State Land Conservation Commission Seeks New Members

The Department of Land and Natural Resources is seeking three volunteers to join the Legacy Land Conservation Commission, for a term of up to four years, according to a recent DLNR news release.

Submit an online application to the Office of the Governor, Boards and Commissions, and learn more about how you can make an impact serving on the Commission, at http://boards.hawaii.gov.

These positions are a key component of DLNR’s Legacy Land Conservation Program, which has completed thirty land acquisition grants and ensured the protection of over 14,200 acres statewide; for more information about these grants, visit http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/ecosystems/llcp/projects.

Required qualifications for the three Commission vacancies (at least one per candidate), in order of priority, are:

1. Resident of Kauaʻi County.
2. Member of an environmental organization organized in the State of Hawai‘i.
3. Scientific qualifications, as evidenced by an academic degree in wildlife or marine biology, botany, forestry, ecology, resource management, biogeography, zoology, or geology.

The Commission reviews requests for land acquisition grants and advises DLNR and the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) on grant prioritization and funding each year. The Legacy Land Conservation Program works to preserve land for any combination of nine public purposes: (1) Watershed protection; (2)  Coastal areas, beaches, and ocean access; (3) Habitat protection; (4) Cultural and historical sites;  (5) Recreational and public hunting areas; (6) Parks; (7) Natural areas; (8) Agricultural Production; and (9) Open spaces and scenic resources.

Commission duties include public meetings three to six times per year, and the grant review process also includes statewide field visits, each led by a Commissioner, to investigate proposed land acquisitions (with reimbursement for allowable travel expenses).  Each of the nine commissioners is appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation in the State Senate and financial disclosure to the State Ethics Commission.

For further information about the Legacy Land Conservation Commission and the Legacy Land Conservation Program, please call the program office at

(808) 586-0921, email legacyland@hawaii.gov, or visit the program website at

http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/ecosystems/llcp.