2021-02-23 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes

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carry the flag up to the Pentagon and get some traction is not a smart strategy. I think that there is a need for this requirement on Hawaii Island and PTA certainly has the land — we already have the facilities — but to make that happen you've got to get out legislators, our senators and representatives involved — push it top down bottom line. That's the only way it's gonna happen at a federal installation like PTA. Greg, you want to compliment or tag onto that? GF: Sure, thanks Mike. I appreciate it and I too have just kind of attending for situational awareness and Mike, I think captured it pretty accurately. And I'm glad to see Tom Lodge is on as well. I've spoken before on this issue and hunting issues before the GMAC in the past 7 years since I've been the deputy up there and we looked at it pretty hard several years ago when the attempt failed on the west side and you mentioned that earlier with the [unclear] gun club or the rifle ranges — and since that time, you know, it's become even more difficult particularly when you have the environmental impact statement going on for — [unclear] retention - Army train land retention and that's ongoing now and in fact one time I think we spoke with Tom about training areas 210 and 11—which are just north of New Saddle Road near the state park up there — near [unclear] park — that being a critical habitat area for the Palila — and that has its own implications even to get access to that to shoot anything up there would be incompatible with its use and you have to have the whole thing delisted which is a tremendous effort to try and get something like that — plus it's part of that consideration for the various proposed alternatives — part of the EIS that we're undergoing right now regarding our state leased lands. So it would be an uphill battle if my [unclear] correct. It won't get solved here locally. That has to go all the way back to the Pentagon and probably get muddle and tied up with that discussion at EIS on the — what to do with the state leased lands — kind of our approaches there are our alternative. So we looked at before and we even looked at bringing folks on to the installation and maybe using one of the active ranges turning range 13, which is kind of right in the center of PTA so it's access issues — bringing on firearms — munitions that all have to be worked out — we have to use an MWR morale welfare and recreation type activity which gets no funding, no support from the Garrison — has to be totally run though its own profits and it has to be separate from and command [unclear] so it's difficult. I don't want to paint 15