Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 7, 1 July 2016 — Hawaiʻi Forest Legacy Program accepting applications [ARTICLE]

Hawaiʻi Forest Legacy Program accepting applications

As part of its effort to protect important working forest lands, the state Department of Land andNatural Resources is accepting applications for conservation assistance. Working with private landowners, state and county agencies, and eonservation groups, the program seeks to protect forests from conversion to other uses, while also promoting sustainable practices. About 66 percent of Hawai'i's forest lands are privately held, with most owners interested in keeping them intact. The federal Forest Legacy Program has already protected 47,000 acres in Hawai'i. The DLNRprogramaccepts both the fee title and conservation easement acquisitions, allowing landowners an alternative to selling the forest areas to developers. The application deadline is Aug. 10. Applications are available at http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/fore stry/lap/ forest-legacy.