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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGMAC 3.21.23 Minutes final draft Game Management Advisory Commission County of Hawai’i Minutes - Final DRAFT Meeting Date: March 21, 2023 Time: 9:00 am to 11:00 pm Place: Zoom and In-Person site - 25 Aupuni Ctr., Ste. #1501, Hilo HI 96720 1. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL: The Public Hearing for GMAC Rulemaking was called to order at 9:00 am. st AA: Good morning, welcome to the March 21 Game Management Advisory Commission at 9:00am. Our first meeting we’re going open it up to the proposed adoption of rules, practices and procedures for the County of Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission. At this time, any comment from the public on these rules? Not seeing any…. Just to clarify this is the notice of the public hearing of rulemaking of the Game Management Advisory Commission. Do the commissioners have any concerns, questions or comments? Hearing none. Barbara please do roll call. District 1 - Robert Duerr, present, in person District 2 – Kean Umeda, Absent District 3 – Rhon Leomana Turalde, Via Zoom District 4 – Brian Ley – Present, Excused District 5 - Abraham Antonio, Present, in person District 6 – Austin Griffey, Present, via Zoom District 7 – Natalie Reynolds, Present, via Zoom District 8 – Cortney Okumura – Present via Zoom District 9 - Vacant Quorum Established with 6 in attendance. STAFF: Sylvia Wan, Deputy Attorney, Corporation Counsel, in person Barbara Kossow, Administrative Specialist – via Zoom AA: OK. Thank you. Can I have a motion to approve the draft rules? Action: A motion was made by R. Duerr to approve the draft rules as presented. Seconded by A. Griffey. Motion carried by poll voice vote with 6 ayes, no nays. RD: I make a motion to approve the draft rules. 1 AG: Austin Griffey – District 6, I’ll second that motion. AA: OK. Open for discussion. Any discussion on this matter? Not seeing any, moving to roll call vote. District – 1, Robert Duerr. RD: Aye. AA: District – 2, vacant, District – 3, Leomana Turalde? LT: Aye. AA: District – 4, absent. District – 5, aye, Abraham Antonio. District – 6, Austin Griffey? AG: Aye. AA: District – 7, Natalie Reynolds? NR: Aye. AA: District – 8, Cortney Okamura? CO: Aye. AA: Distract – 9, vacant. All in favor five ayes, no nayes. SW: Six ayes. AA: Six ayes, no nays. Motion carries. At this time, we’re gonna close this Notice of Public hearing for rule making, the time is 9:03. Now welcome to the official March 21 Game Management Advisory Commission meeting. I’m calling this meeting to order. Barbara, can you make an attendance roll call please? BK: OK. District – 1, Robert Duerr? RD: Aye, present. BK: District – 2, absent. District – 3, Leomana Turalde? LT: Aye. BK: District – 4, absent. District – 5, Chair Abraham. AA: Here. BK: District – 6, Austin Griffey? AG: Here. 2 BK: District – 7, Natalie Reynolds? NR: Aye. BK: District – 8, Cortney Okamura? CO: Here. BK: We have six ayes, we have quorum, thank you. AA: Introduction to staff. We have Deputy Corporation Counsel, Sylvia Wan, present and also the Commission secretary, Barbara Kossow. Housekeeping: please make sure your cells phones are turned off or on silent mode. To all of us present, please speak loudly into the microphone and also those on Zoom make sure you guys keep \[unclear\]. OK. We’re moving on to our guest speaker, presenter. SW: Minutes? 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Action: Motion made by R. Duerr to approve the January 17, 2023 minutes as circulated. Seconded by B. Ley. Motion carried by poll voice vote with 6 ayes and 1 momentarily off the screen. AA: Can I have a motion to approve February 21, minutes? LT: Leomana, District – 3, I’d like to make a motion to approve the minutes from last meeting. AG: Austin Griffey, District – 6, I second that motion. AA: Open for discussion. Any discussion? Not seeing any. District – 1, Robert Duerr? RD: Aye. AA: District – 2, vacant. District – 3, Leomana? LT: Aye. E’o. AA: District – 4, absent. District – 5, Abraham, ah, aye. District – 6, Austin Griffey? AG: Aye. AA: District – 7, Natalie Reynolds? NR: Aye. AA: District – 8, Cortney Okamura. 3 CO: Aye. AA: District – 9, vacant. Six ayes, no nayes, motion passes. Any statements from the public on agenda items. SW: Chair I just note for the record; I haven’t had any members sign on. 3. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS: Chair Abraham Antonio welcomes anyone that may want to say something regarding an agenda item may do so anytime throughout the meeting. 4. Commissioner Report by District: AA: Thank you, Sylvia. Open to Commissioner Reports by District. District – 1, Robert Duerr. RD: OK, quick update. We were able to contact the Army Corps on Oahu and they will be able to meet next month to give their presentation for the Laupahoehoe Harbor update and the second thing this regarding that myself and fellow Thomas Fratinardo, who former US Marine and a retired Hawaii County Police officer – met at Chair Heather Kimball’s request to discuss game of nuisance animals: feral pigs in District – 1. So, we kinda – the bottom line was conservation \[unclear\] discuss was conservation and some kind of plan to, you know, know where things are going. Heather Kimball is looking after the Legislature to convene a meeting of the Legislators to kinda get on board and at that time what I’ll do is – when that’s solid – I’ll reach out to the Chair, Abraham, and see that you’re available. A House Bill 1089 which was privatizing the harbors, um, yesterday it was deferred and primarily to the efforts of Senator Lorraine Inouye and as District – 1 GMAC representative I’d love to see a letter coming from GMAC thanking her for this effort. Essentially, DOBOR was doing this without any public input and with budget numbers that were a little questionable. The other news is that I got a notice yesterday from DLNR communications that 41 DOCARE officers have graduated and 14 will be coming to the Big Island and so there’s a broad range of duties for these officers – it might be a good thing in the future to kind of like bring in somebody to give an overview – maybe meeting the officers. AA: Yes. RD: Yeah, that’s all I have. AA: So, um, for that letter. Do we need to put that on the agenda or can we…? RD: So, put that on the agenda for next month. So two weeks draft a letter and then have the letter on the agenda and then ready to roll… SW: So, um, what you’re introducing is new business. So because you are proposing to draft a letter supporting \[unclear\] because you’re the proposer I guess you could probably put it \[unclear\] you gotta have that letter already drafted by the time \[unclear\]. 4 RD: OK. \[Unclear\] SW: And, also that House Bill 1089 should put that as \[unclear\] for the next meeting… RD: OK. SW: ….so you can have both \[unclear\] together so that GMAC can discuss it. RD: OK. SW: And discuss whether they’re actually in favor of \[unclear\]. Yeah? RD: OK, great. AA: According to the DOCARE agents I think maybe Josh – I think maybe just – I heard that there was fifteen not fourteen, I mean, one number is not too big. Josh: \[Unclear\] I’ve heard fourteen, but I’ve also heard 15 too, but, I’m pretty sure it’s 14, I think, um, without speaking directly to DOCARE I think it had \[unclear\]. \[Unclear\] AA: Thank you. Ah, District – 2, vacant, District – 3, Leomana? LT: Eh, Aloha, um, Aloha kakou, Leomana, District – 3. For my district, one of my main concerns for our district and I’ve been seeing these pigeons that we brought to town – I know it’s just birds but down on Kilauea Street, you know, there’s this old man, right by, kinda close to Puainako, and he feeds all the pigeon birds – the one – the colorful one that was brought here for food and then even the zebra pigeons, he has like a huge flock of them, a couple thousand now, he feeds them all the time, every day, and so I was thinking about all the other animals that they mass feed – some of the people here in town and how can we get these things – not things – but how can we get these people to stop feeding animals so much, I mean, there’s crap all over the streets and it’s getting in the way of traffic and it wouldn’t have been a concern until we started to repaint Kilauea Avenue and then the traffic was over there and the – I stopped and I talked to the cops – and, so, I wanted to just talk about that today, ah, other things to bring up is in my district they’re building a Keaukaha-Panaewa resiliency and agriculture hub – this just was announced yesterday so I don’t have too much information on it but it’s basically gonna be right in front of the airport on DHHL property that’s right across from HPM and the Resilience Hub for Agriculture is about having as sustainable food source within the District of Hilo, which is District – 3, and this was brought to attention by the Department of Hawaiian Homelands yesterday and I think they’re gonna try and build this thing by 2025 according to their last polls last night. Not in my district but I wanted to let everybody know – this is an Island – we had a shark attack yesterday Anaehoomalu Bay. Shark attacks everywhere – it happens right after the flooding season in Hawaii we call it Hooilo or the wet season – or winter time – we don’t really have winter time and you guys we see the snow on the mountains in spring – so right after the flooding season is usually when there’s a lot of dead pigs in the water, a lot of dead animals, and so sharks are gonna come and it’s just a natural occurrence but yesterday there was another shark attack at Anaehoomalu Bay. Another one is having to do with all of the snails that was – used to be growing in the District of Hilo up right before the lava flow – if you guys saw the news – DLNR and I think Josh Green declared it Native Hawaiian Snail Month – and if you guys didn’t see it I recommend everybody go check it out and learn a little bit about native Hawaiian snails 5 that used to exist in almost all of our districts on the Big Island, but now I think it’s only in two of our districts and one of them is District – 2. And that goes all the way up to Mauna Kea if I’m not mistaken. A couple of cool small animals on the Island that we have is very rare is a Happy Faced Spider – it’s a native Hawaiian spider – and these spiders are also getting killed by all the invasive birds, so if you guys didn’t’ know about the Happy Faced spider please go check it out – all these animals are going extinct, even the snails. So that is basically it for my, oh, OK, and then another one because all of us have shorelines in our District – the Sea Level Rise Bill was just put on hold and the Sea Level Rise bill is about retreat management. If you have any ocean front properties on how to properly retreat your property, your ownership or something – I don’t really know what it is but I just wanted to bring it out because we all have shorelines and the Sea Level Rise Bill Management Retreat and that’s it – Mahalo. SW: Leomana do you have a bill number for the Sea Level Rise Bill that you’re talking about? LT: No, I, sorry, I actually don’t – I just was watching the news, you know, I just type in like Big Island News and then I watch all the Big Island News and so they just called it the Sea Level Rise Bill and it was to do with the houses on the North Shore of Oahu and the pollution that their bags were causing and how – the State was trying to fine them – and so, I guess, the Sea Level Rise Bill was to help these people not get fined and help them move their property away from the rising tides. SW: Ah, and one other thing Leomana, you were talking about the pigeons and mass feeding of animals, do you want to try to look into creating a PIG for that particular issue? LT: No, I just wanted to bring that up because I’m, you know, I travel around Hilo and I know all these old guys, I known them my whole life and, you know, Uncle you cannot do this, but I don’t know what to do about it. It’s, I just want to bring it up so that it’s noted. I was looking on the DLNR website for – what is the actual law stating, you know, like what is the HRS that says we cannot feed wild animals? I don’t know it by heart and I don’t have it down anywhere so I couldn’t find it for the last 2 days, so if you guys know where… SW: \[Unclear\] questions, you could ask me that question as \[unclear\]… LT: OK. SW: Umm, also, just off the top of my head I don’t think there’s any particular statute – there’s no State statute against mass feeding of animals but that type of action – restriction – would be more under the County’s purview so you would be looking more at County ordinances and… LT: OK. SW: And as far as I remember the ordinances regarding animals is generally in Chapter 4 of the Hawaii County Code. So if – that’s why I was asking if you wanted to create a PIG for that particular issue because I do know that that is a concern not of just GMAC but of Hawaii County. 6 AA: Abraham, District -5, so, yeah, Leomana, I kinda agree with what Sylvia is saying. If you and it’s not just the pigeons – like Austin Griffey brought up last month or the previous month – about the cats… LT: The cats, yeah… AA: Well, that’s like a wider topic but if you want to create a PIG then we can move forward with that. LT: OK. AA: We dig in deep and then we can make more recommendations to the County Council or even – I not sure if Josh can, you know, kinda like touch up on just the feeding of wild animals on your property and pigs as a lot of people in Fern Acres and Paradise Park… LT: And right here in Hilo, yeah, right at the top of Puainako and at the big intersection, you know, we all do it. AA: \[Unclear\] but they still come in because your neighbors still feeing ‘em and you got to deal with the repercussions of that. LT: Yeah, you know, I think I’m just gonna listen to you guys and create a PIG on this because even the – one of the palila birds – we have the mosquito – item C2 coming out for the mosquito pop and bird control and that has to do with the mass feeding of the cats as well ‘cause, you know, when the cat population grows it goes up into the forest, but I do, can I start a – do I need to make a motion to start a PIG for that? Or does someone else need to make a motion? AA: You can make a motion. Action: A motion was made by L. Turalde to create a PIG to investigate the issues concerning the mass feeding of wild animals. Seconded by A. Griffey. Motion carried by poll voice vote with 6 ayes, no nays. LT: Leomana – District 3, I’d like to make a motion to create a PIG to investigate the feeding and mass feeding of wild animals. AG: Austin Griffey, second that motion… AA: Open for discussion? Any other discussion from Commissioners. SW: Just that I’m clear. Who’s on second? AA: Griffey. SW: OK. Thank you. 7 AG: Are we gonna include the feral cat feeding as well on this bill or not bill but PIG. AA: Yeah. All feral animals – mass feeding of feral animals: sheep, pigs, you know, wild fish… AG: Excluding trapping though? Feeding for trapping? AA: Yeah. LT: Yeah. AG: Sounds good. LT: You know what, I think \[unclear\]. AA: \[Unclear\] investigation that you guys going work on and come up with in PIG you know? LT: I think I just gonna try and cover a different range of scenarios and see all, you know, whatever falls in the bound… SW: So, first, just so I’m clear about the parameters of the PIG. So this PIG is to investigate issues concerning mass feeding of feral animals and then… LT: And the feeding of feral animals in general. SW: Yeah, so identify the extent of the problem and then so next would be trying to find solutions? LT: Yes. AA: Yeah. SW: OK. So this is an extensive problem. Thank you. AA: Any other discussion from Commissioners? Comments? Is there anybody else that would like to join Leomana in investigating this PIG? We can have two Commissioners and… AG: Austin Griffey… AA: So Leomana, Austin Griffey. Any other Commissioners? Any other members from the public. Not seeing any, ah, so… NR: Natalie, District – 7, I’ll help. AA: Thank you, Natalie. So, the PIG is consisting, oh we need a chair, Leomana you going be the Chair then? OK. Right on. LT: E’o. 8 AA: Leomana is the Chair, Austin Griffey, District – 6, and Natalie, District – 7, are the 2 Commissioners. Not seeing any members from the public – roll call vote. District – 1? RD: Aye. AA: Robert Duerr. District – 2, vacant. District – 3, Leomana? LT: Aye. AA: District – 4, Brian, absent. District – 5, Abraham, aye. District – 6, Austin Griffey? AG: Aye. AA: District – 7, Natalie Reynolds? NR: Aye. AA: District – 8, Cortney Okamura? CO: Aye. AA: District – 9, vacant. Six ayes, no nays, motion carries. SW: PIG created. AA: PIG created. Ah, District – 4, will be next but our District -4 representative is absent, so I’m District – 5, a next-door neighbor and I will kinda touch bases, but we also have Joshua here that will touch on it as well. So, me and Brian been working with DOFAW for the last 2 or 3 years to get hunting check-in stations in the lower Puna area. We also worked on getting those rules changed which they finally got passed on the last DLNR meeting. They updated two new hunting check-in stations in the lower Puna area and that’s all I going talk about that because Josh going talk about it later, District – 5 and District – 4 and all of our districts – the trash that, you know, it’s not necessarily the hunters but, members from the community, there’s abandoned vehicles in hunting areas that’s just trash and just along the shoreline as well so, ah, maybe we can later discuss more about creating some kind of ordinance about trash and the thing about the trash and I’m not sure if Cortney or Natalie was wanting to touch up on this but it just – and even Austin – they just had a massive beach walk clean-up I think from Milolii or something down to somewhere on north side of all the shoreline – even our Mayor was there picking up trash as well – so right on and congratulations to everybody that was there and to our Mayor for giving up his time. District – 5, still get fencing going up in NARs, other than that – that’s all I get for District – 4 and 5. District – 6, Austin Griffey. SW: What is NARs? AA: Natural Area Reserve. AG: Um, District – 6, there is a growing concern about guys selling lobsters on the side of the road. I know two days in a row out in – by COSTCO – some guys were on the side of the road selling 9 lobsters – they had 200 core coolers with live lobsters inside – they had well over 100 lobsters, and these guys aren’t even from this Island and I think we have a poor management system on the harvesting of lobsters with a bag limit and per person and the fact that guys can actually sell ‘em on the side of the road because I’ve dove lobsters my whole life – I’ve seen decline since I was from 12 years old to now the holes that I used to go used to have big lobsters in the holes, now get maybe 3-4 lobsters in the holes. Every opening season I go, I drive down 9:00a – set up at the spot and guys is already diving and they’re not supposed to be in the water at 12:00. So I know this whole South side shoreline is a big shoreline and with the lack of DLNR officers in this area it’s hard for them to manage so hopefully these 14 officers they’re sending over here can start patrolling and cracking down on these guys that are just pounding our local resources to sell. And for me, I don’t want to see lobsters for sale on the shelf – it’s something you go traditionally dive for once or twice a season – you get your bag limit and you don’t sell it – you go around and you give – that’s a lot of things that we’re not seeing these days – everybody it’s all about money – nobody’s giving and we need to bring back that tradition of giving and just you give you get – that’s how it goes and I’d like to make a PIG on this topic as well to bring awareness about the sale of lobsters and the – see if we can get DLNR on the page to create some kind of bag limit and enforce the issue. Other than that – that’s all I have for District – 6, everything else is going pretty good. ACTION: A motion was made by A. Griffey to form a PIG to investigate the harvesting of live Hawaiian lobsters and the bag limits. Seconded by C. Okumura. Motion carried by poll voice vote with 6 ayes and no nays. AA: OK. Right on, Austin. Would you like to make a motion to create that PIG? AG: Yes, I would like to make a motion to create the PIG about sale of lobsters and bag limits. SW: OK. So just that I’m clear – the PIG would be regarding investigating the sale of the – you’re talking about the Hawaiian lobster, yeah? AG: Yeah. The locally caught lobsters. Those guys never had their lobster on ice. They were alive in the cooler. So they caught ‘em….probably over a hundred… SW: So it’s to investigate the sale of the local lobster live and any regulations regarding that? AG: There is no regulations – there’s only a size limit regulation. I don’t know if we can write a letter urging them to create some kind of better bag limit system or rule change to prevent the extinction of our lobster pretty much. I know they reproduce really quick but I know a lot of guys also are grabbing females and taking all the females and they’re not – so there’s nobody enforcing it so they just go out on a boat and they just pound ‘em and then they’ll come in and nobody knows where they are. AA: Abraham, District – 5, hopefully in the future when we get these 14 officers they going be spread out through the Island so we should have more enforcement coming up here pretty quickly because they – I think they supposed to start yesterday or maybe next week Monday they start… Josh: (Joshua Pang-Ching) They’re not like \[unclear\] 10 AA: Yeah, so, coming up – well, I don’t - you know how government works so hopefully pretty quickly they going be in the field by themselves and you know really monitoring all this – fourteen to fifteen guys you know that’s - they should be covering a big, broad area. Not like the old guys that just used to be hanging out in Bay Front and just doing what they doing. AG: Right. SW: I’m sorry – so back to creating the PIG. So, I need to know the scope of the investigation. So I understand you want to investigate the sale of the lobsters – that’s why I was asking about the regulations because if you can identify what regulations are out there then you might be able to suggest new rules, yeah? AG: OK. So, investigate regulations on our local lobster and, um… SW: Devise any suggested changes? AG: Yes, yes, that’s the one. AA: Abraham, District – 5, I think lobster is supposed to only harvest on the “R” months, right, like? AG: Yes, yes. AA: I think that might be the only regulation. AG: The social media plays a huge impact role on this because once one person posts a lobster it’s just a domino effect, I see lobster after lobster, after lobster. Because it went months with no lobsters and then one guy went post a lobster the next week all I saw was lobsters so it’s just the whole social media just does damage to our Island with our resources. AA: OK. So, we’re still waiting for a second on Austin’s motion. CO: Cortney, I second. AA: So, Austin made the motion, Cortney second. Any more discussion from Commissioners? RD: I’ve got a question? Do we need to go to a PIG? Can we just go to a committee on this? SW: That is how you make a committee. RD: So, PIGS – so you can only have an investigation through a PIG? SW: Yes. AG: We start with the PIG and then move to a committee after that. SW: The PIG is the committee. 11 AG: OK. SW: So, it’s called a PIG because under Sunshine 92-2.5 it’s called a permitted inter-action group. So PIG reports… AG: OK. AA: Abraham, District – 5. In the beginning, when I first started in GMAC, you know, and not being taught the right way – that’s how – that’s how we were doing just committees, committees, committees, you know, then Sylvia Wan came in but not just her – was the previous Corporation Counsel and that’s when it actually got its proper name of a PIG which is… SW: A permitted inter-action group. AA: So, the PIG is just an acronym. RD: Corporate Counsel, a question. That’s with three – because Sunshine Law is two members of the committee can be… SW: Two or more, as long as it’s less than a quorum. RD: No, I’m not talking about a PIG I’m talking about in fact the Sunshine Law allows two commissioners to inter-act. Correct? SW: Yes. RD: So, can 2 commissioners inter-act on the lobster issue and not be a PIG? SW: No. It’s still considered a PIG. RD: OK. Thank you. SW: So just so that the Commission’s aware it says, “Two or more members of the board as long as it’s less than a quorum.” So technically you could have a cap of four members being on any inter-action group because as long as it’s less than a quorum… AA: OK. Thanks for the clarification. Any more questions or comments from the Commissioners on Austin’s inter-action group. LT: No, but - Leomana, District – 3. I just wanted to ask cause, you know, whenever I go to Kona, I see them in front of Keauhou intersection I usually see the people selling lobster tail but is that – you know if the lobster tail for sale over there is like store bought? The farm raised one? Cause I want to know like how do the other people who sell lobster feel when they see these guys as well cause if you feel a certain way and I live in Hilo and I feel a certain way – what about the people who sell lobster all the time to make money and that possible loss of customers that way, maybe those people could be some sort of help or something, I don’t know. 12 AA: Abraham, District – 5. That’s all the questions you guys can bring up in this inter-action group… LT: Oh, OK. AA: Right? So… AG: Or selling their imported lobster tails – those guys bring in from like Maine and stuff like that with their salmon – their halibut and stuff like this. LT: Like the small ones, yeah? AG: Yeah, they’re smaller tails and they’re previously frozen. These other guys that are selling – they look like drug addicts – like they shouldn’t be doing it. AA: OK. So, at this time we going move to any volunteers that going join Austin in his inter-action group? I see Leomana raising his hand. CO: Cortney, District – 8. AA: Austin, Cortney, Natalie and Leomana are all in that inter-action group, so we have four. Thank you. Austin, will Chair of that inter-action group? AG: Yes, I will. AA: OK. Thank you. AG: Thank you, guys. AA: Roll call vote. District – 2, Robert Duerr. RD: Aye. AA: District – 2, vacant. District – 3, Leomana? LT: Aye. AA: District – 4, absent. District – 5, aye. District – 6, Austin Griffey? AG: Aye. AA: District – 7, Natalie Reynolds? NR: Aye. AA: District – 8, Cortney Okamura? 13 CO: Aye. AA: District – 9, vacant. Six ayes, no nays, motion passes. Okay, moving on to District – 7, Natalie Reynolds, Commissioner report. NR: Natalie, District – 7, I do apologize I have a head cold. Last month on 2/23/23 was the manta ray public hearing. I thought it was a really good turnout, everybody out flooded the room that was allocated for the meeting. There was a bunch of push back from the public and almost, actually, everyone opposed it, ah, the bill for the mantas. You had a lot of native Hawaiians there that opposed it so it was really interesting – other issues that came up from the mantas were about Honokohau and Keauhou Bay launch ramp with just like over too many people there at once and so I don’t dive into getting over my head like I did with the mantas I wanted to open up a PIG ticket for Keauhou Bay to investigate just – I don’t know how to word it but basically there’s not a lot of rules and regulations out of Keauhou Bay cause it is a launch ramp, it’s not a harbor and so I think there’s a lot of things that should be done and investigated and kind of reported because there’s not like really rules and regulations with Keauhou Bay and Keauhou Bay is where we launch out of and I’m very familiar with it and in that certain time it’s really crazy – it is an organized chaos – and it works but if the whole manta thing – if it’s getting pushed back and it’s gonna get tabled with DOBOR there’s just no rules and regulations right now for anything down at Keauhou and I don’t see it happening like this year at all so I want to create something that we have a suggestion on items for like just like safety precautions and, trying to deal with the population and basically tourists because they don’t read signs and they don’t see where to park and it’s just really frustrating for business owners and myself. SW: So, Natalie, I think the way that we can try to refine your \[unclear\] investigation is if you could identify what is the problem that you’re thinking exists… NR: Yeah… SW: ….so that we can try to figure how your investigation – to try to solve that problem. NR: OK. SW: So right now you’re \[unclear\] as far as you’re aware there are no regulations regulating the launch point for Keauhou Bay, is that correct? NR: Correct. SW: OK. So, what you want to do is try to figure out what entity would regulate Keauhou Bay launch ramp. And then maybe contact that entity to see what if any regulations they may have – not necessarily on Keauhou Bay launch point specifically but on those type of structures. NR: OK. Cause I do know some, but I think Keauhou needs to be in a separate thing by itself because it’s just a launch ramp and it’s not a harbor and there’s like lots of different things that you could do with that. I just don’t know how to word it and I actually wanted to tackle all the harbors and point out issues that are happening cause there’s – for example, there’s a sign that is, you know, like when you park your truck with a boat, for example, there’s a small sign like literally an 8 ½ x 11 sign not lit and there’s 4 of them that just said “Do Not Park Here – Boat Parking” but, yet, everyone parks there because you can’t see it at night, so it’s just like things 14 for stuff like that or moving the – suggesting to move the disabled parking because of a van parked at the disabled parking it blocks one of the launch ramps and a vehicle like a boat with a trailer and a truck cannot get in and out of the far left area. SW: OK. Based on what you’re telling me – it sounds like maybe it’s a two-fold investigation. Fold one with the figuring out what rules exist for Keauhou Bay specifically and what are the problems that need to be fixed regarding… NR: Fixing the current issues… SW: Operation of Keauhou Bay – like the logistics. NR: That sounds great. AA: Abraham, District – 5. That sounds great and that also sounds like the same problems that Austin Griffey brought up when he first came in and Robert Duerr also has the same concerns – I think he brought it up before in Hilo Harbor – I guarantee we had somebody from Kawaihae, District – 9, they probably brought up the same things and I know Cortney at the Keauhou Pier and stuff \[unclear\] so that this thing would be a good way to start with just yours and then it’ll… NR: Yeah, I wanted to start – I want to do them each separately because it makes more sense and then it gives me time with like that specific one so that like if we PIG it now then next month I can report everything and then the following month I can have that go to the \[unclear\] whereas next month I can suggest to do like Hilo and then like to keep it tailoring if it gets passed and supported. AA: OK. SW: So, clarifying… NR: So… SW: …. PIG \[unclear\]. NR: Yes, today is for Keauhou Bay… SW: Investigating regulations that directly affect Keauhou Bay and the logistical problems that should be addressed. Action: A motion was made by N. Reynolds to investigate regulations that directly affect Keauhou Bay and the logistical problems that should be addressed. Seconded by C. Okumura. Motion carried by poll voice vote with 6 ayes, no nays. NR: Beautiful. I would like to make a motion for that. CO: Cortney Okamura, District – 8. Second. 15 AA: Anymore comments or questions or concerns from the Commissioners? AG: Hey, Natalie, District – 6, does your district cover – this is a different topic, I’m sorry, but does your district cover Kahaluu Bay? CO: I think that might be my district. But I’m not sure exactly where the line is. AG: I was trying to see who’s in charge of that district for the Kahaluu Bay so we can look into the restoration of the fishponds. I know there’s a lot of kanaka and lineal ties to that area that would love to see that place restored cause it just gets trampled on every day by tourists. CO: Yeah, there’s currently legislation, um, oh, that’s in I think Finance or one of the Committees to get money and funding to do that. AG: Awesome. CO: And I don’t know if it addresses the fishpond specifically, but I believe it’s the whole entire park and it has been a long time coming so, um… AG: OK. CO: I can put you in touch with Cindi Punihaole who’s a kupuna of that place and has worked at the education center that’s there – sponsored by the Kohala Center if you’re interested. I think she was part of the legislation effort as well, so, I don’t have any updates on the legislation for today as part of my report but sorry, back to the topic. AG: I just wanted to bring it up to those to whoever’s district that was. Thank you. AA: Any other volunteers to assist Natalie in this PIG inter-action group? Robert Duerr, one. AG: Austin - I’ll help her too. I’m in that area all the time using that ramp. AA: OK. LT: Leomana – District 3. Um, sorry, I just wanted to – I don’t want to join this group – but I did want to say right now on Maui to do \[unclear\] boats, um, some people that I’ve already talked to have a lot of information and they’ve already been investigating the differences between a port, a dock, a launch and that’s the social media pages – Save Honolua Coalition – Kakoo Haleakala – and the DOBOR DLNR office on Maui and this is because they have all of those boats washing up on shore and so they’re kind of – right now my go two people to talk about these things cause they’re just heavy into it right now – recovering million dollar yacht and stuff. NR: Natalie - Can you send that to me ‘cause I’m still learning how to spell in Hawaiian… LT: OK, yeah. No worries, I can send you the link to that. And then, just another thing… ?: The chat… 16 LT: Oh, yeah, the chat. I don’t know how long maybe everybody’s been doing this kinda stuff but one of the biggest oppositions when we try and, I guess, regulate these areas is Hawaii Tourism Authority. They have like a real strong control over a lot of the laws having to do with our natural resources and just like this Maui boat incident, HTA – I don’t know how they do it – but they don’t allow DLNR, DOBOR and any of our local government to impose regulations that damage the income of tourism so – HTA – go talk to your HTA district rep – that would be the best bet. AA: OK. Thanks, Leomana. So again, Robert Duerr, Austin Griffey and Natalie Reynolds – any other members from the Commission we get room for one more. CO: Cortney, District – 8, \[unclear\]. AA: And Cortney. So that’s four. Any members from the public? No seeing any… SW: Chair? AA: Oh. Natalie’s gonna be the Chair. NR: OK. SW: Call for the vote? AA: Yeah. Robert Duerr? RD: Aye. AA: District – 2, vacant. District – 3, Leomana? LT: Aye. AA: District – 4, Brian Ley, absent. District – 5, aye. District – 6, Austin Griffey? AG: Aye. AA: District – 7, Natalie Reynolds? NR: Aye. AA: District – 8, Cortney Okamura? CO: Aye. AA: District – 9, vacant. Six ayes, no nays, motion carries. Moving on, Cortney Okamura, District report, District - 8… CO: Yeah, nothing major to report from my district. I did want to just remind everyone that next month – April 22 – is Earth Day and so there’ll a lot of activities planned in our community and 17 that’s I think right after our next meeting so I’ll update the group with activities going on around the Island for you to get involved and that’s all for me. Thank you. AA: Thank you, Cortney. Ah, Leomana – just a reminder – can you please put that information in the chat? LT: Yeah, right now. 5. PRESENTATION: a. Joshua Pang-Ching, Wildlife Biologist at DOFAW, East Hawai’i - Wildlife Program Updates. AA: OK. Thank you. Finally, we can move to our agenda. Joshua Pang-Ching. He’s the East side Wildlife Biologist at DOFAW and he going update us on the East side Wildlife program. JPC: OK. Aloha everyone, I wanted to take this presentation time first off to introduce myself to the GMAC. My name is Joshua Pang-Ching. I’m a Wildlife Biologist at DOFAW at the East Hawaii Wildlife Program on Kawiki – just north out of Hilo north but I live in Pepeekeo now. Born and raised in Hilo. I’ve been at DOFAW for \[unclear\] 6 years – in my sixth year I just started with the Wildlife Program November of last year, so, mahalo all of you for what you do –it’s important to us and \[unclear\] districts for people like myself who are at the government so, mahalo, again, I just have some brief updates from our East Hawaii Wildlife program, ah, just as a reminder our program coverage of our works stands north most at Kalopa Forest Reserve, south to Manuka and then it encompasses part of Mauna Loa but, um, and then everything Mauna Kea, Kohala (unclear), so that’s, as Abraham mentioned we’ve installed some new check-in stations across Puna, ah, we actually installed four as of yesterday, one at Hawaiian Shores subdivision at the end of Kaala Street in Nanawale Forest Reserve along Railroad, emergency route. One at Nanawale Forest Reserve at the Y – just \[unclear\] Tree State Park; one at Malama-Ki Forest Reserve north of MacKenzie State Recreation Area.We also opened up a little parking area there for \[unclear\] park off the road. And then lastly, yesterday we installed one at the Kilohana Forest Reserve off of Kalaupana Road at the upper Puna road – the junction up \[unclear\] and upper Puna. These were, you know, as Abraham mentioned was kinda in the works for a long time and like \[unclear\] we spear headed the check out for \[unclear\] as well as to help with – as Abraham mentioned there’s some rules that changed for those forest reserved – increased bag limits as well as increased hunting days from weekends and holidays too, ah, daily, so this will hopefully help us and hunters, you know, track each other’s efforts and communicate to people out there. We also installed on - they had Kalopa golf courses there by the Kalopa State Recreation Area, again, Kalopa is also has some rule changes they’re also going to move to daily hunting, weekends and holidays as well as increased bag limits – kinda spread out – hunting days for hunters out there – kinda let the use overlapping recreation between other overlapping users and then the last one that we installed was in upper Laupahoehoe Forest Reserve at the north corner – halfway Punalei – just to kinda help guys that come from Waimea, check-in, and, they hunt that upper Laupahoehoe section, ah, that’s it as far as hunter check-in stations. Ah, I’d just like to give a brief summary of our – East Hawaii 2022 – 2023 general game bird season, we track data – we had a little bit more in-depth for three major bird hunting areas: Kapapala 18 Ranch, the \[unclear\] Mauna Kea, a Unit A and G, which is Kaohe and then Puuwaawaa and Puuanahulu out in West Hawaii and, I believe it was in attachment to this meeting the summary of our data by Richard Hofflinger so Mahalo Richard for his summarization on \[unclear\], Kapapala saw the highest increase in hunter success rate as well as we had – in past years we’ve had zero chukars harvested from Kapapala but this year we had hunters harvest 12 chukar partridges and, no reports of any banded birds that were harvested, but as a reminder we’ve been releasing chukars and pheasants out in Kapapala over the last three years, I believe, and no banded birds were harvested which is hopeful an indicator that maybe our releases are having some sort of net benefit \[unclear\] might suggest that. What hunters are shooting might be maybe birds that have been born from these birds or just, you know, the population is doing better, um, time will tell and \[unclear\] investigate that, um, Mauna Kea had a small increase in hunter success rate – Puuwaawaa and Puuanahulu had an increase in success rate and, we continue to see an annual, ower success rate compared to years ago \[unclear\] so we hope that some of our efforts of continuing to release game birds in these hunting areas can help the – steer that tide – and so with that moving into, you know, we released birds last year 2022. Um, Kapapala – our East Hawaii releases released 75 chukars in Kapapala, 30 female ring necks and two male ring necks in Kapapala. On Mauna Kea I released 20 chukars. West Hawaii released much more birds in Mauna Kea than we did but I don’t have their numbers and then Mauna Loa we’re starting to do some releases up there – released 30 chukar partridges and then for next year – our East Hawaii release program we’re hoping to bring in roughly 200 ring neck pheasants – we’ll have mostly females, there’s not a lot of males at this point in the year from some of the mainland suppliers and then hopefully somewhere around 700 chukars, again, most of those birds for us in East Hawaii we’re gonna \[unclear\] to Kapapala Ranch but we’re moving some efforts to Mauna Loa Forest Reserve \[unclear\] get some populations going out there, up at Mauna Kea with some of the birds that we provide, that’s pretty much it as far as what I have to share from our East Hawaii program. Mahalo for the opportunity. AA: Thanks, Josh. Just a couple questions – Abraham, District – 5. What other, you said you guys went release some chukars and some ring necks pheasants. Is there any other birds you guys planning on getting and releasing? JPC: I think those are the most that we are doing now, um, I think quails do a lot – people raise them – they have their own little nuances in raising them that are different from chukars and pheasants so, I think because chukars and pheasants from what I understand, you know, seem to be the ones that are probably more in decline, especially \[unclear\] Mauna Kea side \[unclear\] focus on pheasants also and pheasants, you know, because \[unclear\] releasing more females not only because timing \[unclear\] less available from the suppliers but \[unclear\] for females \[unclear\] that should help, hopefully it will help bolster the populations more because of, you know, one male can breed several females and the less hunters are inclined to shoot harvest the female ring necked pheasants, so they have a better chance of surviving. With the chukars they’re \[unclear\] they’re not sexually \[unclear\] so \[unclear\] chukars. \[Unclear\]. AA: Abraham, District – 5, again. You guys order these birds? You guys have some local residents that produce you guys’ birds? JPC: I believe… 19 AA: Because I know couple guys that are raising birds – so what is your guys’ process to – for the locals to build their own birds for you guys to release?: Do they sell ‘em to you? Do you guys purchase birds or? JPC: We purchase the birds from a supplier on the mainland which like anybody - I think anybody from the public can also purchase, I don’t think we have any inclination \[unclear\] buying from someone local, um, cause it’s kinda complicated to begin with ‘em in from the mainland through a quarantine process with somebody who wanted to breed on their own \[unclear\] steps to start off \[unclear\] so, I mean, we can buy it from as long as it’s like a business \[unclear\] transaction \[unclear\] but, um, I think we’ve gotten birds from \[unclear\] I think in the past that we got our birds \[unclear\]. AA: Um, last one. Recently, in District – 4, there was one case of flu-rabies and \[unclear\].\[Unclear\] dogs got infected with the super rabies. JPC: Wow. AA: So, if you can, just touch up on that real quick? JPC: \[Unclear\] rabies, I mean, in the past if, um, from my understanding in past, um, instigates investigations that was done for pigs in the State. I believe they found highest amounts in the past – when I say past \[unclear\] rabies \[unclear\] you know, they found higher concentrations in South Kona and Puuwaawaa and they also investigated brucellosis, ah, it seems to, you know, if it started to pop up on the other side of the Island would be \[unclear\] very concerning but I believe it mostly can come from pigs – I don’t know how \[unclear\] disease and \[unclear\] it’s pretty unfortunate hopefully it’s an isolated case and we won’t see… AA: Yeah, hopefully it’s an isolated case and you just said that \[unclear\] quit hunting already because he just basically lost his whole \[unclear\]. Any other questions or comments from the Commissioners? AG: Austin Griffey, District – 6, I get one question, I kinda looked at the, I briefly looked at the harvest rate last night and I think it was something like over 1,100 birds from Mauna Kea harvested – is that normal per year – that much birds – it seems like a lot. JPC: It does seem like a lot but I believe and I haven’t looked too much into Mauna Kea data e kala mai but, I think it’s kinda normal but it’s the – so the rates that get recorded are, you know, It’s a ratio between how much people hunt and then how much people get harvested – how much people have successful harvests – but, he season is, you know, what three – three months long and, you know, Mauna Kea \[unclear\] might have increased harvest rates cause it has increased hunting days too, cause now Mauna Kea \[unclear\] months – was it Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and holidays compared to some of the other hunting areas which are only State holidays and weekends. AG: Are you, are you guys planning on doing a survey before you guys open up bird season again next year to do a count to make sure we didn’t wipe ‘em all out this year with the new open extra days? 20 JPC: Yeah, so they do – both East Hawaii and the West Hawaii Wildlife program does game bird surveys twice a year – post and preseason. I’m not exactly sure about when the West Hawaii program is planning to do their Mauna Kea surveys but they usually involve some people from the public, some volunteers that come out, the transepts and they survey and plus surveys with dogs. As well \[Unclear\] is listening in – looking for birds. AG: So, if they do see a major decline with their survey do, would they stall opening of the season till the next year so they can re-coop or we just open again? JPC: Um, that’s, you know, that could be an option. I don’t know off the top of my head any past times that they’ve \[unclear\] stalled hunting seasons – the Act 1020 allows us to, you know, change, modify rules at a quicker pace so if there was an alarming decrease, for example on Mauna Kea, um, we have the ability – there is a process but it’s a faster process than just changing rules. AG: Awesome. Thank you. I just think another reason, too, why, harvest rates are going up worldwide is because our equipment has pretty much revolutionized – it’s got so much better, guys, everything is just top notch nowadays so it’s we gotta be careful on overkilling for sure. I just wanted to bring it up to see what your thoughts were. Thank you. JPC: You know, peoples hunting here, you know, dog tracking and then people’s vehicles, everybody’s got a 4-wheel drive truck with a lift on it and you know they can \[unclear\], um, unfortunately, people are also more into hunting, you know, \[unclear\] you had commented on social media earlier for some people it’s the popular thing to do, right? So… AG: Yeah… NR: I had a question in regards to the 1020 bill that allows you to speed up the process – is there is issues, what kind of speeding of that process or like how fast are you allowed to do it cause if there is a like a great decline like what’s that process – do you have to go through so many channels or are you guys just within your little group allowed to do it or do you have to take it out for a vote and all of that stuff? JPC: There is the process – the general process within our Division, there’s our bosses have to approve it, um, just internally in house – it’s mostly just verbal approval and then it gets drafted and then it goes to – whenever there’s a Board meeting it goes to the Board and they approve it and then, once it’s approved then I think it has, it has ten days to go into effect and then it lasts for two years but it can you know, and I don’t know if it can like change again after we’ve begun that. NR: And then my other question was –is if you see like a decrease at what percentage is that in order for you guys to possibly delay the season? JPC: Um, I don’t think we – I can’t say that we have an actual like if it gets below 50%, we’d have to look at the numbers more in depth but, yeah, there isn’t, I mean, I guess, you know, we compare it over years as well as, you know, seasons and maybe, take into effect other factors such as, maybe we’re in like some sort of drought or, you know, any sort of abiotic or bionic factors \[unclear\] maybe there’s some sort of disease that’s coming through – those are other 21 triggers to look at not opening or shortening or, making any modifications in any season, parameters. RN: OK. Cool. Thank you. JPC: You’re welcome. RD: Yeah, Joshua. I have a question. Are you using apps for game reports? JPC: We use – well there’s a \[unclear\] app that the, you know, the general app that the State has released for hunters to check in and check out and process \[unclear\]… ?: \[Unclear\] JPC: …. check in or check out on paper \[unclear\] in a check in station, um, you can report your harvest on is that kinda what… RD: Yeah, no. Yeah. And then the second question. Is there any way for hunters to \[unclear\] I know the bag limits you’re talking about what animals that we’ve taken? But is there a box to check animals you’ve seen so you get a sense of what’s in the area? JPC: No, no, and that’s a good idea \[unclear\], you know, having a box of like how many birds you missed. A way to track definitely, you know, a limitation not only obviously not having that box to check but it’s \[unclear\]. AA: OK. Thanks, Josh. JPC: Yeah. AA: Last. Any other questions or comments? One last time from the Commissioners. Not seeing any… AG: Austin Griffey, District – 6. Eh, I just wanted to tell you thank you and I appreciate everything you’re doing for the State of Hawaii and all these bird counts and biologists and stuff – everything you’re doing. Appreciate it. JPC: Yeah, yeah, we try out best, I grew up hunting and fishing so, um, I’m happy to be – do what I can from the inside. RD: Thank you. JPC: Thank you. 6. OLD BUSINESS: a. Deliberation & Decision Making re: DOFAW – Puuanahulu/Puuwaawaa Administrative Rule Change Committee report. 22 AA: Moving on to Old Business: Deliberation and Decision Making re: DOFAW – Puuanahulu/Puuwaawaa Administrative Rule Change Committee report. So, everybody I’m pretty sure had a copy of this rule change that committee put together, Brian was the Chair – committee members was Cortney… and two other people I forget? CO: We had Natalie and Stanley Mendes from the public as well. AA: Thank you, Cortney. Any comments or concerns about this draft rule change? NR: I appreciate Cortney handling it months ago and then bringing it up again today. I really appreciate her hard work. AA: No other concerns or comments on this draft rule change? SW: There was a report which has the Committees suggestions and recommendations. AA: Could you read them please? SW: Sure. AA: So, Sylvia’s gonna read off the Committee’s rule change report. SW: So, this is the report that was provided by Cortney’s committee. It’s entitled Hawaii County GMAC DLNR Rule Change Committee. It has a link at the top to the rules that Chair was just citing – recommendations to propose to Commissioners at the November 15 meeting which has passed but these are still the recommendations.  Special hunting areas should be re-evaluated every 3-6 months until animals have been reduced to target size.  And this season should run from end of bird season to July and only be Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday, and state holidays.  Our concern is that too much hunting pressure will push the animals into safety zones next to the road and on to private property.  Last, allow a rifle for Billies only season.  Recommends that the Puuanahulu is open from March through July, on weekends, holidays and maybe Wednesday and Thursday.  For Puuwaawaa and Pu’uanahulu, they should determine what the breeding cycle of goats is and open accordingly.  The reasons for these recommendations are due to the current policies of DLNR which are focused on eradication rather than careful management. AA: Thank you, Sylvia. Any other comments or questions on this drafted rule change? So one member from the public reached out, their concern was with this rule change the more active hunters in the area would push the goats and possibly sheep into the private land and, the private \[unclear\] apparently the private landowners are corralling or catching these goats and actually selling them on some kind of market. So just wanted to make the Commission aware of that and I’m not sure if you guys like put that in here or whatever, I mean, and then also the 23 DLNR meeting is actually scheduled for this Friday and this measure is not on their agenda yet so it’s fine to put that out there. So can we make a motion to approve this rule making changes. SW: Well, it’s the committee report. AA: Committee report. Nobody going to make a motion to approve the committee report? Action: A motion was made by N. Reynolds to approve GMAC’s committee report regarding the DOFAW – Puuanahulu/Puuwaawaa Administrative Rule Change. Seconded by A. Griffey. The motion passed unanimously by poll voice vote with 6 ayes. NR: Natalie, District – 7, I make a motion to, I’m sorry, I have a head cold, I think my meds are messing with me, I can’t think straight. I just make the motion. AA: If you like you can – Natalie if you want you can dismiss yourself because we still get quorum. NR: I have to do the manta thing… SW: Also if Natalie does dismiss herself Leomana will have to stay within the camera. AA: Yeah, no walking in and out you and Austin. OK. NR: OK. If somebody can make the correct motion, I’ll second it. AA: \[Unclear\] and Austin Griffey seconded it. Any other last comments, questions for this committee report? Not seeing any – roll call vote District – 1, Robert Duerr? RD: Aye. AA: District – 2, vacant. District – 3, Leomana? LT: Aye. AA: District – 4, Brian Ley – absent. District – 5, aye. District – 6, Austin Griffey? AG: Aye. AA: District – 7, Natalie Reynolds? NR: Aye. AA: District – 8, Cortney Okumura? CO: Aye. AA: District – 9, vacant. Six ayes, no nays – motion passes. 24 SW: OK. And then, so now that you’ve approved the committee report you want to draft this in a – do you want this to be submitted to DLNR for their rule changes? AA: Yes. SW: OK. AA: So, can I have motion to put the committee report with the draft rules and send it to DLNR. RD: Should I wait for a comment? Because DLNR is in fact not the board that will be approving this. AA: The BLNR, sorry… RD: Board of Land and Natural Resources and DLNR. SW: \[Unclear\] Board of Land and Natural Resources. RD: OK. Great. AA: So BLNR… Would you like to make that motion? RD: Yeah, I make a motion. Action: A motion was made by R. Duerr to have the report go to BLNR secretary and specifically that our representatives from Hawai’i Island get a copy as well as the BLNR representatives on Hawai’i Island. Seconded by N. Reynolds. The motion passed unanimously by poll voice vote with 6 ayes. AA: \[Unclear\] RD: I’d like to make a motion that this report goes to BLNR and specifically that our representatives from the Big Island also get a copy. So, then it goes to the secretary of the BLNR agenda and then it goes to our BLNR representatives on Hawaii Island. SW: We need a second. NR: Natalie, District – 7, I second. AA: Any other comments or questions on this? Not seeing any, District – 1, Robert Duerr? RD: Aye. AA: District – 2, vacant. District – 3, Leomana. LT: Aye. 25 AA: District – 4, absent. District – 5, aye, District – 6, Austin Griffey? AG: Aye. AA: District – 7, Natalie Reynolds? NR: Aye. AA: District – 8, Cortney Okumura? CO: Aye. AA: District – 9, vacant. Six ayes, no nays, motion carries. OK. Moving on to New Business. So, our Vice Chair (Brain Ley) left us. He resigned as the Vice Chair. He is still a commissioner, but he gave up his Vice Chairmanship because of his work. So, at this time can we have or can we make a motion to… 7. NEW BUSINESS: a. Nomination of new Vice Chair for the Game Management Advisory Commission. SW: Nominate… AA: Nominate a new Vice Chair? LT: District – 3, Leomana. I’d like to make a motion to nominate a new Vice Chair. SW: We have a… RD: Second. AA: Not yet. \[Unclear\] SW: So, generally when you’re nominating a new Chair or Vice Chair it should be – the motion should be to nominate \[unclear\]. AA: OK. SW: And then whoever that person is named can either accept or reject. AA: Yeah. SW: OK. AA: So should we just requesting like who do we think should be the new… 26 SW: Yeah. So Leomana, do you have a person who you think should be the Vice Chair? LT: Leomana, District – 3. You convinced me, I’ll do it. Action: L. Turalde motioned to nominate himself as the GMAC Vice Chair. Seconded by R. Duerr. Motion carried unanimously by poll voice vote with 6 ayes and no nays. SW: OK. So, you’re nominating yourself. RD: Second. LT: I was hoping \[unclear\] looking at all you guys. \[Unclear\] like who is gonna, aw, no, you guys… AA: Well, it’s OK. OK. So, Leomana nominated himself, any other person is a nomination or wants to be… SW: Well, he’s nominated, you got a second, you can discuss. AA: OK. So that is discussion… LT: So I just… AA: …. want to be Vice Chair? I not saying I no like \[unclear\] Leomana but just keeping it open for everybody. LT: Yeah, I was like \[unclear\]. AA: Not seeing anybody, any other comments or concerns about Leomana being the Vice Chair. LT: Leomana, District – 3, I’d just like to understand the proper duties of the Vice Chair and what are the rules of the position before – I’ll hold on this cause – I don’t even know what the Vice Chair does. AA: So, I’ll turn it over to our Deputy Corporation Counsel, Sylvia Wan. SW: OK. So, the Vice Chair would take over the duties of the Chair in the Chair’s absence. So you would have to run the meeting and if we know ahead of time that the Chair is not gonna be available, you would otherwise be in contact with Barbara and myself to finalize the agenda – make sure everything’s on there and make sure it all looks correct and have to handle any late submissions. LT: Oh, right on. Eh, easy. I love it. 27 SW: If you do accept and if you are voted as Vice Chair, me in my role as Deputy Corporation Counsel is more than happy to provide you with training to give you more \[unclear\] and guidance on how to actually run a meeting if you are so called and required to do so. AA: Leomana is Vice Chair, District – 1, Robert Duerr? RD: Aye. AA: District – 2, vacant, District – 3, Leomana? LT: Aye. AA: District – 4, excused. District – 5, aye, District – 6, Austin Griffey? AG: Aye. AA: District – 7, Natalie Reynolds? NR: Aye. AA: District – 8, Cortney Okumura? CO: Aye. AA: District – 9, vacant. Six ayes, no nays. Welcome the new Vice Chair of the Game Management Advisory Commission – Leomana Turalde. LT: OK. One last question, Leomana, District – 3, new Vice Chair. AA: You gotta back up… \[Unclear\] LT: Does my term end in – because I have a 3 year, it ends in 2025. Is this for the extent of my, till the termination of my 3 years, or else is this a different – like two years? SW: It’s just for the one year. LT: OK. AA: Abraham, District – 5, it’s just for one year. Every year you can be re-voted in – you can succeed yourself as long as you’re voted in but every vote is every year. LT: OK. Shoots, yes. AA: So, let me remind everybody again, December my term expires so you guys got to start thinking well ahead of who going to be the next Chair. Thank you. NR: Are you allowed to go again or no? 28 AA: Well, the max term is 5 years – you cannot – you gotta take one 2-year break and then you can go and get five for your district again – for a regular commissioner. LT: What if you move? AA: Then you got to give up your seat. If you guys move district like, let’s say I go move into up in Volcano because me and Austin share district and I’ll be in Austin’s district – I’d have to give up my commission seat. Right? That happened a couple years ago when the previous Chair moved from one District – 7 to District – 8 or vice versa. So, he had to give up his chairmanship and then Nani Pogline was the Vice Chair and then she had to step up and be in the Chair at that time. So, if I leave for whatever reason Leomana, you would be moving up to the chairmanship and then you guys would have to be a vote for a new Vice Chair. LT: OK, shoots, yeah, I might be moving to Puunene in a year and half – two years – so… AA: Ah, you get plenty time… LT: Yeah, plenty time. AA: But, yeah, if any of you guys move out of the district, please let Barbara or Sylvia know – then they can make the arrangements. Thank you. LT: Eh, thank you everyone. I appreciate all of your confidence and your votes. b. GMAC 2023 First Quarter Report to Mayor Roth and County Council. AA: GMAC 2023 First Quarter Report to Mayor Mitch Roth and County Council. So, this is for March, yeah? SW: Yeah, so this is on the agenda just for GMAC basically pick who’s gonna get to write this quarterly report. AA: OK. So, Cortney did the last two quarterly reports, thank you. You did a good job – to come up with that \[unclear\] no it’s already been submitted, yeah, so, thank you, Cortney. I was kinda thinking Leomana can you put the first quarterly report together? So, you gotta go back to January to March. If you need any assistance, please reach out to Sylvia and/or Cortney because she already had done it, but you can reach out to both of them. LT: OK. AA: Thank you, Leomana. LT: Yeah, mahalo. 29 c. Commissioner Austin Griffey – Letter in Support: DLNR Rule Changes for Pohakuloa Hunting Unit A. AA: Commissioner Austin Griffey – Letter in Support: DLNR Rule Changes for Pohakuloa Hunting Unit A – referred to as “The Slice.” Did everybody have a chance to look over Austin’s letter? Need a response saying “yes” would be great. If you guys don’t have it then it’s on the county website. AG: Would you like me to read it to you guys? AA: That would be great, thanks. AG: OK. Austin Griffey, District – 6, here’s the letter addressed to the Department of Land and Natural Resources. On behalf of the Game Management Advisory Commission, we are in full support of the new rule change – turning from rifle to archery in the small parcel of Unit A located across the street from Mauna Kea State Park. After viewing the location on foot and group discussion, we conclude that is an unsafe area to discharge firearms being so close to the main highway and recreational area. The unit is sandwiched between the Mauna Kea State Park and the Pohakuloa Military Base, leaving no safe shooting direction for rifles. It is such a small hunting area that it gets heavily crowded with rifle hunters with no limit on the number of hunters allowed at a time. Archery is a much safer option for such a small area. It’s quiet – more distance limitation and will not scare visitors at the nearby park. We also feel, without the consistent pressure of rifle hunters, the sheep will migrate through more frequently making it a better hunting area. Best Regards, GMAC. ACTION: A motion was made by C. Okumura to approve the draft letter of support regarding DLNR Rule Changes for Pohakuloa Hunting Unit A. Seconded by R. Duerr. Motion carried unanimously by poll voice vote with 6 ayes and no nays. AA: Can someone make a motion to approve Austin’s draft letter? CO: Cortney, District – 8. So, moved. RD: Second. AA: Cortney made the motion to approve the letter, Robert Duerr second, open for discussion? Any questions or comments for Austin’s draft letter to the DLNR? RD: Yeah, Austin, what happens next? I mean, how does this move forward so that they actually consider this and \[unclear\] implement? AG: It seems like they were making the rule change whether we give a letter of support anyways. Though, this is just an extra insurance for – on their behalf for them to continue with the rule change, um, I’m not too sure what goes next. I was gonna ask if I should address this to the BLNR as well, cause they’re the ones that will make the rule change, aren’t they? 30 SW: So once the – Deputy Corporation Counsel, Sylvia Wan – so once the letter is approved by GMAC, it’s provided to Barbara, Barbara submits it to the Mayor – the Mayor can forward it to the correct entity. AG: OK. SW: But, yes, I think Barbara will need to know who this is being addressed to. So if you have that information – if you \[unclear\] Barbara she can make sure it has the correct address so it goes in the correct hands. AG: OK. I’ll contact Kanalu (Sproat) and see where they would like the letter addressed to. SW: Cause you’re in the process of trying approve this letter… AA: Yeah. SW: So, this is the draft of the letter. AA: Then we make a motion to send it where we’re going to send it to, right? SW: So, the only thing that’s missing from here is the – is who it should addressed to. AA: Yeah, so we need a motion for that? SW: You don’t necessarily. It was just a \[unclear\] motion was \[unclear\] and \[unclear\]. AG: We just need open criticism and if we need to change anything on the letter. AA: Yeah, just a quick reminder, please state you guys’ name for recording purposes. Thank you. AG: OK. Austin. RD: Robert Duerr, District – 1. You know, to avoid getting held up with like finding a name and then coming back - we know DLNR will be looking at it, we know it’s in the purview of DLNR and we don’t know – is it under that ability to change rules within a department or is this rule making? JPC: This is going through, I believe, \[unclear\]… AA: State your name please… JPC: Joshua Pang-Ching, DOFAW, um, this is going through the Act 1020 process so, um, it will be a \[unclear\] change \[unclear\] become a longer term… RD: So, it does not have to go to DLNR? 31 JPC: It will go to – well the process is going through DLNR, um, I’m not exactly sure on what stage this specific rule is at and at what meeting it will get to - what, what board meeting it will be on, um, \[unclear\]… AA: It’s on the administrative agenda, yeah, \[unclear\]. SW: Deputy Corporation Counsel, Sylvia Wan. Doesn’t it \[unclear\] Sproat? AA: Yes. AG: Yes. SW: Yeah, so, I think the Board could probably approve Austin to get – to contact Sproat in order to get the information as to who they’re sending this letter to and provide that to Barbara. Because that’s an administrative function within GMAC. I don’t think you need to – as long as you guys approve the form of the letter and you approve that it should be sent to the appropriate person – I think you can find out who that person is and just tell her. AA: OK. AG: So, the letter’s good? We don’t need to change anything? AA: Ah, we still, hold on… JPC: Joshua Pang-Ching \[unclear\] I was just gonna comment that that would be the best \[unclear\] – Kanalu Sproat – would know exactly where it’s at in the stage. AA: So, we need to make a motion for Austin to go ask Kanalu? Or can Austin just go do that by himself? SW: So, you can amend your motion to approve the letter and to authorize Austin to talk to Kanalu Sproat regarding who this should be sent. Somebody said motion to amend. RD: Sylvia, say that again, please. SW: OK. So right now, the \[unclear\] motion on the floor is to approve the draft letter. Because the draft letter doesn’t have an addressee a member can do a motion to amend the original motion, which is to approve the draft letter – the amended would be to approve the draft letter and to authorize Austin to contact Kanalu Sproat to identify who this letter should be sent to – so this letter can be sent to the appropriate party. RD: And then the County would send the letter or Austin would send the letter? SW: It would be – it has to go through – Barbara will make it the official version… RD: OK. 32 SW: We’ll have to get – he’ll sign ‘em – and I think approved by the Mayor and the Mayor’s office will direct to the appropriate person. AA: OK. That sounds good… Action: A motion was made by R. Duerr to accept A. Griffey’s letter with the amendment that he contact Kanalu Sproat to inquire who should receive the letter. Seconded by L. Turalde. Motion passed unanimously by poll voice vote with 6 ayes and no nays. RD: I’d like to make a motion that Austin’s letter is accepted with the amendment that he contact Kanalu Sproat – find out who should receive the letter. LT: Leomana, District – 3, I’d like to second that motion. AA: Any questions or comments from the Commission? Not seeing any. District – 1, Robert Duerr? RD: Aye. AA: District – 2, vacant. District – 3, Leomana? LT: Aye. AA: District – 4, Brian Ley, excused. District – 5, aye, District – 6, Austin Griffey? AG: Aye. AA: District – 7, Reynolds? NR: Aye. AA: District – 8, Cortney Okumura? CO: Aye. AA: District – 9, vacant. Six ayes, no nays. Motion carries. SW: You have stated the amendment one more time for the main motion. You can just do, oh, no, we’re on \[unclear\] OK. So that was for the amendment, so one more time… AA: District – 1, Robert Duerr? RD: Aye. AA: District – 2, vacant. District – 3, Leomana? SW: Aye.AA: District – 4, Brian Lei, absent. District – 5, aye, District – 6, Austin Griffey? 33 AG: Aye. AA: District – 7, Natalie Reynolds? NR: Aye. AA: District – 8, Cortney Okumura? CO: Aye. AA: District – 9, absent. Six ayes, no nays, motion carries. d. Deliberation & Decision Making re: Rules & Regulations Related to Manta Ray Tours Committee Report. AA: Deliberation – moving on to New Business, section d. Deliberation & Decision Making re: Rules and Regulations Related to Manta Ray Tours Committee Report. Natalie? \[Unclear\] for this? NR: So, it’s the first report I did. So, I just want to make sure I did it correctly, so our committee does not support it and you guys were given the report last month as well as this month thank you, Barbara. We are not supporting it based primarily on the lack of communication between DOBOR, the small businesses, permit owners, and large businesses \[unclear\] everybody was involved in the suggested proposed rules as well as, the safety precautions and thirdly most important the, taking away native Hawaiian sustainability, for the manta tours because it’s made up of a lot of native Hawaiians – we do not support the current proposed rules and regulations in regards to the manta viewing sites. AA: Abraham, District – 5, so we not supporting the rules – we’re not in support of the rules – you asking the Commission not to be in support of the DOBOR rule changes but you came up with your own committee suggestions and you want the Commission – you’re asking the Commission to support that? NR: Yes. AA: Did everybody get the chance to go over these rule changes from Natalie’s committee? I guess I have one – did your committee investigate where that extra $300 dollars was going – of additional fees? NR: That’s the part of the lack of communication. RD: You know, Chair, I, as an outdoor journalist, I requested that information from DOBOR, which was essentially the breakdown of the money – how much – like how many permits for $300 and also one because it’s commercial that DOBOR every month gets a percentage of the revenues – so was asking for like quantification from DOBOR of like what is the \[unclear\]? I heard zero back from DOBOR. 34 NR: DOBOR. And then we also submitted – Natalie, District - 7 – we… AA: Hold on Natalie. Question from \[unclear\] my concern was a specific permits and a fixed monthly fee of $300 in addition to commercial use permit fees. The committee comment was on this is if the permits are reduced to 48 employees – 48 employees will be relieved – local businesses shut down in financial hardship for local families. Where does the $300 plus additional fees go – so that’s what I’m asking. NR: Yeah, so, we reached out by email, by phone, and we did not get any response back. AA: So, can we have a motion to accept Natalie’s committee’s manta ray approval of her draft rules or? SW: So, you mean are you approving of this report? AA: Just the report. SW: Yeah, but she doesn’t have draft rules. AA: I’m sorry. ACTION: A motion was made by R. Duerr for GMAC to approve the manta ray viewing overview report. Seconded by N. Reynolds. Motion carried unanimously by poll voice vote with 6 ayes and no nays. RD: I’ll make a motion that we approve the manta ray viewing overview report. NR: I second that… AA: Robert Duerr made a motion to approve the report, Natalie second. Open for comments and questions from the Commission. Go ahead Leomana. Oh zero…. Are we going to send this report to somewhere? AG: I get one question, Abraham. Austin Griffey, District – 6. What do we do if we get no contact back from these guys relating the matter? NR: Yeah, cause it’s challenging when we reach out November, December, January, February, March – nothing. AA: Ah, Abraham, District – 5. The only thing we can do is keep trying – if they no respond to you then that’s their priority to respond. RD: Well, one thing we could do is we could say – we could 1) recognize some of the questions that were asked that \[unclear\] we didn’t have answers – maybe the reason why they weren’t answered – and we could ask from this Commission that this was brought forward that, you 35 know, here’s – we would like this and if we don’t get answers then we go to \[unclear\], um, or we could go directly to \[unclear\]. SW: \[Unclear\] not \[unclear\] is a federal information. RD: \[Unclear\] SW: Yes. Um, I can tell you right now, as far as the Commission asking questions through a committee, they’re a State agency, we’re a County agency, they don’t necessarily have to respond, um, but Mr. Duerr is correct in that the Commission could provide a \[unclear\] request \[unclear\] you can’t just ask general questions \[unclear\] asking for a specific type of document – it’s government \[unclear\] but \[unclear\] so you’d have to distill your question into what record \[unclear\] your question. So that’s a hole ‘nother matter, so, but before we get too far off – and I’m sorry – Deputy Corporation Counsel, Sylvia Wan is speaking \[unclear\] Chair. The question on the floor is are you going to accept the report? So this other follow-up question is a follow. AA: So, my question was – where is this report going after this? SW: So right now – it would be in the records of GMAC. AA: \[Unclear\] SW: This is a report \[unclear\]. And then theoretically it would also appear in the legislative and quarterly report that gets provided to County Council. AA: Thank you. RD: Um, from, we do know from the public meeting that County Councilperson Inaba and County Councilperson Villegas were attending the meeting and certainly would be interested in the report. AA: So, any other questions or comments on Natalie’s committee reports? \[Unclear\] We need to finish with this, and he can open up the question to get. District – 1, Robert Duerr? RD: Aye. AA: District – 2, vacant. District – 3, Leomana Turalde. LT: Aye. AA: District – 4, absent. District – 5, aye. District – 6, Austin Griffey? AG: Aye. AA: District – 7, Natalie Reynolds? NR: Aye. 36 AA: District – 8, Cortney Okumura? CO: Aye. AA: District – 9, vacant. Six ayes, no nays. Motion carries. SW: Rules were accepted. AA: The committee report accepted, um, would somebody like to make a motion to ask for \[unclear\]. SW: You can just call for a motion. AA: Call for a motion. Floor is open. Call for a motion. RD: Um, I’d like to make a motion that, um, that the what’s called the Manta Ray – the folks on the Manta Ray Committee draft a UEFA request for specific information affecting the manta ray tours – and this would be primarily what we would know is they had numbers – they’re collecting money from commercial operators and that would help us to put a dollar figure - 1) it would help us put a dollar figure on the economic impact – but it would also show us if in fact their records are reasonable and exact. SW: Ah… OK. There’s a couple things in there. As GMAC does not have regulatory power over DOBOR but GMAC can request records of DOBOR. You can’t necessarily require them to answer question so you could ask for – it sounds like what you want – what you’re trying to ask for is budgetary information regarding… RD: No. Receipts, receipts, because manta ray – because what’s happening to the manta ray industry is what is a taking. So essentially what the operators were communicating is a) we’ve invested in life savings, hey, we have a boat, hey, now, hey we have a permit and now DOBOR wants to change which will change our livelihoods because it will affect the amount of money that we’re making – we’re afraid we’re gonna loose our boats and our livelihoods. So DOBOR hasn’t come forward to, now, this may also be – because there’s attorneys representing these… AA: Homeowners… RD: Yes. NR: Private owners and the native Hawaiians. RD: And the \[unclear\] so we could communicate with them as well to finding out what records they’ve received… SW: Ah, you don’t want to get mixed up with talking directly to attorneys who may have pending litigation with the State and with County. That is getting into very sticky waters – you are a County Board – I would say stay away from that. 37 RD: \[Unclear\] ask for… AA: What they using the funding for \[unclear\] the original question. SW: So that’s what I’m saying – what are the documents that would relate to that – so that’s why I was suggesting maybe budget, maybe financial documents related to the $300 dollars… AA: There you go… SW: So that’s what I’m saying. You have to \[unclear\]. RD: Should we work it out with the committee and then come back next month for a request. SW: That might be better just talk among yourselves what records do you want to request. RD: Correct. SW: And then you could come back to GMAC and say let’s collectively let’s agree that we’re gonna ask for \[unclear\]. RD: Natalie has a very good rapport with the fleet. SW: OK. So, at this point your manta ray PIG is otherwise concluded. You can open a new PIG which could be the same members to look into what documents this manta ray committee wants to request. AG: Austin Griffey, District – 6. What if we ask for all documents relating to manta rule change? SW: I can tell you right now the response is gonna be they need more specifics and particularity in order to identify the documents you’re talking about. AA: Abraham, District – 5. I don’t like you guys get overwhelmed as well. RD: Yeah… AA: So you guys gotta keep that in mind. SW: Also, know that when you’re making these requests it’s better if you keep it small because… AA: Yeah… SW: …. if you keep it small the cost to the Commission will be relatively small. If it gets to be too large, you’re gonna have to get authorization for payment from the Mayor’s office and your budget – the Mayor’s office budget might not be able to handle that. I believe there is a – under \[unclear\] there’s a waiver, I think, up to $30.00, as far as requesting documents. So, you don’t want to go over that otherwise it’s gonna get really expensive and as Abraham stated you’ll get overwhelmed. 38 AA: Yeah, unless, try not to get you guys overwhelmed. So, um… RD: \[Unclear\] I know Natalie was looking forward to \[unclear\] as well. I was looking forward to other members of ending this PIG. AA: Yeah. RD: Is it possible that Natalie and I get together and kind of just – as two Commissioners – can come forward next month with an agenda item, you know, requesting a UEFA? SW: I think if we limit it to 2 members only that may be possible. I’m gonna read the statute into the record. 92-2.5 a – for permitted action group. Two members of the board may discuss between themselves matters related to board business to enable them to perform their duties faithfully as long as no commit to a vote is major sought and that two members do not \[unclear\] to the form of their board. So, I do think that if it’s just a matter of Mr. Duerr and Ms. Reynolds talking about UEFA potentially \[unclear\] request put on the agenda next meeting, I think that should suffice. AA: OK. Sounds good to me too. So, Natalie \[unclear\] is your manta ray PIG is… SW: Done… NR: Done… AA: Thank you, Natalie. NR: Yeah. AA: You can relax a little bit now. NR: So much fun… AA: Thanks, Natalie. (applaud) NR: At the time I did not think it was gonna be \[unclear\] but, you know what? Go bigger, go home. Pretty fun, it was a nice learning experience. It got me involved really quickly with the community and with the County, so I had a lot of fun. AA: Yeah. You’re the – I think you’re the first Commissioner, brand new, came on and just took on such an such an animal. So, you know, eh, I give you \[unclear\] girl, you got it. Thanks. NR: Thank you, \[unclear\] Abraham. 39 e. Update, Deliberation & Decision Making re: State House Concurrent Resolution 50: REQUESTING THE DLNR TO PROVIDE UPDATED STATISTICS AND FACTS RELATING TO THE DECLINE OF PALILA ON MAUNA KEA AND INVESTIGATE THE FACTORS CAUSING THE DECLINE OF THE PALILA POPLUATION. AA: Update, Deliberation & Decision Making re: State House Concurrent Resolution 50: REQUESTING THE DLNR TO PROVIDE UPDATED STATISTICS AND FACTS RELATING TO THE DECLINE OF PALILA ON MAUNA KEA AND INVESTIGATE THE FACTORS CAUSING THE DECLINE OF THE PALILA POPULATION. SW: Oh, the status. I can look it up. AA: On that - Sylvia going check the status where it’s at right now. We voted on supporting the letter couple meetings ago along with the other bill, but this, we didn’t have time – the time to re- discuss this bill – this resolution. SW: I’m sorry, Deputy Corporation Counsel, Sylvia Wan. Just clarification. So, the board did previously consider this particular resolution along with the Game Management bill… AA: Right. SW: Both of them were introduced. The Game Management bill already died. AA: Already died. SW: However, this bill is CR number 50 which is the resolution already discussed just it has a number now. AA: Yeah. SW: And the Board did previously draft a letter, but it was for bills – in support of both bills together – so now because one bill died the letter is no longer \[unclear\]. AA: So we need a new letter of support for HCR 50. I’d like to make a motion for \[unclear\] oh, I can have whatever – I like \[unclear\]. SW: Well, no, that’s a PIG. A PIG you can \[unclear\]. AA: \[Unclear\] SW: I think you need to do – because this is technically a new letter – I think you still need to get authorization from the \[unclear\]… AA: OK. SW: ….to draft a letter. 40 AA: I’d like to make a motion to… NP: Excuse me, um, I’m sorry. I can’t figure out how to raise my hand. This is a commenter from the public. Sorry to interrupt. This is Nani Pogline. Um, the bill was introduced HCR 50 was introduced but then it did not get scheduled for hearing in Water and Land, so I think it’s dead. AA: OK. NP: I believe the bill’s dead. AA: Well, Sylvia’s checking right now. SW: Yeah, so it still just says referred to Water and Land Use \[unclear\]. And that was… AA: \[Unclear\] for what’s the date – what’s the deadline for it to be heard. And that’s kinda like what Nani’s talking about. SW: OK. Well, it doesn’t want a deadline here. AA: \[Unclear\] st SW: OK. Well, that was done on March 10, and today is March 21. ?: \[Unclear\] SW: No, I don’t… My kuleana is County ordinances. AG: Austin Griffey, District – 6, here. I’m not good with Bill numbers, so could you tell me what this Bill is please? SW: Yeah, so this bill is HCR 50 – While the Chair is looking up rules for the State legislature. Do you want me to read it into the record? AG: Yes, please. SW: OK. Deputy Corporation Counsel, Sylvia Wan, I’ll now read it into the record – HCR 50 – this is requesting the Department of the Land and Natural Resources to provide updated statistics and facts related to the decline of palila on Mauna Kea and investigate the factors causing the decline of the palila population. WHEREAS, the palila bird is a rare and critically endangered species of honeycreeper and can only be found on certain slopes of Mauna Kea in the County of Hawai’i; and WHEREAS, the palila has a close ecological relationship with the native mamane tree and it relies on those trees for food and nesting; and 41 WHEREAS, in 1979 a lawsuit was filed against the Department of Land and Natural Resources, alleging the Department was “taking” palila for purposes of the Federal Endangered Species Act by maintaining sheep and goats in the palila’s critical habitat, which included all of Mauna Kea from the elevation of six thousand feet to ten thousand feet; and WHEREAS, between 1979 and 1999, the United States District Court confirmed a mandate that the Department of Land and Natural Resources eradicate sheep and goats from the palila’s critical habitat; and WHEREAS, during that time, millions of dollars were spent on construction of fences and eradication of sheep to comply with the order of the United States District Court; and WHEREAS, more than twenty-five thousand sheep have been eradicated, with fewer than three hundred remaining as of 2022; and WHEREAS, while efforts are made to salvage sheep meat, only about forty percent is typically recovered, leaving about sixty percent to rot or feed feral cats and mongoose, which are themselves a threat to the palila population; and WHEREAS, despite the eradication of sheep and restoration of mamane forest, only an estimated three hundred palila were counted in 2021; and WHEREAS, the routine cost of sheep eradication is expensive; in October 2022, $8,844.50 was spent to eradicate fifty-nine sheep; and WHEREAS, due to the court mandate, thousands of residents have lost access to important source of subsistence hunting on Mauna Kea. And whereas, the drastic reduction in sheep in line with the recovery vegetation on Mauna Kea; and WHEREAS, the drastic reduction in sheep, combined with the recovery of vegetation on Mauna Kea, has resulted in an increase of vegetative fuel loads; and WHEREAS, wildfires on the slopes of Mauna Kea represent the most significant threat to palila and their habitat; and WHEREAS, recent fires have resulted in the destruction of approximately two hundred fifty acres of palila critical habitat; and WHEREAS, due to the threat of fire, the Board of Land and Natural Resources has proposed a fuel break expansion project on Mauna Kea, which will remove thirty-five acres of mature māmane, which is another example of costs resulting from United States Court’s mandate; and WHEREAS, despite the best efforts of the last forty years, the population of palila continues to be critically endangered; and WHEREAS, further investigations must be conducted to determine why current efforts have not resulted in recovery of the palila, and to identify new strategies to preserve the species; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature State of Hawai’i, Regular Session 2023, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources provide updated statistics and facts related to the decline of palila on Mauna Kea; and 42 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Land and Natural Resources investigate factors resulting in the decline of palila for the purposes of recommending updated strategies to preserve this species and updating the United States District Court’s sheep and goat eradication mandate; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Land and Natural Resources is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 202; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources. Offered by: Mark Nakashima March 8, 2023 AA: Thank you, Sylvia. So, I’m making a motion to draft up a letter in support of HCR 50 but in the meantime – if it doesn’t make it, by our next meeting… SW: My understanding is that the proposer of this legislation asked for GMAC’s input. You can still give that info to the Legislature. AA: OK. SW: Irrespective of what \[unclear\] session \[unclear\]. ACTION: A motion was made by A. Antonio to draft a letter of support regarding the palilia to the legislator that created the HCR 50 and to thank him for his efforts. Seconded by L. Turalde. Motion passed by poll voice with 6 ayes, no nays. AA: We just going have – make a motion to draft up a letter in response to the legislator that created this HCR 50 just so he can have a response from the Commission to hold good standing working with that particular legislator. LT: So Leomana, District – 3, I second that motion. AA: Thank you, Leomana. Any questions or comments from the Commission? AG: Austin, District – 6, so we’re making a letter of input, pretty much? AA: Yeah. AG: OK. SW: I guess in this discussion you should probably discuss what the contents of the letter should be. 43 AA: The contents of the letter that I’m asking is just basically telling him that we support what he did and thank him for his time and effort, and we’ll be supporting any other future – not anything but any specific legislation that he puts forward and continue working with him. SW: In this regard? AA: In the palila regard, yeah. District – 1, Robert Duerr? RD: Aye. AA: District – 2, vacant. District – 3? LT: Aye, Leomana. AA: District – 4, absent. District – 5, aye. District – 6, Austin Griffey? AG: Aye. AA: District – 7, Natalie Reynolds? NR: Aye. AA: District – 8, Cortney Okumura? CO: Aye. AA: District – 9, vacant. Six ayes, no nays. The motion passes. SW: Who’s gonna write it? AA: I’ll write it. LT: Leomana, District – 3. I volunteer. AA: Oh, I guess Leomana going be the writer, OK. Thanks. LT: Yeah, Leomana, District – 3, um, yeah, I’m all about the birds, so anything that has to do with birds I guess I’ll do it. AA: OK. Thanks, Leomana. LT: Yeah. RD: Chair, we may get Paul Banko come and give a presentation to GMAC who’s the palila expert. AA: Ah, OK, I working on that. RD: OK. Right on. 44 AA: I’m just trying to get through all this stuff but you guys creating new stuff so I \[unclear\]. \[Unclear\] that might come next month’s meeting. So, I know you guys kinda \[unclear\] my presentation. LT: Leomana, District – 3. I just got one question, so this letter needs to be drafted before the next meeting or the hearing on this bill… AA: For the next meeting. LT: OK. AA: It’s gonna be drafted to I think… SW: The introducer… AA: I know Mark Nakashima but… ? Is he a House representative… AA: Yeah, House Representative Mark Nakashima. LT: Mark Nakashima… SW: We got Nakashima and Kapela and Onishi. AA: Yeah. 8. COMMITTEE REPORTS: a. Identification of State Legislative Bills that Effect Hunting, Fishing, and/or Cultural Practices Committee. AA: Anyway, moving on… Committee Reports Identification of State legislative bills affecting hunting, fishing – so that committee is officially dead. SW: OK b. Investigative Committee: DNLR expenditures of Pittman-Robertson grants, Dingle- Johnson grants, Boating Special Fund, and Off Highway Vehicle Fund in the County of Hawai’i. AA: Investigative Committee: DLNR expenditures of Pittman-Robertson grants, Dingle-Johnson grants, Boating Special Funds, and Off Highway Vehicle Fund in the County of Hawaii. That’s Chairman Robert Duerr. You have anything? 45 RD: Yeah, next month, you know, and keeping to County Council Sylvia Wan’s request – we’ve narrowed it – so we’re gonna end this section of the PIG next month – \[unclear\] the committee members of just identifying what the funds are. And then we can go from there. SW: OK. 9. ANNOUNCEMENTS: a. “Wild Ungulate Impacts on Ranchlands in Hawai’i thesis proposal presentation by Lauren Katayama on Friday, March 24, at 12:00 pm on the UJH Moana Campus and by Zoom. AA: Announcements: “Wild Ungulate Impacts on Ranchlands in Hawaii” thesis proposal presentation by Lauren Katayama on Friday, March 24, at 12:00 pm on UH Manoa Campus – that’s on Oahu but you can also jump in by Zoom and I think the packet is on the County website. Am I correct, Barbara? SW: Yes. The flier’s on the County website. I don’t know if anybody can see it over there. AA: Right. It’s in the packet – just so if it’s in the packet it’s on the County website. It’s on March 24 at 12:00 pm via Zoom so jump on to that. Next meeting will be, oh, before I get to the next meeting, um, it’s active turkey season right now, um, Josh can you just let everybody know what is the time for the turkey season? stth JPC: Ah, Joshua Pang-Ching for DOFAW, um, the turkey season is from March 1 through April 15 daily. In the A, B, D at \[unclear\]. AA: Again, what is the \[unclear\] time frame? th JPC: Time frame, ah, March through April 15. AA: So, it’s actively turkey, turkey season actively going right now all the way through to April 15. ?: And you need a tag, yeah? AA: Yeah, and you gotta go to your local DOFAW branch, ah, Hilo is right here in Hilo, and then West Side is in Waimea. And then you guys – it’s $5.00 \[unclear\] my son. It’s $5.00 \[unclear\]. Section b. Next meeting is April 18, 2023 at 9:00 in the morning again and right here in the Puna Conference Room and also via Zoom are Kona – our Kona representatives any time you guys want to make a treck over to Hilo it’s greatly appreciated so we can actually have one meeting where everybody can kinda like introduce and interact with each other and then maybe by the end of the year us Hilo guys can come over to that side and try to make it at least a yearly thing to at least have one meeting or two meetings all together. NR: Well, you just said maybe you would make it if we made it over there, so if you can give us a commitment that you will make it over on our side, maybe we’ll go over to your side. AA: Eh! 46 ?: \[Unclear\] works. AA: It goes back to our Corporation Counsel fighting it about our reimbursement funds, nah, but I taking off the day anyway from work, so, um, if you guys come to here, you guys will get reimbursed for you guys’ gas and so will ours and I think we had an off conversation about trying to get everybody in one car but County GMAC does not own a vehicle so we still have to like either all jump in Natalie’s vehicle and then Natalie’s truck haul everybody back and forth. NR: \[Unclear\] I got it. Only if there’s donuts and coffee. LT: \[Unclear\] for breakfast… AA: So… NR: I’m saying who’s buying \[unclear\]. b. Next meeting will be on April 18, 2023, at 9:00 am to 11:00 am at the Puna Conference Room in the Hilo County Building. AA: OK. Can I make a motion to close – adjourn? NR: Oh, wait, wait, we just shot a pig the other day on some private property, and we didn’t have any issues with any parasites or worms or anything like that – so it’s like, still not in our area of Kona right now. SW: OK. Good. NR: Cause you guys were saying it was an issue over on the other side of the Island. SW: I know and that could have been in your part of your District Report. LT: OK. Leomana, District – 3. Before I make a motion to end this meeting, I’d like to just let you guys know Merrie Monarch is a big event coming up in Hilo. My family, we have 11 acres on the beach over here where we have a Hawaiian culture learning center. I’m hosting a craft fair, it’s gonna be mostly food vendors. If you guys want to vend or have an information booth – I just thought about GMAC and having an information booth there if, um, before, I’d like to make a motion for me to be able to put up information on behalf of GMAC and tell the community at the Merrie Monarch Craft Fair. SW: I’m sorry Leomana, but it wasn’t on the agenda. LT: Ah! OK, well. OK. Anyway, contact me offline if you guys would like to be a part of this craft fair. It’s to help a local non-profit, which is a Hawaiian Cultural Learning Center, and we manage a 4- acre fish pong. We’re the only open to sea fishpond in Keaukaha, um, so it’s a good opportunity, anyway, outside of that - Leomana, District – 3, I’d like to make a motion to end this meeting. 47 RD: Second. AA: All in favor? \[The ayes have it\] Thanks you guys. 10.Adjournment: (11:04 am) Action: A motion was made by L. Turalde to end the meeting. Seconded by R. Duerr. The motion passed unanimously by poll voice vote. Respectfully submitted by, Barbara Kossow Secretary 48