Updated at 3:32 p.m., Wednesday, September 24, 2008

"DLNR mulls new system to handle noncriminal violations"
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Staff Writer

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources is moving a step closer to creating a new civil administrative system that proponents say could better handle noncriminal violations of laws governing natural and cultural resources.

Right now, someone who violates these law either gets away with it or is cited for violations of these laws. If cited, the violator goes to court or appears before the DLNR. The range of violations is large, including: net violations that have resulted in the deaths of endangered Hawaiian monk seals, camping permits, fishing regulations and taking of trees or other plants from protected areas.

Now, officials want to hear from the community at public hearings statewide, starting Oct. 2, on draft rules to establish a Civil Resource Violations System, designed to strengthen the agency's enforcement of violations of state natural and cultural resources laws. The state department held informational meetings earlier and came up with proposed rules.

"As part of our commitment to protecting Hawai'i's natural and cultural resources, we believe that establishing a civil resource violations system complements our existing criminal violations system, and will allow DLNR to process its noncriminal enforcement cases in a just, expeditious and cost-effective manner," said Laura H. Thielen, DLNR chairperson.