2021-07-20 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes (2)

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Hilo HI 96720. Re: The Mauna Kea Wildfires, Dear Honorable Mayor Mitch Roth Hawaii County Game Management Advisory Commission would like to offer advice to the Mayor in response to the recent large and threatening wildfires on Mauna Kea, endangering Palila critical habitat, game management areas, the Hawaii county parks and surrounding communities. The State has long continued to eradicate game animals on Mauna Kea to fill in an obsolete federal mandate regardless of the resulting scientific data. The mandate was based on the assumption that wild sheep’s were the cause of the Palila population’s decline. Now we know that before sheep eradication the Palila camp was near seven thousand and long after sheep eradication the Palila population continues falling, falling to less than one thousand. Hawaii Wildlife Oncologist are acknowledging that the dangers of wildfires exceed any detrimental grazing mammal cause in native habitant, it is also well established fact that grazing sheep and goat effectively control the buildup of grass and weeds fire fuel as applied in California, such buildups on Mauna Kea are so tall and dense it is difficult to transverse recently these grass and weed fires fuels offered flame that nearly destroyed Palila critical habitat prime game management areas and threatened nearby County park lands and communities despite these mounting dangers, the DLNR continue to routinely eradicate the very few remaining fire preventing sheep population on Mauna Kea. Due to these recent developments, the Hawaii County Game Management Advisory Commission would like to advice the Mayor to file a lawsuit against the State of Hawaii for endangering Hawaii’s native species, game resources and the surrounding communities. Mahalo nui for your attention, Abraham Antonio GMAC Chair 26