2023_04_18 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes

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As far as Austin your question about habitat – that’s usually a federal designation and that one is one that’s, you know, was created a long, long time ago in the court, ah, you know, post court order. AG: I would like to see if they are reforesting koa in these so called palila habitats. JP: Yeah, there’s some, excuse me, I’m under the weather. There’s some areas especially on like the windward side and then in Kaohe, you know, which is kinda on the northwest in Kilohana – the old Lau lease – they’re doing a lot of koa restoration – they usually doing a lot of koa restoration where there was formerly koa so, you know, so there’s usually more koa kinda of on the fringes of the forestry – what’s designated as a Mauna Kea Forest Reserve, so kinda of on the, you know, the lower parts because koa weren’t, you know, didn’t grow too much above kind of that elevation so, you know, like Kanakaleionui, Waipahoehoe and then Kaohe – some of the areas that formerly had koa that were either logged or moved from historic ranching efforts, they were doing a lot of koa – Pumali – the Pumali mitigation area – there’s a lot of koa being planted there. AG: Cause my like thought process on this is they’re putting their finger on the map in the premium koa grounds where they can grow koa, claiming the palila habitat re-planting koa ten feet apart o they grow straight up in the sky for board foot so they can future harvest, so it seems like a whole money agenda for future purposes in my eyes but that’s just my opinion. JP Ah, yeah, you could try – I’m not exactly sure on, exactly where – do you know what area you’re referencing? SW: I’m sorry… AG: Every area it’s just mostly what I see boots on the ground – places that they’ve \[unclear\] take back and say we’re gonna reforest and then when they reforest, they’re not planting the koas to reforest property. Koa’s are big, huge trees and when they’re planting ‘em I’m noticing they’re planting five to ten feet apart so they’re growing straight up in the sky… AA: OK, Austin… SW: I’m sorry you’re… AA: Yeah, we’re going off topic. If you like we can put this on an agenda item later on but we are going like way off topic and we gotta get moving… RD: Chair, Duerr – District – 1, Paul Banko is the palila scientist in charge. AA: OK. Just, if you can, just send emails to Leomana. RD: Yeah, I’m just putting it in the chat. AA: And then, even for you, too, Austin, just contact or email Leomana with your questions and, you know, if you like help him along with the letter. 28