2013-07-15 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes

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Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – July 15, 2013 Gorse was identified by other settlers in that area in the early 1890s. So we think that it was accidentally introduced from sheep being brought in from New Zealand and Australia for the sheep industry up there. It could have come in, in feed. We don’t know. But we do know that one plant started the whole problem. The Dept of Ag in 1958 helped initiate the first major gorse control program at Puu O. Control work at Puu O ceased though from ‘62 to ’68, for whatever reason, probably a change of management or got too expensive, and the gorse infestation increased to sizeable acreage in certain areas. Parker Ranch began extensive gorse control in 1958. In ’63, ’67, ’68 and ’73 the State, Dept of Ag, addressed the growing gorse problem. In 1964 significant land management change happened at Humuula and Parker Ranch got out of the sheep ranching business. They switched entirely into cattle in 1964. So we know that sheep control the keikis. In the 1970s gorse burning began with 6,900 acres burned in that year, followed by a chemical treatment with tordon pellets. Due to sporadic control the Dept of Ag issued reports deteriorating conditions from ’82 to ’84 and DHHL requested assistance from Big Island RC & D office and they formed the Big Island Gorse Control Committee. And then in the 80s and 90s that committee introduced bio controls. They actually planted koa trees to see if it would shade gorse. Eradication was limited by a lack of repeated sustained treatments on all areas. Now in anticipation of Parker Ranch’s lease expiring in 2002 – Parker Ranch began spraying and burning large areas of gorse in 1998. Parker Ranch’s lease ended in 2003 and at that time we estimated the gorse was at 7,000 acres. DLNR assumed management responsibilities, and we decided to create a corps containment area. UH Hilo had some soil scientists come over – they found out that koa and gorse soil needs were very similar and that reassured us that where the gorse was at there needs to be a koa forest as in pre-ranching days, probably. Parker Ranch became one of our partners and we convinced them to shift to perimeter eradication. A lot of progress made, but in 2005 we were removing feral cattle from the area and we got sued by the former leasee and they were damaging our tree plantings. There is a moratorium on tree planting right now. We won a lawsuit in 2011 and now we’ve been removing cattle again, so the transportation of gorse throughout is being minimized. 5