2015-04-20 Game Management Advisory Commission Mintues

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Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes—April 20, 2015 3. Introduced Species presentation by Nicholas Agorastos, DLNR Natural Area Reserves Systems (NABS) NA: Nick Agorastos provided an alternate perspective to Tom's power-point presentation. DLNR has and DOFAW specifically has a multiple use mandates. We have to try and balance all of the different needs and issues that are brought up, not only by the community but by the legislators, We're more focused on other portions of things — I would say that the people that are working for DLNR are very passionate people. They are people from our society. I'm born and raised her on the Big Island. So they are part of the community. We're not these scientists from far off lands that are just bringing this stuff up out thin air. I work for Natural Area Reserve System [NARS]. We have a very clear mandate and it's only one portion of DLNR. 1, myself, sometimes are—am conflicted with things because I am a big proponent of the multiple use mandates of DLNR. I like to camp. I like to hunt. My particular job is very straight forward and it says you will manage things for our native ecosystems. Comment on Division of Forestry and Wildlife and the Natural Area Reserve Management In Tom's presentation, Chapter 183, only one of twelve was shown of the mandates of the department of the division. But there are significantly more than that and I think that alludes to the many different hats that DOFAW and DLNR has to wear. Duties are spelled out clearly and makes the job easy. I think the Forestry section has a much harder balancing act to do. With that said, we're very fortunate on this island that we have well over 600,000 acres of public land. A very small percentage of that, under 20%, is actually fenced. I think those plans that you mentioned up in your PowerPoint were very pie in the sky. I can see how they can alarm people. But from a guy that runs crews out on the ground daily, it would be very difficult for us to ever achieve that in my lifetime, let alone somebody else's, even with a very aggressive legislature behind us with ample funding of which we're always year-to-year so...