2015-08-17 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes

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Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – August 17, 2015 My name is Steven Araujo. I’d like to testify on Legislative Agenda #5a. Is a Statewide Advisory Commission to DLNR worth pursuing? Some of you up there already know that we did have one in the past. We did have one of these commissions in the past. And the commission would work – it would work very good providing that the commissioners are committed to what they going to and I mean they need to be committed. They have to do their homework – even if it’s to the point of giving up Wheel of Fortune and, you know, all that kind of things. You guys got to do your homework. You need to know the laws pertaining to the endangered species and everything associated with endangered species along with game mammals. There needs to me a mechanism on how you’re gonna set up the commission on a statewide basis. Is it gonna be run from each county level – is something gonna be set up this way – or is it gonna be set up like how it was in the past where the hunters would chose their representatives. You need a mechanism to come back to the hunters because right now the hunters are not organized anymore – to bring the concerns to a statewide organization. You also going have to find a funding mechanism. If you’re looking at getting funded through the general fund you’re not gonna get ‘em. So you need to be creative, find a mechanism where air fares, hotels, and all of that can be arranged without hitting the general fund. But the most important thing is the commitment that you going have to put into this thing. I know because I was the first president for the Hawaii Hunting Advisory Council. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done, there’s a lot of phone calls that needs to be made – a lot of lobbying towards the legislators – finding help wherever you can get help. It is – it is total committal. Even to the point where you gotta give up hunting because a lot of the meetings going fall on Saturday – so you gotta give up hunting even if it means giving up hunting for the duration of the time that you’re on that commission. That’s how dedicated the individual have to be. Then they have to be knowledgeable because if you’re not knowledgeable your boat is gonna sink the moment you put it in the water. You know, that’s point blank, plain and simple. And the people that are on this commission or committee whatever it’s gonna be called – cannot do it for personal gain. That’s why – that is one of the reasons that it failed in the first place – personal gain – guys wanted to make a name for themselves. It cannot be that way… VII. Presentation and Discussion: Gregory Fleming, Deputy Garrison Commander at U.S. Army Garrison Pohakuloa (PTA) and John Polhemus filled in for Col. Peterson, PTA Commander who was called over to Oahu and not able to attend the meeting. Again, both men shared the Lt. Colonel’s commitment to the hunting community. They see it as a community relations program that is very 2