2017-08-22 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes

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Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – August 22, 2017 KS: Currently, there’s about 4,000 acres of it already fenced. We’re gonna add about 4,000 to it. So 103,000 acres –should be 8,000 fenced about. So whatever that ratio is, is pretty small. TN: What is the reason for fencing? KS: I wish I knew the numbers off the top of my head – it’s something like there’s 16 endangered plants that are found in Puuwaawaa. I don’t know how many of them are only found there – and Puuanahulu as well – but there are a few of them that are only found there – so the reason for fencing is to... TN: Then what is the ecosystem – the ecology of the area before fencing was done and what was the numbers of these endangered species and was there a – I’m looking for the ecology of the balance of the area before fencing went in. What I’m looking for is there are fencing areas but what was the area before its fencing and what is the goal for fencing and has fencing brought back the life of these endangered species? All these years. I mean, they’ve been fencing areas for such a long time but has fenced area proven to bring the life back of these endangered species to a sustainable number? TL: Excuse me, Teresa, if you don’t mind, when he’s in the process of answering a question could you let him finish it because I was interested in what he was saying and I don’t mind people interrupting but let him finish his question before you ask another one and please try and do them one at a time, if you don’t mind, cause you had about four questions there and it’s hard to keep track of them. TN: OK. All right. KS: OK. So Edith and Elliot would be the best people to ask about endangered species specifically – specific questions – cause the things I do is about – for game – not just game – for wildlife. I can tell you visually from the things that I’ve seen from the areas that are fenced and that they are doing out planting and doing restoration work for – there is a visual difference in forest regeneration and natural plant restoration happening within those exclosures that’s not happening outside of the exclosures. I cannot, I’m not up-to-date to be able to quantify that for you – other people can – it’s in the HCP – a lot of it is – but why are we fencing the areas? So the areas that we’ve selected for fencing are the areas that are the most pristine native forest habitats where a lot of these endangered species are so we’re trying to protect what’s already there – what is still good forest structure – native forest habitat and structures – that’s why we’re fencing those areas 12