2014-10-27 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes

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Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes —October 27, 2014 L. Hadway: And a biological opinion was associated with it due to the fact that there are animal species involved as well. Chair Lodge: One last question. When you do a match with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with WRF moneys isn't there supposed to be public input? In terms of where — how that money is being spent? L. Hadway: As I've mentioned, you're more than welcome sit down with me Tom and go through my budget. I sat with Mark Bartell and talked about our budget situation. Chair Lodge: It's not your budget— my question is that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Title 16, you know, says that, you know, before — on the purpose, for example, that to encourage state and fish and wildlife [unclear] provided for public involvement in the process of development implementation of a wildlife conservation restoration program. That's when you ask for the money and where we provide that match money. It's saying that there should be public involvement, what does that mean? L. Hadway: Well, like I mentioned, I believe that the potential for the state commission would be an opportunity for that. I believe that this commission here — if you folks had ideas of where you would like to see those priorities — given what I've been handed to deal with in terms of budgeting — my priority is trying to cover staff expenses and the lease rent on Lanai. So that doesn't leave us a lot left to deal with. But if, you know, we'd be open to that kind of conversation, I don't know if you've sat down with the wildlife staff here and discussed how they're spending their funds? Chair Lodge: We haven't. L. Hadway: And I would encourage Ryan as well. You're more than welcome to pick up the phone and call staff about where maps are of critical habitat. There's a lot of existing critical habitat that's been designated for years all over the islands. And so we are more than happy to share that information — I don't want anybody to think that we're trying to hide that information. And I only wish you could hear me in the meetings as I try to discuss the challenges of the lines of where those designations go and I fully am in agreement in a lot of those things, so I just want you to know that we are open —we've discussed this —we're, you know, these venues aren't always the easiest for exchange and questions and we're more than happy to have wildlife staff, we're more than happy to sit and pour through numbers with you. 29