2014-02-24 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes

Home

Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – February 24, 2014 \[Delay with power point presentation due to computer\] e) DLNR’s recent press release: Can you explain the difference between “doubling the acreage of protected watershed forests in a decade” to the 140,000 acres now being managed to conserve Hawaii’s forest which will be increased to more then 480,000 acres by the time projects currently funded are completed? Chair Sylvester: OK, maybe we can go to E right now because that’s more of an explanation. There’s a recent press release that came out that the you know the Rainfalls at the Watershed said that the whole idea of that project was to double the size of protected areas and then one of my questions is when does that area start because if that plan came out in 2011 does that include the land size at that time and it was 92,000 acres in 2011 – you double that so it would be 184,000 acres cause every year more and more gets fenced and then you just keep saying you want to double that, then you’re gonna double that then, I mean, there’s nothing left, and when I read this, you know, it’s, it says there are 140,000 acres now being managed to conserve Hawaii’s forest. What does managed mean versus being priority one and two which was to fence and eradicate. Cause I’m getting mixed up with projected, managed… L. Hadway: Yup. And I understand that it’s confusing and part of these maps will help demonstrate that. So one of the important things to understand – cause it says 480,000 acres as well, so the funding from the Rain follows the Forest comes in a couple of ways. It comes in general funds and it also comes in capital improvement funds. And it goes to fund activities, not just of fencing, but it also funds things like invasive species control, out-planting plants – those kinds of things. So some of the funds have gone to the watershed partnerships that include work on other jurisdictions of land and other private landowners – so that approximate 90,000 acres includes all lands, no matter whose jurisdiction it is within the state. The goal is to double that and it would be on multiple jurisdictions and multiple landowners land. So that’s where the 480,000 acres comes in as well – because as I mentioned there’s other activities and my maps show very clearly what the DOFAQ lands are. Because I think that’s one of the most important things to cover for you folks because we manage the public hunting areas and I wanted to be sure that that’s communicated very clearly. Chair Sylvester: OK. That has percentages and actual acreage of DOFAW of public hunting areas that will be… L. Hadway: Yes. Chair Sylvester: ….priority one. L. Hadway: You want me to… This one… 12