2015-08-17 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes

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Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – August 17, 2015 People who are users of resources want to be heard, they have to be organized to do that. They must be committed. The fee for the conference was $350.00. Ike feels there’s an opportunity at Puuwaawaa to form a sub-committee on hunting and try to create something out there. Probably a meeting with Elliot Parsons, who is in charge of the Puuwaawaa Recreational Area. He seems to want to pursue something up there for hunting. Suggest we talk to Elliot to find out exactly what he wants. If you’re going to do management you have to really push hard on the not taking side because most of the hunting management that is talked about in Hawaii is on the taking side, rather than the sustaining side. Must get well organized on that side and continuously talk about that balance. 4. Mauna Kea Recreational Area – Upcoming meeting with County Parks & Recreation to discuss suggestions for consideration - Public/Commissioner Concerns? Chair Lodge received a number of photos of the signage “No Dogs Allowed” Taken at the Mauna Kea Recreational Area. Steve Hunt has brought a request for GMAC to meet with P&R. We have several Issues of concern - firearms and dogs. D. Ike Yoshina and Chair Lodge will meet with Clayton Honma, Director of P&R on August 26, 2015 at 9:00am to discuss these concerns and will report at next meeting. 5. Legislative Agenda – What are our priorities for 2016? a. Is a Statewide Advisory Commission to DLNR worth pursuing? Last session we focused on one bill - the game management commission bill, which went through Water & Land Committee and was passed unanimously out of Water and Land. After positive response to the commission, the Judiciary Chair Carl Rote decided not to hear it. The disappointing thing is that all legislators who crafted the bill, didn’t make any real attempt to try and negotiate to get that bill heard. Time, effort and money are issues to consider in getting bills passed. Do we want to look at changing the Wildlife Revolving Fund – this is your hunter-dollars - you buy a hunting license it goes into the Wildlife Revolving Fund - is this fund worth funding a commission if it benefits hunting? Do we want to pursue, as a commission now, do we want to support and pursue game commission again next legislative season? 6