resource management. He helped revive the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council and, as chair of its Fish Committee, co-founded the Wailuku Coastal Managed Makai Area with his late mentor, kupuna Takeo Miyaguchi, helping expand community-driven marine conservation across Maui Nui.

“Jay Carpio has spent his life on the ground — and in the water — doing the real work of protecting Hawaiʻi’s land and ocean,” Governor Green said. “From co-founding community-managed makai areas to restoring reefs and building more resilient homes, Jay understands how stewardship, housing and sustainability all fit together and that conservation-guided experience will be invaluable on the Board of Land and Natural Resources.”

The BLNR comprises seven members: one from each of the four land districts (O‘ahu, Hawai‘i Island, Maui Nui, and Kaua‘i), two at-large members and the chair, who also serves as executive head of the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Members are nominated and appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Senate to serve four-year terms.

The BLNR convenes twice monthly (with limited exceptions) to review and take action on matters including land leases and Conservation District Use Applications. Public testimony is accepted at each meeting.

This appointment is for a term that ends June 30, 2029.

Please find a photo, courtesy James Carpio, here.

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