Hawaii Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement
Encyclopedia
Hawaii Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement (DOCARE) / (Hawaii DLNR Police)
Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement(DOCARE) and also known as the Hawaii DLNR Police, is the law enforcement agency for the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. It is tasked with full state police
powers to enforces all State laws and Department rules,with primary jurisdiction involving State lands, State Parks, historical sites, forest reserves, aquatic life and wildlife areas, coastal zones, Conservation districts, State shores, as well as county ordinances involving county parks, for enforcing Hawaii’s fishing and recreational boating laws and protecting reefs and other marine resources, patrolling harbors and coastal areas, and conducting marijuana eradication missions.
Officers patrol 3000000 acres (12,140.6 km²) of state ocean waters, 3200000 acres (12,950 km²) of state land or conservation land, and 750 miles (1,207 km) of coast line. Statewide, there are approximately 120 conservation officers divided among six islands.
The Illegal hunting, fishing, and Koa theft top state enforcement concerns in 2010 on the Island of Kauai.
In 2010 DLNR Police had about 100 officers used to patrol from the mountains tops to 3 miles off shore. They also have 20 boats and 2 jet skis which are used statewide. The breakdown of Officers by island is: Oahu-42, Big Island-22, Maui County-22 and Kauai 14.
The Nature Conservancy of Hawai'i is among a long list of groups that have advocated for more DOCARE officers. Others are the Sierra Club, the Conservation Council for Hawai'i, KAHEA: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance, the Hawaii Audubon Society, the Pacific Fisheries Coalition and Malama Hawai'i. "It doesn't matter if it's from the conservation community, the fishing community or the recreational user community, there are not a lot of things we agree on, but there is one thing we agree on: We'd all like to see more capacity and a greater level of enforcement," said Mark Fox, director of external affairs for The Nature Conservancy.
Maui fisherman Darrell Tanaka said, “many people engaged in illegal activities that contribute to overfishing don't worry about getting caught. Tanaka is part of a growing group of fishers who have become advocates for DOCARE and laws promoting sustainable fisheries”.
"We recognize this behavior can no longer be allowed to occur," said State Conservation Officer Randy Awo.
State sheriffs, narcotics agents and Attorney General investigators were also working double duty.
“We'll do whatever we need to do to ensure compliance is being attained," said Awo. “We are taking this initiative very seriously."
Safety and welfare of forest users like hunters, hikers, DLNR employees, researchers and flower gatherers is a priority for our Department. Hostile encounters and booby traps along with a variety of other criminal acts have been associated with the illegal cultivation of marijuana on State land.
Cultivation has the potential of destroying native habitat due to the introduction of herbicides, clear cutting, fertilizers, pesticides, rodenticide, alien species, and trash. This in turn has a direct negative impact on our fragile natural resources and disrupts sensitive wildlife species.
Large tracks of State land are being used for marijuana cultivation. Since much of this land is under the jurisdiction of DLNR, we have the primary responsibility to eradicate these plants.
It has been estimated that approximately 75% of all marijuana eradicated in Hawaii was found on DLNR land. More plants could and would be eradicated if adequate funding were available.
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2009/Jun/28/ln/hawaii906280352.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawai%27i_Department_of_Land_and_Natural_Resources
DLNR POLICE
HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement(DOCARE) and also known as the Hawaii DLNR Police, is the law enforcement agency for the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. It is tasked with full state police
State police
State police are a type of sub-national territorial police force, particularly in Australia and the United States. Some other countries have analogous police forces, such as the provincial police in some Canadian provinces, while in other places, the same responsibilities are held by national...
powers to enforces all State laws and Department rules,with primary jurisdiction involving State lands, State Parks, historical sites, forest reserves, aquatic life and wildlife areas, coastal zones, Conservation districts, State shores, as well as county ordinances involving county parks, for enforcing Hawaii’s fishing and recreational boating laws and protecting reefs and other marine resources, patrolling harbors and coastal areas, and conducting marijuana eradication missions.
Officers patrol 3000000 acres (12,140.6 km²) of state ocean waters, 3200000 acres (12,950 km²) of state land or conservation land, and 750 miles (1,207 km) of coast line. Statewide, there are approximately 120 conservation officers divided among six islands.
NEW PROGRAMS & ISSUES
DOCARE established Fisheries Enforcement Units in 2011, on Maui, Big Island and Kaua‘i, that consist of one supervisory captain, two field officers to increase enforcement of Hawai‘i’s nearshore fisheries to increase sustainability. This will be financed by a joint-initiative between the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, Conservation International and the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation.The Illegal hunting, fishing, and Koa theft top state enforcement concerns in 2010 on the Island of Kauai.
In 2010 DLNR Police had about 100 officers used to patrol from the mountains tops to 3 miles off shore. They also have 20 boats and 2 jet skis which are used statewide. The breakdown of Officers by island is: Oahu-42, Big Island-22, Maui County-22 and Kauai 14.
Controversy regarding shortage of enforcement officers to protect Hawaiian resources
In May 2011, William Aila, Director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources said, “eventually the department will need four times as many conservation officers as it does now to properly serve all the enforcement expectations of the department, which has jurisdiction over all state lands and the near-shore waters”.The Nature Conservancy of Hawai'i is among a long list of groups that have advocated for more DOCARE officers. Others are the Sierra Club, the Conservation Council for Hawai'i, KAHEA: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance, the Hawaii Audubon Society, the Pacific Fisheries Coalition and Malama Hawai'i. "It doesn't matter if it's from the conservation community, the fishing community or the recreational user community, there are not a lot of things we agree on, but there is one thing we agree on: We'd all like to see more capacity and a greater level of enforcement," said Mark Fox, director of external affairs for The Nature Conservancy.
Maui fisherman Darrell Tanaka said, “many people engaged in illegal activities that contribute to overfishing don't worry about getting caught. Tanaka is part of a growing group of fishers who have become advocates for DOCARE and laws promoting sustainable fisheries”.
New Holiday enforcement operations on Kaneohe sandbar
On 4-wheels, by boat and on foot - DLNR police officers were on patrol - enforcing new rules at the Kaneohe sandbar, including a ban on alcohol. In response to overcrowding and incidents involving drugs and alcohol at the sandbar, the state stepped in to keep the crowds calm."We recognize this behavior can no longer be allowed to occur," said State Conservation Officer Randy Awo.
State sheriffs, narcotics agents and Attorney General investigators were also working double duty.
“We'll do whatever we need to do to ensure compliance is being attained," said Awo. “We are taking this initiative very seriously."
MARIJUANA ERADICATION
DLNR Police became actively involved in eradication for a number of reasons:Safety and welfare of forest users like hunters, hikers, DLNR employees, researchers and flower gatherers is a priority for our Department. Hostile encounters and booby traps along with a variety of other criminal acts have been associated with the illegal cultivation of marijuana on State land.
Cultivation has the potential of destroying native habitat due to the introduction of herbicides, clear cutting, fertilizers, pesticides, rodenticide, alien species, and trash. This in turn has a direct negative impact on our fragile natural resources and disrupts sensitive wildlife species.
Large tracks of State land are being used for marijuana cultivation. Since much of this land is under the jurisdiction of DLNR, we have the primary responsibility to eradicate these plants.
It has been estimated that approximately 75% of all marijuana eradicated in Hawaii was found on DLNR land. More plants could and would be eradicated if adequate funding were available.
See also
- Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural ResourcesHawai'i Department of Land and Natural ResourcesThe Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources is a part of the Hawaii state government dedicated to managing state parks and other natural resources of the state of Hawaii.-Divisions:...
- Natural Area Reserves System HawaiiNatural Area Reserves System HawaiiThe Natural Area Reserves System of Hawaii is a statewide attempt to preserve in perpetuity specific land and water areas which support communities, as relatively unmodified as possible, of the natural flora and fauna, as well as geological sites, of Hawaii.-History:Established in 1970 by Hawaii...
- List of Hawaii state parks
- Government of HawaiiGovernment of HawaiiGovernment of Hawaii may refer to:*Constitution of Hawaii*Ancient Hawaii*Kingdom of Hawaii*Provisional Government of Hawaii*Republic of Hawaii*Territory of Hawaii*State of Hawaii*United States Congressional Delegations from Hawaii...
External links
http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/docarehttp://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2009/Jun/28/ln/hawaii906280352.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawai%27i_Department_of_Land_and_Natural_Resources