Department Of Land And Natural Resources News

Work on the Pacific Paradise continues and the unified command has contracted Resolve Marine Group with support from several other experts to conduct the removal of the pollution threat. "The combined experience of the team we have working this challenge is impressive and the effort they've put in to develop this wreck removal plan is significant," said Captain of the Port Capt. Michael Long, commander, Coast Guard Sector Honolulu. "This response is a dynamic and constantly evolving process with many factors to consider and it will take some time to complete.

Responders continue the search for five Army aviators who went missing Tuesday night approximately two miles west of Ka'ena Point, the westernmost tip of land on the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu. The search began late Tuesday following notification to the Coast Guard from personnel at Wheeler Army Airfield stating they lost communication with one of their UH-60 Black Hawk aircrews. The missing aircrew was reportedly engaged in night time training operations between Ka'ena Point and Dillingham Airfield. None of the aviators have been located yet. No further debris has been recovered. Personnel continue to coordinate efforts at the joint forward operating base at Hale'iwa Boat Harbor.

Responders are continuing the search for five missing Army aviators from a downed Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter approximately two miles west of Ka'ena Point, Oahu, Wednesday. En route is Coast Guard Cutter Walnut (WLB 205) and crew, a 225-foot buoy tender homeported in Honolulu. None of the aviators have been located yet. Debris has been spotted and recovered near Ka'ena Point by responders. A joint forward incident command post has been established at Hale'iwa Boat Harbor to coordinate search and rescue efforts. Debris from the crash should be considered hazardous material and should only be recovered by recovery teams with the proper training and personal protective equipment. The debris poses potential risk and could cause serious bodily harm due to sharp edges.

Biofouling was a backburner issue until 5 March 2017. On that day the Government of New Zealand ordered the bulk carrier DL MARIGOLD out of NZ waters after the vessel’s hull was determined to be excessively fouled with potentially invasive organisms including barnacles and tube worms. The bulker was not allowed back until it showed that the underwater surfaces had been thoroughly cleaned. This was the first known instance of a vessel expulsion due to biofouling. It was also significant…

In the last 24 hours, the Coast Guard has identified two tour boats operating illegally out of Pohoiki Boat Ramp and is ramping up enforcement in response to a perceived increase in illegal charters operating in the area to view lava streaming into the ocean from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano. "Safety is always our top priority," said Capt. David McClellan, chief of prevention, Coast Guard 14th District. "For boat operators, it is important to maintain situational awareness and not unnecessarily put yourself, your passengers or your boat in danger. Commercial tour boat and charter operators must possess the appropriate merchant mariner credential to operate.

A Coast Guard 45-foot Response Boat-Medium anchored off Laie Point after becoming disabled has been removed and is being towed to Coast Guard Station Honolulu, yesterday. A RB-M boat crew from Station Honolulu removed the disabled RB-M from its anchorage and towed it to the Coast Guard Cutter Ahi. Ahi is currently towing the RB-M to Station Honolulu. A jet ski crew from Marine Corps Base Hawaii Waterfront Operations assisted in the operation. An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point is on-scene acting as a safety observer. The RB-M became stranded after attempting to take the 55-foot disabled sailing vessel Doubloon in tow Tuesday morning. The Doubloon drifted into the surf zone and broke apart in the 8-10 foot seas.

With more than 10,000 humpback whales migrating to the Hawaiian Islands this year, crews from the Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the State of Hawaii's Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement, from the Department of Land and Natural Resources are partnering together to protect humpback whales. Humpback whale season is generally from November to May with the peak season occurring during the months of January and March. According to the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, whales come to the Hawaiian Islands to mate, calve, and nurse their young. They return to Alaska in the summer months because Hawaii's waters are relatively nutrient-free and too warm to support enough of the humpback's food to sustain them year-round.

The Hawaii Department of Health has implemented an incident command system to further organize the response to the molasses spill in Honolulu Harbor, Monday. An incident command post has been established at the Clean Islands Council facility near Sand Island. The incident command is comprised of representatives from the Hawaii Department of Health, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Transportation, Matson, Coast Guard, Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The incident command has drafted and approved an incident action plan which outlines key objectives of the response and provides clear direction to all participants.

NOAA’s Marine Debris Program provided $967,000 through its Restoration Center to support locally driven, community-based marine debris prevention and removal projects. Eleven groups across the country received funding to remove derelict fishing nets, litter, lumber, tires and other harmful marine debris from shorelines and coastal waters. “Marine debris plagues coastlines all over the country, and these communities have the expertise and motivation to address it,” said Nancy Wallace, Marine Debris Program director.

Divers from the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources and the U.S. Navy have been working cooperatively over the course of this week to assess the extent of the grounding scar from USS Port Royal (CG 73) and to undertake emergency restoration activities on the impacted reef. Meanwhile, the guided-missile cruiser entered drydock at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard Feb. 18 to repair damage sustained when it ran aground the night of Feb. 5 a half-mile off Honolulu Airport's Reef Runway. After three unsuccessful attempts, the Pearl Harbor ship was refloated early Feb.

Legislation has been favorably reported out of the Senate Committee in Commerce, Science, and Transportation that would, if enacted, constitute the first official steps by the federal government to come to grips with biofouling of the hulls of ships. The Ballast Water Management Act of 2007 (S. 1578) would, among other things, require the U.S. Coast Guard to conduct a study of vessel-borne vectors (other than ballast water and sediment), specifically including vessel hulls, anchors, and equipment.

On October 15, 2006 an earthquake impacted the Hawaiian Islands resulting in falling rocks along the coastline. These falling rocks present a safety hazard to users of Kealakekua Bay. The Captain of the Port (COTP) has established a safety zone within Kealakekua Bay and in particular Subzone A, resulting in a temporary closure. Subzone A, as determined by the State of Hawai`i Department of Land and Natural Resources, is the area within the Bay between the shore and a line extending south from the lighthouse on Ka awaloa Cove to Napo opo o Beach (Hikiau Heiau). Notification will be made via channel 16 VHF FM and the USCG Homeport website once the COTP reopens the bay.