ADMINISTRATIVE RULE AMENDMENTS PROPOSED TO IMPROVE PROTECTIONS OF HAWAIʻI’S INDIGENOUS WILDLIFE
Public Input Invited Through an Online Survey and Public Hearing
News Release from DLNR, August 4, 2026
HONOLULU – The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife, will conduct a public hearing on proposed amendments to Hawaiʻi Administrative Rules (HAR) Chapter 13-124, “Rules for Indigenous Wildlife, Endangered and Threatened Wildlife, Injurious Wildlife, Introduced Wild Birds and Introduced Wildlife.” The proposed amendments are designed to increase protections for native wildlife (referred to in the rule chapter as “indigenous wildlife”).
- CLUE #1: the old Hawaiians used to eat Monk Seals. They were delicious.
- CLUE #2: Local families used to have a polished turtle shell on their wall. I haven't seen one in 10 years or more.
The proposed amendments would:
- Increase protections for indigenous wildlife by prohibiting “take” of indigenous wildlife, where “take” includes “harm” or “harass”;
- Increase protections for indigenous, threatened and endangered wildlife where such wildlife live naturally by prohibiting significant habitat modification that harms or kills such wildlife;
- Protect the health and safety of indigenous, threatened and endangered wildlife by prohibiting the feeding of such wildlife throughout the state and by prohibiting the feeding or abandonment of wildlife and domestic animals on department lands; and
- Protect indigenous, threatened and endangered wildlife and their habitats by restricting the movement of injurious wildlife through prohibiting the distribution or sale of plants, equipment, or other goods that contain injurious wildlife.
The proposed amendments and a public input survey are available now on the DLNR Forestry and Wildlife website at dlnr.hawaii.gov/dofaw/comment.
The public hearing will be a hybrid in-person and virtual meeting that will take place:
- August 13, 2026
- 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 132, Honolulu
Virtual attendance is by Zoom, for which testifiers must pre-register.
For individuals who want to observe the hearing but not testify, a livestream will be made available on YouTube.
Information about providing testimony in-person, in writing, or on Zoom, as well as the YouTube livestream, is all available at dlnr.hawaii.gov/dofaw/comment.
Written testimony will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on August 26, 2026.
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RESOURCES
(All images/video courtesy: DLNR)
Proposed rule amendments, hearing information and testimony instructions:
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dofaw/comment/
Photos and video: Nēnē, the Hawaiʻi State Bird:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/sjqllm96gsubi4jcl5sx0/APnrUJ-l7qiPejuzXcRkQ5M?rlkey=7p9hukvh2mcucijl79r5yw4en&st=ikgt6ir4&dl=0