2014-08-25 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes

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Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – August 25, 2014 that they were putting in there and um that’s what we’re asking. What’s – I mean are they still fencing \[unclear\] access even without mitigation \[unclear\]. C. Masuda: Mr. Chairman, do you want to entertain that question and have it answered by Lisa? Chair Lodge: If Lisa (Hadway) can answer that question that would be fine. L.Hadway: As part of the management plan for the entire forest reserve I know that access was discussed and David may be able to chime as well \[unclear\]. And in the discussion when I think you heard David say fencing – it was in reference to fencing that access corridor through the Olson Trust. Is that correct, David? D. Penn: Yeah, it’s fencing to keep animals from moving across the boundary between the state land and the private land – to keep the cows out of the forest and the pigs out of the pasture and also to discourage the hunters from going on to the private land and staying in the public land on the forest reserve side. And any other people who are going up there. Chair Lodge: Through the access road… D. Penn: Yeah. And my understanding is that most of the route that we’re taking is basically existing roads that were put in by the plantation and that people generally had access to when the plantation was in control of the whole area, but since things have gotten broken up, and the pastures have gone in on both the state leases and on the private lands, that it’s a different situation so we’re in a way trying to recreate – at least that existed before where there was more freedom to move along the bottom of the forest reserve boundary there. Woman: OK, but my question is that \[unclear\] you’re going through private property to fence with state monies, am I correct? D. Penn: Ah, actually some of it is federal money that was – the US Department of Agriculture. L. Hadway: I think what the view was is that this was a public benefit by initiating an agreement with the private landowner for additional access to a spot that was happening it would have been trespass for folks to get to the forest, and so the concept was with the public benefit that it’s acceptable to use public funds to try and garner access for the public to that forest reserve. Woman: And the public’s view of what hunting? L. Hadway: Hunting, gathering, hiking, bird watching… 9