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Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources put 41 new state conservation officers to work on Monday, representing the agency’s largest- ever recruiting class — an offshoot of Gov. Josh Green’s initiative to charge a “green fee” for tourists to access the state’s natural attractions.
So far, legislators have narrowed Green’s concept to a visitor fee that would provide access to Hawaii’s (as yet unspecified) popular state parks and trails. The Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement’s new officers, who have almost doubled DOCARE’s officer count, to 95, are expected to oversee tourist access and ensure the fee will be paid, among other duties.