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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0386.016 2010-2012Takata, Sharon PJsr -L 112/ t From: Smart, Brittany Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2011 11:20 AM To: Takata, Sharon Subject: FW: Testimony for Bill 112 Attachments: Bill No 112 TNC Testimony 10 04 11.docx Brittany Smart Councilmember, District 6 Upper Puna, Kau, South Kona 25 Aupuni St Hilo, HI 96720 (808) 961 -8263 bsrmart@co.hawaii.hi.us Please consider the environment before printing this email. From: Shalan Crysdale [mailto:scrysdale @TNC.ORG] Sent: Monday, October 03, 2011 12:09 PM To: Smart, Brittany Subject: Testimony for Bill 112 Aloha Brittany, Page 1 of 1 PIE. MO Please find the attached testimony in support of the passage of Bill 112. I would be happy to discuss the potential cost of increased fencing heights for the Conservancy's preserves should Axis deer make a foothold in Ka`u and South Kona. Thank you, Shalan Shalan Crysdale Natural Resources Manager Office: 808 443 5413 Cell: 808 769 1135 comm. No. .914 . /4 Ref. To: P/ L�MG Ref. Date ITT 4 7Q11 10/4/2011 The Nature Conservancy Protecting nature. Preserving lifer The Nature Conservancy of Hawai`i 923 Nu'uanu Avenue Honolulu, Hawaii 96817 Tel (808) 537 -4508 nature.org /hawaii Fax (808) 545-2019 Testimony of The Nature Conservancy of Hawai` i Supporting Bill No. 112 Relating to Restricting Transporting of Living Axis Deer into the County of Hawai`i Hawai`i County Council, Environmental Management Committee Tuesday, October 4, 2011, 1:OOPM The Nature Conservancy supports Bill No. 112 that would prohibit and penalize transporting living axis deer to the island of Hawaii. Populations of deer on other Hawaiian islands have created a number of serious and costly agricultural, environmental, and public health and safety problems, including vehicle accidents, crop destruction, property damage, ecosystem harm, and disease. Feral ungulates —or wild hooved animals — including pigs, goats, sheep, wild cattle, and deer are one of the biggest threats to the health of our native ecosystems and critical forested watershed areas. While Hawai`i has an important history of hunting game mammals for food and recreation, it is a modern history. With the exception of the Hawaiian bat, Hawai`i has no native land mammals. Wild pigs were introduced from Europe and Asia after 1778. Goats were introduced nearly simultaneously with the European pig, followed shortly thereafter by sheep, cattle, horses, and donkeys. Axis deer were introduced to the islands in the mid 19th century. The smaller Polynesian pig brought by the first Hawaiians is gone (except on Ni`ihau), crowded out by these later game animal introductions. Centuries before the introduction of game mammals, Hawaii's native plants and animals evolved in geographic isolation to form the globally unique ecosystems that make up these islands. In the absence of predator species, native species did not develop defenses such as thorns or other mechanism to deter browsing or rooting animals. As a result, our native forests have no defenses against wild mammals that consume and destroy forest understory plants and native seedlings. Left unmanaged, feral ungulates can strip large areas of forest bare thereby contributing to erosion, runoff, damage to coastal areas and coral reefs, and impairing the natural absorptive function of watersheds. The areas disturbed by these animals create open soil for the invasion of weed species, further enhancing the decline of native ecosystems and watershed values. Urine and feces from ungulates contaminate streams contributing to health threats like leptospirosis, trichinosis, brucellosis, and tuberculosis. Thankfully, as a state we are finally recognizing the need to manage our forested watersheds so that they can continue to deliver their benefits for generations to come. Adding axis deer to the mix of game animals that need to be managed in Hawaii island's forested watersheds and other important lands will add a significant cost and burden on public and private land owners and managers. BOARD OF TRUSTEES S. Haunani Apoliona Christopher J. Benjamin Anne S. Carter Richard A. Cooke III Peter H. Ehrman Kenton T. Eldridge Thomas M. Gottlieb J. Douglas Ing Mark L. Johnson Dr. Kenneth Y. Kaneshiro Bert A. Kobayashi, Jr. Faye Watanabe Kurren Eiichiro Kuwana Duncan MacNaughton Bonnie P. McCloskey Bill D. Mills Wayne K. Minami Michael T. Pfeffer James C. Polk H. Monty Richards Chet A. Richardson Jean E. Rolles Scott C. Rolles Crystal K. Rose Dustin M. Shindo Nathan E. Smith Eric K. Yeaman Chair. Duncan MacNaughton Chair Emeriti: Samuel A. Cooke (co- founder; chair 1980 - 1991), Herbert C. Cornuelle (co- founder), Bill D. Mills (1991- 1995), Jeffrey N. Watanabe (1995- 2004), David C. Cole (2004 -2008)