HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0192.005 2008-2010
PALANI RANCH COMPANY, INC
Testimony before the Hawaii County Council
April 22, 2009
RE: RESOLUTION 67-90
Eradication of Feral Cattle within Honuaula Forest
Palani Ranch Company borders the Honuaula Forest Reserve lands as
either a fee owner or lessee on both the north and south boundaries of
Honuaula. As a result, we have over the years worked to maintain a good
operating relationship with DOFAW relative to our respective operating needs
and look forward to continuing that relationship. We feel we have been a good
neighbor, a good steward of our lands for decades, and a responsible member of
the cattle industry and ranching community.
We agree with and support the objective of maintaining our State Forest
Reserve areas clear of feral cattle; however we also recognize that where Forest
Reserves abut managed grazing lands, there will always be some strays that get
into the forest. The appropriate methods for the removal of strays (including
driving, trapping, and the strategic use of exclusion fencing) differ significantly
from other methods (including shooting by proper authorities) which are suitable
only for feral cattle removal and only as a last resort.
The problem today is how to safely and properly eliminate the remaining
cattle from over 5000 acres of State land at Honuaula which essentially no longer
has any effective interior fencing. We agree that the strategy of shooting these
cattle (whether, from the air or on the ground) raises potentially serious concerns
regarding public safety. We have always strongly advocated that if shooting
became necessary, that the State would need to be sure there were full,
adequate and aggressive public notification procedures in place. To further
insure the public's safety, we also have consistently advocated the
establishment of both overly protective and extremely cautious " no shooting"
buffer zones along the perimeter of the State land as well as enforcing shooting
protocols that are far more stringent than those required for customary public
hunting.
We would hope that any expression of concern from the County along
these lines as is being expressed in this resolution would be respectfully received
and considered by the State and that as the next step appropriate action would
be taken to restore the public's confidence that all public concerns are being
adequately addressed.
Respectfully Submitted,
Palani Ranch Company
am s Greenwell
ident Comm. No~.7 j S
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