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<br /> <br /> <br />HAWAII COUNTY GAME MANAGEMENT ADVISORY COMMISSION <br />Draft letter <br />April 2022 <br /> <br />Mayor Mitch Roth <br />County of Hawaii <br />25 Aupuni St. #2603 <br />Hilo, HI 96720 <br />Re: Hawaii County GMAC recommendation regarding endangered <br />native palila, and the continued eradication of sheep on Mauna Kea. <br />Dear Honorable Mayor Mitch Roth, <br />As requested by the Hawaii County Game Management Advisory <br />Commission, Senator Mike Gabbard gave support and introduced <br />SB2994 in the 2022 State Legislative Session. SB2994 requires the <br />Department of Land and Natural Resources update facts and statistics <br />on palila population decline on Mauna Kea and investigate the results <br />of the Federal court mandate to eradicate sheep on Mauna Kea to <br />protect palila populations. Unfortunately SB2994 did not make it <br />through this years session, but GMAC hopes to re-introduce this bill in <br />the 2023 Legislative session. <br />The Federal mandate to eradicate sheep on Mauna Kea was based on <br />information at the time, that game animals caused the palila population <br />decline. After more than 40 years of routine eradication, however, the <br />information has proven inaccurate, as the palila population has <br />continued to decline drastically since the removal of sheep. The <br />absence of game animals on Mauna Kea has instead contributed to <br /> <br />