(Waimānalo) – Just after dawn, two officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) drove around the 16-acre former site of the Dragon Garden-Hawai‘i Bonsai Cultural Center in the back of the valley in Waimānalo. They entered numerous structures to make sure there were no squatters, in advance of an enormous clean-up of the property.

Based on lease violations, lessees Walter Liew and Ann Liew lost their lease after a ruling from the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR), last December.

Abandoned vehicles, illegal structures, an infinite variety of rubbish, and possibly hazardous chemicals leaking from discarded barrels or mixed in soil that was illegally dumped create a literal potpourri of useless junk.

During the clean-up work crews and heavy equipment will be working and could pose safety hazards to anyone in the area. DOCARE officers will continue to patrol the property. Anyone trespassing onto the property could be cited or arrested.

When the head of the clean-up crew from the DLNR Engineering Division surveyed the extent of the mess this morning, he estimated it will take several weeks to clear everything out.

The land is designated for agricultural purposes and is expected to remain as such, once the remediation is completed.