2017-06-27 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes

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Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – June 27, 2017 There are several people who have enjoyed college scholarships based on air riflery so we know those are good reasons to have these but the site selection process is going to be – it’s going to take a little while and again if we can find quick places to set-up so we can do that in a short order – do it safely, environmentally soundly, you know, friendly with the neighbors and accessible to the shooting public - all the better, so... TL: Any questions? Anybody? Have you heard back anything Joey or Steve have, have, from that meeting that we had – has there been any feedback yet to you folks? SB: Steve Bergfeld with Forestry and Wildlife. I haven’t heard any feedback from either Mr. Farrell or Kekoa yet. WJC: Can you tell me what kind of an area we need? You know, you’re saying there’s some houses – like in that Paauilo area that’s nearby and, I mean, is it like miles of area around? JO: I can tell you a little bit about what happened to us at Hakalau. When C. Brewer sold some of the neighboring 50 acre lots and they were about a mile away from the Big Island Gun Club’s Range – formerly at Hakalau – a prospective buyer contacted us – said they heard there was a range there – a realtor had to disclose that it was within 2 miles or so – so they asked when we were going to be shooting and we told them we had a rifle match coming Sunday so realtor and the prospective buyer went to the property there – looking at – and bought the property. So we assumed everything was fine. Well, immediately upon closing we started getting calls from the county council, from the police department, from the corp counsel’s office – from the state health department, from various legislators and councilors – the buyer had contacted virtually everybody and anybody that could help get our range shut down – knew there was a range nearby – knew that it made noise – it was actually present when we had a high power rifle match on a Sunday which is fairly loud – and went ahead and bought it and then immediately turned around, so, it’s not a matter of safety so much – it’s a matter of will all the neighbors accept it and not just the current neighbors but the ones that come in and – such as folks who buy less expensive property by the airport and then complain about the noise – so those are considerations we have to take a look at. Can we abate the noise enough to satisfy them? WJC: So when, when do you draw the line and say enough is enough. If you bought the place. JO: Actually, in the case of the Big Island Gun Club the C. Brewer – who was our landlord for the princely sum of $150.00 dollars a year for 50 acres – they defended us. They actually said, no, we support them, they’re great tenants – 17