Hawaiʻi’s NARS are a set of reserves designated and managed by the state. They contain some of the best examples of natural communities and ecosystems in the state. NARS sites are shown in the map below and information on each on is available here: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/ecosystems/nars/. Also shown are lands managed under natural area partnerships and watershed partnerships that include multiple landowners.
The map shown is from an annual report prepared by DLNR for the legislature: and is here: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/FW19-NARS-FY18.pdf. The document also includes a summary of accomplishments of the NARS program. Previous annual NARS reports can be found here: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/reports/reports-to-the-legislature/.
An interactive map with clickable basic information on each one is available here: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/ecosystems/nars/.
The NARS website introduction states:
“The statewide Natural Area Reserves System (NARS) was established 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 Hawai‘i.”
The system presently consists of 21 reserves on five islands, encompassing 123,810 acres of the State’s most unique ecosystems. The diverse areas found in the NARS range from marine and coastal environments to lava flows, tropical rainforests, and even an alpine desert.”
The NARS program has pages for different areas at: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/ecosystems/. They include these:
Rare Plant Program
Hawaiʻi Invertebrate Program
Legacy Land Conservation Program
Watershed Partnerships Program
Natural Area Partnership Program
Hawaiʻi Biodiversity 