2014-02-24 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes

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Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – February 24, 2014 request that went to the governor was $1.5 million and it got cut to $750,000 but it’s still viewed as a priority for the governor and we’re actually, potentially using another avenue to ask for the additional $750,000. So along with personnel, like I mentioned, some of the other kinds of items we’d like to improve – it’s affected this island recently when we did the lottery for the cattle hunt. We’d like to do that much more efficiently and better and also for Lanai we have a lottery program there so we look to improve that and modernize some of that process. So this, I mean, there’s only so much I can show you, but these are the kinds of things that we’ve been putting effort into planning. I have a shorted document as well. And one of the people that I don’t know if many of you got to meet him but Jordan Jokiel our Access and Acquisition Coordinator that was specifically for the game wildlife program recently moved on and we would really like to replace him and we would actually like to augment that program on each of the islands. So this is just a much shorter version of it – again kind of highlighting the need for planning, the budgets associated with it and how that would look. Chair Sylvester: So Lisa what would it cost to or estimate to have a statewide plan like this – cause I think this was just for Maui. I mean… L. Hadway: No, no, no! This would – the $1.5 million would augment the Pittman- Robertson so we would have a statewide program that would be initially $2.6 million and then $3.4 million. So it’s not just planning, it’s actually implementing enhanced wildlife management statewide. So every county would get a position at least initially and then we’d like to build out additional positions and wildlife biologists, and as I mentioned also work on modernizing some of the issues at the admin level such as the lottery system. Chair Sylvester: Tom? Tom: Hey, Lisa, when you talk about augmenting this plan – what qualifications of the person who’s going to be running this program are you looking for? L. Hadway: Well, of course, we at the state game system there’s minimum qualifications for wildlife biologists but most definitely the game biologist we would like them to have experience working with game mammals and birds and the ability to do census and actually be able to supervise people – run a program. And so that’s my goal, is to build the infrastructure to help be a more accountable, more responsible game and wildlife program. Chair Sylvester: Their task will be strictly for game \[unclear\] management. L. Hadway: Associated with these funds, yes. Chair Sylvester: Yes, OK. 6