The Department of Land and Natural Resources said officers will once again be on patrol over the New Year’s holiday to deter burning Christmas trees, especially at the Kaneohe Bay sandbar, also known as Ahu o Laka.
While burning Christmas trees may be an annual tradition for some, it is illegal, according to a DLNR news release. In 2021, photos posted on social media showed large gatherings of people at the sandbar with tree-fueled fires burning in the background.
Fewer people are doing this illegal activity now, partly because people understand the negative environmental consequences, and because DOCARE patrols the area from the shore and on the water after Christmas and New Year’s. Violators will be charged with criminal littering, which is a petty misdemeanor and carries a fine between $500 to $1,000, plus a requirement to perform community service or time spent picking up litter on public property, according to DOCARE Chief Jason Redulla, who emailed this information to Spectrum News Hawaii…