2019 09-10 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes

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Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 10, 2019 TN: What does the determination not to have sheep in the area in the order that was, um, you know, that you had to follow to protect the palila bird – what was this – what was stated that no sheep could be in the area and for what reason? KS: Because of the degradation to the forest over time and the loss of habitat for palila over time by sheep and other ungulates – that’s what – so, I mean, yeah, so they eat the forest down too and the habitat is lost to a point where we got sued – the State got sued and we lost three times, um, and we got rid of the sheep. KU: This is Kean in District 2 – I guess the eradication been going on for forty plus years – the palila habitat as well as the numbers of palila – forty years – has it increased or has it declined – the palila. The numbers are declining... KU: So maybe there’s a point that maybe we gotta look at – maybe something is not correct with what we’re doing – that habitat might be too much, you know, the aeras that you guys are trying to mow – but the places that you mowing is not the where they live – it’s – the mamane trees – am I correct? KS: The places that we mow – they do live in that area and we are taking some of the mamane for a fire break because think fire is the biggest threat. KU: The sheep destroyed the mamane and now we’re taking the mamane to stop the fire... KS: Stop the fire. Just along those fire breaks, yes. The sheep didn’t only live on the fire breaks. KU: Kinda interesting that maybe the biologist that made this find – maybe they’re wrong – maybe we need to bring a few number – maybe we can make a test plot in that area with sheep and control the numbers and see if we control the fire fuels and see if the palila can thrive instead of taking the palila and relocating them – from what I understand. I think, you know, at this point with the number declining I’d like to see the palila, you know, thrive – but I think we’re failing at that and we’re failing at, you know, t his whole fire fuel cause that mountain – I don’t believe you can mow that whole mountain – I truly don’t believe that. SB: Our intention isn’t to mow the whole mountain so there’s – this particular area has the highest fuel loads on the whole mountain and I would say even though the palila hasn’t recovered – the forest has – extensively throughout my career – the last 30 years I’ve seen extensive regrowth of the forest and certain begetation that I never saw before is coming back – so we recognize 11