2017-11-8 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes

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Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – November 8, 2017 TL: What you’re doing – will create probably an environment where you can actually test some of that – is that correct? KS: Yes. TL: Now is Puuwaawaa and Puuanahulu – I’m not that familiar with all of that area. When you look at it on the broad scale but is that habitat relatively the same on both sides? TN: How large an area of Puuwaawaa and how large a area of Puuanahulu and are we talking mauka-makai – north or south – east or west? KS: The whole area with the two areas combined is about 108,000 acres. Puuanahulu is slightly larger than Puuwaawaa – probably 35 or 40,000 acres on the Puuwaawaa side and so the rest would be on the Puuanahulu side, you know, 55, 60,000 acres on the Puuanahulu side. Puuanahulu is a little complicated but it’s land designated GMA – so game management area but part of that land designation is part a – there’s two hunting units – there’s the Puuwaawaa side of the flow and there’s a large chunk of land up there that is land designated GMA but it’s part of Hunting Unit F – so it’s part of the hunting unit that includes Puuwaawaa and that goes from mauka all the way to makai. Then there’s Puuanahulu – which is only GMA land designation – but that’s everything from the Waimea side of the 1859 flow and then also the road that runs down where the Puuanahulu makai check station is – that is all Hunting Unit E – so part of the March through June hunting season – and that is from mauka to makai. As far as fences or whatever that – I mean, I would guess that’s kind of where you’re going about mauka-makai what’s being – the fences are being put in both mauka and makai – mostly mauka but some makai and mostly on the Puuwaawaa side is where fences will be put. TN: Because the fencing along Puuwaawaa? KS: Because of damage from animals. TN: Damage from animals? Insects? I mean what are the factors besides animals have been doing damage to an area that ecology-wise... KS: We’re fencing 4,000 acres – this is – what is it – four and half – 8% of the 100,000 acres is gonna be fenced and this areas that we consider pristine or close to pristine. I understand your arguments of if it’s pristine why do we need to fence it – we believe that we need to fence it because we don’t want to see a continued degradation of the area. There’s areas outside of it where the habitat is gone to – it’s bad – and that is because of the animals not – and insects – you are correct – insects do cause damage and we do our best to manage for that – but that, I mean, our best is probably not very good when it comes to insects – it might not be very good with... Anyways, they do cause 23