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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-03-19 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes (Amended) Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 Game Management Advisory Commission County of Hawai’i Minutes AMENDED Meeting Date: Tuesday, March 19, 2019 Time: 6:34 p.m. Place: Hawai’i County Building – Council Chambers I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL: Meeting was called to order at 6:34 pm. Stanley Mendes, District 1 – here Kean Umeda, District 2 – here James O’Keefe - District 3 – excused Naniloa Poglen, District 4 - here Abraham Antonio, District 5 - here Grayson Hashida - District 6 - here Bronsten-Glenn “Kalei” Kossow, District 7 - here Teresa Nakama, District 8 – here George Donev, District 9 - here Quorum established ALSO PRESENT: Malia Hall, Corporation Counsel Donna Urban-Higuchi, Executive Assistant to Mayor Kim GUESTS: Ian Cole, Wildlife Biologist, Department of Forestry and Wildlife Kevin Owen, Hu Honua Bio Energy, General Manager Tony Sylvester, Department of Forestry and Wildlife Online Survey CALL TO ORDER: BKK: Aloha~ Ahiahi ia oukou – welcome to the Game Management Advisory Commission meeting at the Hilo County Council Chambers. Today’s date is Tuesday, March 19. The time is 6:34p. Please silence your electronic devices. I’m calling this meeting to order. Donna – please call the roll. APPROVAL OF MINUTES BKK: Teresa Nakama moved for approval of the February 12, 2019 meeting minutes as submitted. Seconded by Nani Pogline and carried unanimously by voice vote. 1 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 Nani Pogline thanked Megan for doing a great job with the minutes. FINANCIAL REPORT BKK: Teresa Nakama moved for approval of the Financial report as submitted. Seconded by Abraham Antonio. Any discussion? TN: Bronsten – is there any correction to the financial report that you received? BKK: On 2-6-2019 it states cost of government document descriptions for two expenditures – those have been changed and refunded back to us and so that’s the changes that you will see in the next expenditure report. BKK: Teresa Nakama amended her motion to accept the financial report with changes. Seconded by Abraham Antonio and carried unanimously by voice vote. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC CH: Good evening. Corey Hardin. Thank you for your service on the commission. Full disclosure – I’m on the Board of the Sierra Club but I’m speaking only for myself tonight and I’m speaking about agenda item 5. B – The Hu Honua – I have a lot of concerns. As you know November 9, last year witnesses saw a river of black water discharging off the cliff at the Hu Honua site. And after several hours a concerned worker turned off that discharge and he said a manager threatened him afterwards. At least 3,500 and maybe as many as 32,500 gallons of treated waste water went into the ocean containing acetic metal cleaning solution and residue from descaling of the boiler. At first Hu Honua said the discharge was inadvertent but the Department of Health said a worker for Hu Honua Bio Energy opened a valve on its industrial wastewater treatment tank and allowed the contents of the tank to discharge from their facility into the environment. The Department of Health called the discharge a blatant disrespect of environmental laws and fined Hu Honua $25,000 dollars. So when Mr. Owen speaks – I hope you will ask him these questions. I have heard that the Department of Health is doing a criminal investigation – I wonder if this is correct. Some say that the County would not accept the wastewater at the Hilo sewage plants when Hu Honua tried to take it down there. Is this correct? And if so, what substances were in the waste water that led them to say no. How is the wastewater gonna be disposed of? How many gallons of wastewater were generated when they cleaned the boiler? How many gallons being stored on site? What substances are in that wastewater and I’d like to hear how it’s being stored – what safeguards are being taken and it’s surprising there was no workable disposal plan for the 2 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 wastewater. How did that happen? And I also want to \[unclear\] how fish and opihi down in the ocean were affected by the discharge so – thank you. JMG: My name is Jaerick Medeiros-Garcia – I’m the Acting President for Pepeekeo Community Association. I’m also the chairman for the shoreline fishermen. Thank you guys for tonight -.inviting Hu Honua to come and give a presentation. I wish that the community was notified on behalf of the liaison for Hu Honua, since she’s been the liaison – she not once reached out to the Pepeekeo Assn to let us know anything that’s going on in that – that was her job – that’s her job – that’s all she has to do is communicate with the community to let them know what’s happening down there behind those gates. Our concern is she’s been going to the elderly only – the people that she can get to – guys like us we know that Hu Honua has nothing good coming out of that place. As the president of the community assn my concern is to make sure that kupuna, the keikis is gonna be OK – that it’s gonna be safe. We’ll have on environmental assessment from the beginning – Hu Honua got nothing – they got nothing down there that can convince me that that thing down there is good for our community. I know for a fact that nothing good is coming out of that. I feel sorry for the guys that work there because they’ve been told what to think – they’re not concerned about what’s happening to the community. I work across the island – that’s where the job is at for me, you know. I know that they like work right there close to home – but why would they want to work for someplace that really all they’ve done to the community since they’ve started was lie. They do not have any credibility on what they’re about to say tonight because all the stuff that say were facts were false – from the injection wells – everything down there – there’s nothing good – HELCO doesn’t want anything to move forward with these guys, you know, I get emails from these people but you know what? Tonight is their chance that I going see if what they’re saying is fact because you know what – I wish that the community was aware of this meeting because I going tell you right now – this room would be filled with people – but, you know, we go see what happen tonight – I just want to thank you guys for your time – thank you for inviting Hu Honua up here to give this presentation and thank you guys. SM: When Hilo Coast Processing was used for plantation, it didn’t have all these kind of issues. I remember – everything used to go in the water. I no remember one time anybody stopping the plantation. JMG: Back then nobody was concerned. SM: Why? It’s the same... JMG: Nowadays and back then is two different days. SM: I don’t think so... 3 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 JMG: You’re allowed to think that. SM: No, but the keiki growing up, right. Same thing like back then? Everything used to go in the water. JMG: So why they went stop? SM: Because they closed the federal monies for the sugar. JMG: So why nobody went take over if \[unclear\] monies? SM: They was burning coal. JMG: Do you believe in climate change? SM: No... ML: Sorry. Point of order. We’re kind of getting off topic a little bit. We’re not here to argue about the plantation or Hu Honua – we’re just here to take presentations. JMG: Right. I like hear the presentation but it seems to me we’ve got somebody on the board that maybe should be, ah, you know, in favor of Hu Honua. SM: No, no, no. I not in favor of nobody. JMG: Well, that’s not what it seems like... SM: But I no think this venue here is the right place for you guys? JMG: Why? I’m the ocean guy? SM: Department of Health. JMG: I’m the ocean guy. SM: What happened to the ocean? JMG: Got polluted by Hu Honua. You never hear that? SM: You get your facts? JMG: So what? They get fined? SM: They got fined... 4 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 JMG: That’s facts, that’s facts right there. SM: Now they supposed to get all their permits... JMG: They don’t have all their permits. PRESENTATION a. Department of Forestry and Wildlife – Ian Cole NP: Ian Cole reported last minute – Wildlife Biologist DOFAW – that he couldn’t make it coming back from Kona. We had questions for him so I guess we’ll just postpone it maybe for next meeting. b. Hu Honua Bio Energy – Kevin Owen, General Manager SM: We have Kevin Owen from Hu Honua. KO: Thank you very much for having me. My name is Kevin Owen I’m from Honua Ola which is doing business right now as Hu Honua – sometimes if I refer to Hu Honua that has been our name for quite a while but we are changing our name. MH: Sorry. Hold on one second. I think we got disconnected to Kona. \[Tech difficulties\] BKK: All right so I’m gonna call the meeting back to order and just starting with the presentation. KO: Hu Honua is a state-of-the-art facility at revitalization of an existing facility. We’re replacing the importing of fossil fuels with local, renewable, resources such as eucalyptus trees and this is all to produce electricity. What is Honua Ola? It is replacing imported fossil fuels with local renewable resources to produce energy – once an operational Hu Honua or Honua Ola – it is in Pepeekeo and with that we have a state-of-the-art facility with the best available technology on our boiler. We can produce up to 21 ½ megawatts of FIRM which means, you know, when the sun goes down – we’re still producing electricity and it’s a renewable power also. And we’re gonna be doing this because we’re gonna be managing forests – OK so it’s renewable – the trees grow, you know, every seven years we harvest and then we replant and reharvest again so it’s a seven year cycle – but this will include replanting of the trees and off setting our carbon emissions from the power plant by regrowing these trees. Honua Ola – the meaning of that is... BKK: Hold on once second. We lost Kona again... 5 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 We’re gonna call the meeting back to order. Go ahead. KO: Our name represents our commitment in creating sustainable green energy, supporting local agriculture, working to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and stimulating our local economy. We’ve got right now about 33 permanent employees down at the Hu Honua that will be ongoing employment for the next 30 years. We continue to transition our name from Hu Honua which started the project and we’ve recently launched our brand name and on our website as Honua Ola Bioenergy and you can see that at Honuaolabioenergy.com. OK. This is our facility as of today. As you can see we’ve got most of the plant finished right now. We’ve got our boilers complete, our turbine installed, all the emissions controlled. We’ve got our fuel storage, our chipper building, which is an enclosed building and we’ve got out maintenance building also. OK. The site, which Honua Ola sits on was an industrial site for over a century and in proud production for nearly a quarter of a century. First started out as a sugar plantation back in 1857 – there was a – the plantation was sold – a name change – in ’71 there was a merger which then changed to Hilo Coast Processing Company HCPC – as people might know it of. In 1974 the new mill was built – the building was modernized in to what you see today so you guys might have seen some photos of is six years ago it looks nothing like it does today. The Hilo Coast Processing began burning to substitute for the bagass in 1985 and then 1994 it was converted over to strictly coal as the bagasse went away from them stop harvesting cane and it continued to do that till 2004. Again, Honua Ola is a state-of-the-art facility – revitalization of an existing facility – replacing fossil fuel for a renewable resource that we produce here on Island. Minimizing environmental impacts Honua Ola’s output, as I mentioned before, was 21.5 megawatts – this will reduce the Island’s – us burning 250,000 barrels of oil per year so that’s here on Island – so we’re reducing that. The bioenergy provides a predictable, firm, stable renewable energy and it also, you know, when the wind stops blowing when the sun goes down we stay going and actually send power out to the grid so it’s for stability. The carbon dioxide released by the plant will be offset by the growth of forest – that is a managed forest so for, you know, when we cut down trees – we replant trees – so you’ve always got that cycle, you know, if there’s CO emissions – the trees will consume the Co2 and then oxygen is produced from that – from the trees. And with this displacement of the existing fossil fuel a significant reduction in carbon is expected and this kind of shows the slide shows our cycle coming from trees – it’s harvested – the logs are sent to the facility – it’s being burned in the boiler creating electricity for the houses in the community. There is CO2 emissions and those emissions then the trees consume the CO2 turn to oxygen. We do have ash by product – that will go out into the fields as fertilizer and during this we use well water – it’s salt water or it’s got salinity to it – we’ll be using that to cool 6 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 the steam from the turbine and then it’s reinjected back down into the wells. We have got a modern emission control - that exceeds expected air emissions standards by the State and Federal. As I mentioned, the water used in the cooling process will be pumped from the aquifer below the plant and essentially the same volume of this water will be injected into the UIC wells. There’s four water treatment chemicals that we do have to use and that’s for to prevent scale and corrosion – one is to control the buildup of manganese and casein carbonate build up in the condenser – these are used at very, very, very low concentrations – we’re talking parts per million and water being returned in the aquifer will be a little warmer than it was when it was pumped out of the ground and by the modeling we have done on the heaviest scenario it is still below the one degrees C that is within the State and Federal standards. Water will be returned into the aquifer below sea level so we’ve got our first 120 foot in this wells – like a 24 inch diameter and it is actually cased so that it lined to prevent any erosion from the cliff face. Honua Ola is committed to completing the regulatory process that governs construction and operations of which include public input. So right now we’ve got granted out air permit by the state and our SMA which is by the County. In process we have underground injection wells which is the USCs and that is a State Permit – the storm water permit is also a state – we do have our storm water for construction – this is a storm water for individual use which we will get that right before we go into operation. And our solid waste permit for beneficial - we used to use that ash to go back out on the fields for fertilizer – this in here – we’ve got all the paperwork done but we actually have to sample the ash as it’s being produced from the boiler before we can – they’ll give us permission – it goes through a process. Right now – what’s pending is a challenge to Honua Ola purchase power agreement and that is at the Supreme Court and we’re just waiting on the Supreme Court decision right now. And that ends my presentation, I guess, do you have any questions? KU: On the fossil fuel and local resources – would you have the percentage of how much fossil fuel you import? KO: Fossil fuel – we won’t be using any fossil fuels at all. So we have biodiesel that we will be starting a boiler up on – and that is totally renewable – and then the eucalyptus trees is what we will be burning for our main source. KU: Correct me if I’m wrong – I think I saw that there’s a local eucalyptus plants will be used for part of it - I just want to know what the import number would be – is it 50% or is it 10% that you guys are bringing in? KO: No... KU: It’s all local? 7 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 KO: Yes.. SM: When you guys get rid of the eucalyptus you guys been planting back eucalyptus or some other type of tree because they say the eucalyptus is not good for the ground in the first place. KO: What do you mean by not well for the ground? SM: Well, it’s toxic. I mean you cannot plant anything underneath the trees. My neighbor tries to plant a garden underneath and he has to just put so much fertilizer in there to have anything growing. KO: I’m more on the power plant side. We get somebody that is on the planting and harvesting side. If you give me questions or Lorraine is you get those questions to her – I can have those answered for you. I don’t know anything about the toxicity of the soil but I do know that the nutrients that the tree uses – the ash will actually replenish that nutrients. SM: We heard some talk about hemp being used... KO: I can’t say we’re not permitted – I don’t know – our plan – our model right now is to burn eucalyptus trees and we can supplement it also with – I think we can take up to about 10% albezia. And we’ll have to test it – there might be, you know, more that we can take but we just have to run those cycles. GD: In your presentation you said that you’re using salt water as the water that you’re pumping... KO: It’s brackish water... Salinity to it, yes. GD: OK. And then you also said that most of it that’s being pumped out is also going to be pumped back in and it’s only going to be one degree Celsius hotter. How is that supposed to work when – cause from what I gather – how a power plant like this is supposed to work and maybe this is a misconception – is that you burn the eucalyptus to make the water evaporate – right? Spin a turbine, which spins an electric motor and then that produces the electricity. KO: Yes. So when it mixes with the water and the brackish aquifer and, again, you’ve got two different aquifers there – you’re got a fresh water and a brackish – we’re right close to the coastline where it’s brackish so when it mixes with the water down in that aquifer – that’s what I’m talking about – that one degree C. GD: And so water is being evaporated, though, as the power plant produces electricity. 8 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 KO: No. It’s a closed cycle. GD: So you recondense the water back... KO: We recondense – correct – and that is a separate part of – it’s totally separate from the brackish water well. It’s a closed cycle going from steam to water to steam to water to steam to water and that’s on the boiler side but then you get a cooling median that the condenser uses to condense that from steam or vapor back into water. GD: And so the water that you pump out of the ground – because from what I read as statistics and where it was many, many thousands of gallons a day – is that correct? KO: Our permit is for 21.6 million gallons a day but it goes back, right back into that same aquifer and that’s what I’m saying – whatever we’re taking out we’re putting right back in. GD: Does this water touch any contamination or is it completely closed off from contamination other than the purpose of – this is where I’m confused because if you’re pumping 21 million gallons a day of water from the aquifer and you putting that much back in – why pump it from the aquifer? Why not have it stored on site? KO: Because it is acting as a cooling medium so it’s taking heat away from the boiler so it’s going from steam back to a liquid and that is what helps with the production of electricity. NP: So you might be harvesting albezias and using them too? KO: That is a possibility, yes, I mean, we’re looking into that also. NP: Would you have standards of not harvesting herbicide, poisoned albezia’s and cycling herbicide in the system? Most of them have been injected with poison – well, so many... KO: I see what you’re saying. No, they – you know that would go through, again, our forestry side I don’t think that they would take anything that was already dead that had been poisoned. 9 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 NP: You can’t use poisoned albezias for agriculture.- as far as mulch because it’s got herbicide in it... KO: Right... NP: There is such a thing as thermal pollution and algae blooms – is that an issue? KO: And that’s what I was saying – the one degrees C is within the state and federal guidelines so we run thermal studies and our thermal studies as of right now show a lot, lot lower than that so... NP: Of the fishermen out there – have you seen algae blooms? Where the hot water – where the temperature thermal change? ?: \[Not speaking in mic\] NP: Right, because algae blooms – they kind of associate them with ciguatera and that kind of thing. ?: Yeah, right out front of the facility it shows the damage already, yeah? So \[unclear not speaking in mic\] he’s talking about like the water putting back into the aquifer... JMG: I’m Jerry Medeiros-Garcia from Pepeekeo – Shoreline chairman. He mentioned that he wasn’t wanting to inject that back into the aquifer – the 21.6 million gallons will be contaminated when they withdraw that water. NP: I was concerned about thermal pollution... JMC: Yeah... NP: And algae blooms... JMC: Yeah, right now - They tried already – they tried a couple times but so, um, that water when they injected chemicals – over 2,000 chemicals going be in that water to help cool off the turbine, right? They gonna inject that back into the aquifer – that’s supposed to come out at the shoreline. TN: How many does it? Two thousand? JMC: Yeah, you know each chemical get more chemicals in ‘em, you know what I’m saying... So it is a problem for them to inject that water back into the aquifer – there’s a chance of contaminating the aquifer, you know, I no care how much chemicals... 10 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 AA: Abraham – if you guys injecting this water back into the aquifer – you guys saying the 1% chance – well, up in – this is more towards the ocean – I’m gonna bring it more towards the mountain but we’re protecting our water up in the mountain and we’re fencing off all this watershed and maybe you cannot answer this question but we’re protecting our water all over the state basically but yet we’re letting other entities inject water – even though it’s a 1% chance – but after all these gallons and gallons of water eventually you’re gonna be polluting the water. KO: What I said is it’s brackish water so it’s non-potable water so I think you were talking about on a potable water basis? ?: I don’t think any of the water is really potable is they still got to filter it even the ones that they get from our mountain aquifers they still got to go through a filtration system. Do you guys have a filtration system before you guys inject it back into the aquifer? KO: Some of it is – some of it is not because it’s non-contact – it’s the same composition that we’re bringing it out – that’s why we’re putting it right back in. ?: So what do you mean by non-contact? KO: It means it doesn’t come into contact with the rest of the process. ?: What is the process? KO: Ah, power production. ?: So basically you’re going right through the whole plant, going through the boiler it coming all the way back down into the... KO: No. It just goes through the condenser and, which you have a tube on one side and... KO: Yes, the steam within the condenser. ?: Back to my previous question. Where would all this planting be done? KO: Up and down the Hamakua Coast and there’s like another plantation down in Keaau. ?: Maybe we can have another meeting with their forester to come in and give us a better plan about it because I think my next question would be more towards them about like how do you guys control the lands – is it a private land that you guys growing all this on and can hunters access all that land – is it public land or is it private, you know, to help control the game. 11 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 KO: You’d have to ask them – I know there’s talk about hunting on there.. ?: That’s basically pretty much our mission is, you know, for the fishermen and the hunters. KO: I hunt, so... I understand. ?: So it’s like not maybe – cause we’re losing a lot of land – our hunting lands so maybe we can access, you know, get better access into those private areas. GH: Kevin, do you guys have like an owner for this company or a parent company or stockholders – how is this organization structured and have you guys done this in other areas? KO: This – as far as I know – this is the only power plant that this holder has and I am not at liberty to say, myself... But anyways, as far as, yeah, I don’t know of any other facility that the stockholder has. GD: Do you have any more? GH: I’m sorry you say you’re not at liberty to share what? KO: The owner... Our parent company is Island Bio Energy. GH: Island BioEnergy. KO: Yeah. GH: And does Island BioEnergy do this kind of plants elsewhere? KO: I don’t know of any. GH: Do you guys have any experience doing this kind of business? KO: Yes. I’ve got 25 years of doing this. GH: No, not you – but the company. KO: That again, I don’t know. But they’ve, you know, all I know is our facility. GH: The reason why I ask is because Hawaii has an interesting history with a lot of companies coming here saying all kinds of stuff and not really telling us the truth or sometimes telling us the truth and hiding behind who they are and what their history is. So I’m just trying to clarify who you guys are. 12 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 KO: Well, again, I’ll say that, you know, we got our president – Warren Lee – he is from the Island, X-HELCO president – and, you know, I think that, you know, he’s... GH: I wasn’t talking about paid staff, I was talking about the owners. KO: I don’t know the owners. GH: OK. Thank you. GD: Referring to several concerns that my constituents have in my district, um, and this is also cycled the Island media – newspapers and such I think maybe a month ago – there was a spill from what I gather and this spill occurred before Hu Honua or Honua Ola or however you guys have re-branded – this spill has occurred on the site before you had any permit to even contain or process this type of material so... KO: It was an unauthorized discharge \[unclear if he’s saying unauthorized or an authorized\]. There was a fine but as of right now it – Hu Honua or Honua Ola is going back and forth with the Department of Health. GD: So there was a discharge that was unauthorized? KO: That is correct. GD: And so when you talk about renewable energy and when you talk about not polluting the groundwater – and all these different benefits that this plant is gonna have – and then even before it starts operating there’s a spill like this on your property that was unauthorized – how do you think the community would see something like that? How do you think the community would feel about something like that? KO: We went through a lot of training with the staff – put measures in place so this doesn’t happen again. GD: Do you know what Honua Ola is – like what that means in Hawaiian? KO: I had it in the presentation. NP: Our concern as GMAC – is for the fishermen or the fishing resources. The fishermen are feeling they can’t trust this area – they can’t trust the fish there – they’re worried about the fish count, opihi, and such – like Corey mentioned – wouldn’t it be – how could you build a bridge back to the community to convince them that this plant isn’t polluting the water – it isn’t 13 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 taking down the fish count – I know you’ve got your permits – this and that – but would your company go an extra mile and say perhaps monitor fish counts – monitor the qualities of the fish? KO: Well, that’s being discussed with the DOH right now. TN: I guess my question would be aligned with Nani and then we wanted to know what steps we’re taking from Department of Health for you folks to meet EPA standards to protect our shoreline. We’re an island. You know, when you take a look at the bigger picture the Island – we’re supposed to malama aina – malama kahakai – and so that’s a food resource along the shoreline – so what steps have you folks taken to communicate with the community around you so that a bridge can be built so they can have confidence in your state-of-the-art facility. I don’t understand what state-of- the-art is but if your facility keeps repeating in your presentations instead of the art – what does that mean – it means – is it supposed to be clean, renewable energy – no chemicals – to me – no chemicals whatsoever is in your plan, but apparently there is so these chemicals need to be disclosed, need to inform the public because these are lives... When I go down to the fishing areas I want to make sure that there’s no opala – there’s no poison – cause I’ll eat what I catch. So these people are eating what they caught. Is there poison in them? Do we know? If you cannot work with Department of Health to know what the water quality is, you have to work with DAR Division, which is part of Division of Aquatic Resources – where they have marine biologists that you folks could hire and see – what is the condition and quality of the shoreline in area of such as your plant. KO: I know they are looking into it and as far as the, the, the public – they are – we are going out – I’ve been to several meeting within the public – so... TN: I’m not talking about public hearing – public hearing... KO: I’m not saying public hearing… TN: I mean really going to the public and saying what are your concerns? How can we address this? How can we be good neighbors to the community around us? Cause that’s what you need to do. You know, you need to be good neighbors – have transparency and really do a do diligent with the community and say this is what happened – let me give you a tour of our plant – we’ve right the wrong so let me show you that right of the wrong. We have re-fixed the facility – we’ve trained our people – and if we are a state-of-the-art – that keeps repeating in your brochure – let them see that. 14 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 KO: OK. TN: Be transparent. Thank you. JMG: Jerica Medeiros, president for Pepeekeo. So, ah, sir, I am the president of Pepeekeo Community Association – I am the chairman of the shoreline – since your folks’ liaison don’t want any part to do with our community... KO: We’re not gonna start bashing people here. JMG: I’m not bashing anybody – I’m telling you the truth. Dave Clark mentioned – November 14 – they said somebody turned that lever – it was an order from somebody – it wasn’t a... BKK: Jaerick – I’m gonna have to stop you. We’re gonna have to continue with the meeting – I’m gonna ask another question with one of the commissioners and then we’re gonna move on but if you can just stay with him thirty seconds of what you’re trying to say... JMG: I just want to reach out to him since the liaison don’t reach out to the community – she once sat in my seat and she expected everything to go through her. I’m reaching out to him right now letting him know – call me – let me know – meet with us – meet with the community – because your liaison don’t worry about those things. She did nothing for us. You can smile all you like – I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt because, you know, it’s something that you need to do – we live right in that area and if everybody was told that there was a meeting tonight – this place would be packed – I’m telling you guys. BKK: This may not be related to everything that else was brought up but your business model – is that based off of what the supreme court decision would be – as far as obtaining the PPA? KO: Yes. BKK: OK. And how far along is it in the Supreme Court? KO: It’s right now it’s within the Supreme Court’s decision... BKK: The hearing is completed and the decision is about to be made. OK. KO: Yeah. BKK: OK. Is there any other discussion? 15 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 JM: Yeah, one last \[unclear\]. After you guys get fired up and started, you know, if you guys do, when you guys do – can you guys come back and give us an assessment about whatever’s happening with the water? KO: Sure... GD: I was going to ask about the criminal investigation into either it was the discharge or the handling of hazardous materials on the site – is that ongoing? KO: A criminal investigation – I don’t know exactly what you’re talking about. There is an investigation. GD: Can you expand on that a little bit? KO: It was with the DOH so they have the DOH did fine us $25,000 dollars and right now we appealed that and it’s being discussed between Hu Honua and the DOH and that’s all I can say about that. GD: What happened to the unauthorized discharge – whatever you were able to collect back in to a holding tank or what’s happened to that? KO: Right now it’s being stored on site. GD: And is the county going to accept for the processing of that water? KO: It will be disposed of properly. GD: Can you expand on that? KO: No. I’m not trying to hide anything – I’m just saying that I can’t, yeah, discuss right now, so, but it is secure and we will dispose of it properly. TN: Properly. This is Teresa does it mean buried? KO: No, we’ll take it to the proper facility – wherever that is... TN: Johnson Island Atoll where they dispose radiation – I mean that’s where they did it on the US Mauna Kea... KO: There’s several different options. TN: Find what option you’ll take. OK. It’s on the table... 16 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 SM: All this talk about the fishermen getting sick and all that – you guys been aware of this? That people got sick – went to the doctor and...? Is there any evidence? KO: I haven’t seen any – it’s all second, third, fourth... SM: I would think it would be really important... Just saying... BKK: Any other questions from the commissioners? KU: Kevin, would you be kind enough to let us know of the disposal and what was the process? KO: Sure. NP: We have, Tony Sylvester here – he’s an expert in game on the Big Island and has a long history – he’s a former commissioner for GMAC and he has concerns about the online DOFAW survey that there’s some issues with it and Tony’s gonna explain it to us and then maybe we can see what we can do about it. c. Department of Forestry and Wildlife Online Survey – Tony Sylvester TS: Thanks for having me. I’m Tony. I didn’t want to print all the papers out cause it’s a pretty big survey so if you want to – you can go to the Internet and just type in Hawaii Public Hunting Survey and it will pop up for 2017-2018 and that’s the last one we just did last year. So it’s called Public Lands Hunting Information Survey and part of the concern that we have is we take these surveys and the questions that they actually ask on the survey – there’s quite a few of ‘em that really don’t pertain to anything – and they don’t ask the bigger question... AA: Is this Shaya’s? TS: Yes. This is to the Department of Land and Natural Resources and they put this out and this last year was an online survey. Before they used to have a mail in survey..and we would fill it out – I think comes out every four or five years or something like that... AA: Oh, that thing different \[unclear\]. The one I talking about is the Hawaii Hunting – it comes with the Hawaii Hunting newsletter... 17 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 TS: That’s different, yeah, this one is called the Public Lands Hunting Information Survey and they ask 24 questions on it – and the last one is just the one – the additional comments – that’s really the only opportunity that you have to actually inject anything you want and I’m gonna about that in a little bit here. The major thing that I look at when I see some of these questions is – an example is – in what month did you purchase your license. I mean that’s an irrelevant question – it doesn’t matter what month – so there’s certain questions on here that I think it’s just – could be swiped from the survey and we could actually generate our own – I think the more clarity we have – what we want – the better it would be. The question that I have, for an example is – and you’ll never see it anywhere on this survey and I know I did it under comments when I did the survey and yet it still doesn’t appear – and that’s why I printed out the last page where they have all the comments hunter’s left - show their desire for support for the continuation of public hunting in Hawaii – but they don’t mention anywhere in here about sustainable game management and that is the whole reason why we’re here. Instead of the questions that they asked like – you’re normally gonna get increasing bag limits – better access to public hunting areas – acquisition of more public hunting areas. These are questions from the department that they always refer back to – they never have a question that comes from the actual hunters and what we want to actually see. These questions mean absolutely nothing to a hunter. They want to make is seem like we want more public hunting. They cannot manage the lands for hunting that we have now – how are they gonna acquire more public hunting lands? So it’s things like that, that it just pops up. I’ve been involved in this for 11 years and it’s the same questions all the time and it’s completely irrelevant to any real hunter out there, you know? Increasing bag limits – it’s constantly increasing bag limits – that’s the five choices you got – increase bag limits, better access to public hunting areas – what does that mean, you know, pave the road to a hunting area? Acquisition of more public hunting areas – where? And increase in the number of hunting days for game animals – that’s eradication – and increase in the number of days for game birds – it’s the same thing – everything is just increasing the hunting – more pressure on the animals and so forth and nothing about sustainable game management and that’s what they’ve been trying to avoid and that’s what we’ve been trying to work on for the last ten years is where are we gonna have sustainable game hunting cause everything or everywhere is either slated for some form on fencing or eradication. So I think it’s very important for the purpose of this GMAC was to have sustainable game and fishing and so forth and how do we go about doing that and we’ve come full circle and we still don’t see any of that there – so some of the other questions on here like have you hunted on private lands – well – this is a public hunting lands information survey so why are you asking me if I hunt on private lands and then you’re asking me have you hunted on public lands – why am I gonna take a public lands hunting information survey and I don’t hunt on public hunting lands – so what’s happening is – this is – they have conservationists – environmentalists that fill these out and then they fill in and 18 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 they get the questions so these things are important: acquire more land; increase bag limits. It’s not the hunters doing this – it’s the conservationists/environmentalists that are getting in and taking the surveys and making these trends – so the questions is tailored towards conservation or preservation – not conservation – so I think it’s something really serious that if somehow this commission here can maybe try and work with DLNR and try to come up with a few questions – but how important would it be to you for the department to create a sustainable game management plan for our public hunting lands. I mean that’s the key question right there and I’ve been trying to get this question on a survey for a decade now... How important would it be to you for the Department to create a sustainable game management plan for our public hunting lands? And this is very deep in the department because we’ve met with the governor, you know, multiple times on this topic and we never can seem to get things, you know, ultimately it falls back to Chair Case and so forth and they’re gonna work on a game management plan – they’re gonna work on this – Stan – you know what I’m talking about so and nothing ever happens so until we can start getting this kind of language even in the surveys that they give us – because I think every hunter would look at that and they would say – they would rank that – if you use a ranking option – like one through five – five being the most important – and you had that question on there – I guarantee that would get all the fives from the hunters cause hunting is not just about me going out there and getting something today or tomorrow – it’s what about our children and the future of hunting in Hawaii – and that’s what we don’t have and if the department here is producing a survey – what are they doing with these results, you know, where is these results – how is it benefiting them and benefiting us and so forth? What are these results – what is it gonna do for us? It’s public hunting lands – these lands are held in trust for all of us so what exactly are they looking for in this survey? And, I think if you look at the – this part right here – we have it highlighted – there are numerous comments calling for better management of the game program – but that’s the best that they can do to talk about sustainable game – because there’s a bunch of us that puts sustainable game management on there – but they cannot put that word in here – so this is how they get around that is – there were numerous comments calling for better management of the game program without offering any specific suggestions for improvement. So I’m offering my suggestion for improvement is put a question in there – how important would it be to you for the Department to create a sustainable game management plan for our public hunting lands? So that answers how - a specific suggestion that I’m asking the department to do – put that question on the survey next time and foremost – because with that – that’s information that I can have – I can take to the Governor and say, “Hey, look, we did a hunter survey – this is how important it is.” Yeah, “This is how important sustainable game management is.” 19 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 SM: I was told by Kanalu that he’s getting pressured now by Dave Smith to open Puuanahulu and Puuwaawaa year round. He’s being pressured. He’s pushing back but you know – how much, you know, he can push back – I don’t know. TS: Yes, that’s correct. We went to the Governor’s Office the other day about that topic, too, yeah, cause, yeah, it’s – that’s definitely on the table right now. They’re pushing for that so... And does the Habitat Conservation Plan that they went through 14 – over 14 years and that’s a died now. It take about two or three years for a windmill project to get an HCP – do an incidental take permit and get approved to build a windmill that kills native birds and so forth but here for us to have game in an area that is game management area it’s going on over 14 years and now they’re saying well they’re gonna let that pod die now, so, it’s – all eyes are on that area right now. TN: Who, exactly, of the DLNR – puts out that survey? TS: You’d have to ask Nani cause she tried to get a hold of Shaya. NP: Shaya (Game Coordinator) TN: So shouldn’t she be here? NP: I invited her several times and every time she had a reason she couldn’t come. TN: So how do we give input into the survey? NP: I talked to her on the phone and she said, well, she’ll be more than happy to address our concerns and questions if we send them to her in an email. TS: I was hoping that the Commission here maybe could just formulate a letter by the Commission, you know, signed by the Mayor or whatever, saying that he would like her to come over here or have that question be a reflection of the Committee to her. So it’s not just me – cause I can call her any time of the day and tell her this and she’ll be like oh, oh, oh, oh – so... TN: So would you be amenable to work with Bronson and draft a letter that would give us a significant footing into the door to participate hunters into the questions of the survey? NP: A rough draft letter that we can bounce off of you and address to the Mayor? BKK: When does the next survey go out? 20 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 TN: I think quite a few years – I’m thinking it’s – the last time it was 2014 so in about four years... BKK: So basically we have time? SM: Just came out, ah, last year? AA: I think the thing comes every – if you go online you can see – I think it comes out every year. Every year then you just go up and then you can re-do the survey. TN: Cause it seems like when you look at the data – they’re taking data from like 2017-2018. NP: Tony, do you know who else we can address a letter to – besides Shaya? Dave Smith? TN: I don’t know if they changed – I’ve been out of dealing with the Department so I don’t even know who’s in what position – I don’t even bother with the Department much. NP: We should have a cc list. I’d like to make a motion that we work with Tony to compose a letter to the Mayor for his support and that we can send to whoever it may be in DOFAW/DLNR. TN: This is Teresa – I second the motion. BKK: Nani Pogline moved to work with Tony Sylvester to compose a letter to Mayor Harry Kim for his support and to send the letter to DOFAW/DLNR. Seconded by Teresea Nakama. Motion carried unanimously by voice vote. OLD BUSINESS a. Commission Rules and Regulations BKK: Under Old Business, 6a, we’re gonna bring up the Commission rules and regulations. Jim isn’t here right now so what I’m gonna do is table this unless anybody would like to make an amendment or any type of change to the rules and regulations. TN: This is Teresa – no comment. b. Committee Chairperson selection 21 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 BKK: Committee Chairperson selection, 6b, I was hoping that after the February th 12 meeting request that everybody would start pouring in but that wasn’t the case. I was hoping that people would volunteer based on what their committee they are volunteering in. Teresa is chairing one – Nani are you chairing any? NP: Which one are you chairing Teresa? TN: The Traditional... NP: I would volunteer to chair Government Affairs... BKK: Government Relations... BKK: We have Public Relations – Shooting Range Working Group and the Communications Committee. TN: Can I do Communications also? Is that permissible? BKK: I think so... SM: I think we should wait for that on that Shooting Range One when Jim come back c. Social media and outreach BKK: We’ll just hold Mr. O’Keefe. Under 6c for Old Business we got the Social Media and Outreach – Nani were you able to find anything? AA: Under the Social Media,I think we’re still was waiting for a response from Malia. MH: After review of the County policies and rules and regulations it’s basically the short answer is no to social media and no to a website, yeah, pretty much all the boards and commissions have just the page – Laserfiche – basically, which is on the County website. The others have like a link to like the Planning Department or the Mass Transit or whatever but nobody has their own dedicated website or anything like that. BKK: If the committee did their own thing it would still be a no, right? MH: Basically you would to have everything posted and everything would have to be passed through a county official, basically. BKK: If a commissioner decides to post something – they’re doing so based as an individual and not on behalf of the Commission or the County. 22 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 MH: Basically, you can have your own person sites and stuff and you can put what you want up there but no Commission site basically. TN: If we wanted to share the approved minutes and the agenda with our constituents – it’s a public record so that’s OK, right? MH: There’s no problem with that, yeah, like you said – minutes and agenda and all that stuff is all public record. NEW BUSINESS A. Committee on Mauna Kea Information Sheep Task Force BKK: Under new business, this is from the Committee on Mauna Kea Information \[unclear\] Task Force – it was also brought up to me by Grayson – so this would establish and create the committee on the task force to review sheep numbers and listen to complaints and to find different avenues and ways where we can bring information from the committee into the commission. It would keep us all informed. Is there a motion on the table? BKK: Teresa Nakama moved to have the Committee on Mauna Kea form a Sheep Task Force Committee. Seconded by Nani Pogline. Motion carried unanimously by voice vote. B. Committee on Feral Ungulates BKK: Under New Business - the Committee on Feral Ungulates, 7b, I’ve been working with the Mayor’s Office on this. This will establish and create the Committee on Feral Ungulates under GMAC – work and communicate with the Office of the Mayor to compile working relationship with members of the community and hunter and/or trappers. Create a list of hunter and/or trapper in the community that would be willing to volunteer their time to complete the project. Members of the commission will work with local businesses to review price quotes for traps. Is there a motion on the table? BKK: Teresa Nakama moved to formulate a Committee on Feral Ungulate to establish and create under GMAC a working communication with the Mayor’s Office and a working relationship with our community as hunters and trappers. Seconded by Stanley Mendes. Is there any discussion? 23 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 NP: My comment is I don’t like our pigs our puaa being called feral ungulate - that sounds like rats and rodents. They should have some dignity – I think this should be changed to Wild Game. BKK: If you would like to make an amendment to the Committee you’re more than welcome to. BKK: For the record, the motion to the amendment was made by Nani Pogline to change the name from the Committee on Feral Ungulates to Committee on Wild Game. Seconded by Teresa Nakama. Motion carried unanimously by voice vote. I just have a little tad bit. We still don’t know the prices for some of these traps and I’m sure Abraham would know a little bit more how much those cost? AA: I’ve been in discussion with a few people – just a rough estimate is like $300.00 dollars per trap. BKK: My main concern is how much money we have leftover in the budget, um, I’m currently working with the Mayor’s Office to see how much leftover we will have before the next – before the end of the fiscal year – so until then we will try to determine how much this is gonna cost – I’m sure some areas are gonna be more specific to – you had something Stanley? SM: I heard that the County had a budget for trapping. BKK: They did. DOFAW has it but not the county – so that was in 2008. And they didn’t have any money left over so basically, what we’re trying to do is see if we can put it into this Committee. GH: Were there grant monies in traps purchased in the years past? BKK: There was – or are you talking about on the county level or are you talking about the state? Cause I kinda know about the county side. AA: As far as the state side, I suppose they had but throughout the years of letting the community borrow, rent, however they did that program – a lot of the traps never came back...and it’s missing or still in use but not for the state anymore. BKK: That was the same thing with the county – what they did was with creating their little task force they allowed the trappers to keep the traps itself so basically none of it came back to the county – if that makes any sense. GH: So is it planned to do something similar again? 24 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 BKK: Something similar, yes, but the idea of it is to be re-used. DB: Don Baker. Humane Society has a deposit – if they don’t know you – which they – I bought my own trap because I was tired of giving them a deposit and then getting it back when I was trying to trap. So if people have to put a deposit down- they’ll bring the trap back or else you keep the deposit and they keep the trap – so that’s the only way to get your traps back – you’ve got to have a deposit system. BKK: This is all county based and then so the idea of it would be to have – create the committee under GMAC and then we’ll work with the Office of the Mayor and they’ve also selected somebody to be a part of the committee if we decide to move forward with this. But this is just the skeleton for it and, you know, we can talk about budgets and we can talk about some of the other things that we were concerned about like fees a little bit later... AA: Abraham – so after every yearly budget – there’s leftover we put it toward the traps? BKK: That’s an interesting question because if there’s money leftover inside our funds by the end of the fiscal year – then it does not – we cannot accumulate it. So we have to use those funds. We can use it for to purchase those things before the end of the fiscal year or we can establish a budget prior to the fiscal year and say that this amount of funds is going to the traps and for this committee. SM: What they supposed to do with the animals when trapped? BKK: We’re gonna evaluate a little more if the committee is created – the committee’s duty would be to figure out what they can or cannot do with the animals. TN: I want to be part of the committee. BKK: Well, let’s make sure that the committee is created first before anybody decides to hop on board. Is there any more discussion? NP: On this committee – I think that there needs to be some really clear guidelines and considerations to be figured out first because say somebody’s grumbling about the pigs on their property – they want someone to come bring the traps – but then their neighbor is all like I love the pigs – you touch my pigs I’m gonna be really mad. 25 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 BKK: I think that that’s a good question because we’ve thought about that too. I was thinking that the committee would be the ones that would – the people on the committee would decide how it would be treated. For instance, DOFAW captured a bunch of goats within the last three weeks in Kona and they did it very humanely but they removed. They didn’t kill it – the moved it into a different area. NP: They translocated? BKK: Translocated… NP: Oh, wow, because… ?: That was just probably right down the road… NP: I heard that they couldn’t translocate – changed the rules… BKK: Yeah, they - I don’t know where they went with it but… NP: Good news… BKK: But hopefully that answered your question a little bit – where we can – where the committee itself can figure out what they can and can’t do – make some guidelines. ?: Yeah, the only thing with, you know, relocating – they put ‘em in areas that don’t have the water and stuff – the food… NP: Yeah, that’s neglect – abuse… BKK: Is there any other discussion? OK. The motion’s on the table to formulate this committee o – sorry what was the name? ?: Wild Game… BKK: Wild Game – thank you. It was motioned and seconded – all in favor say aye. All opposed? Motion carries. All right, and George, you had something for New Business? GD: Yeah, now in light of Hu Honua or Honua Ola, their presentation, I think perhaps like as a commission we should have some sort of consensus of what we can do and what we can recommend, perhaps, to the Mayor. I guess the real question... TN: Are you referring to our hunting abilities and fishing? 26 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 Are we available to hunt on the state lease land that they now occupy with the eucalyptus trees and then protection of the shoreline? GD: Yes exactly... BKK: I’m sorry. Is that a motion? TN: Giving him suggestions for his motion. ?: Teresa – most of these trees is all on Kamehameha Schools – no more on state lands. GD: I think I was just in general talking about how, you know, like how their activity – now that we know some more details about it – how their activities are going to impact like the cultural gathering practices – hunting and fishing access and if that’s gonna be detrimental or not, you know, like if we – I think now we have some information and if we want to take action in some capacity – I don’t know – that’s why I’m leaving it as an open question – I think, you know, we could do so... TN: To further clarify George’s request is what impacts will this facility have on hunting in the lands whether private or state and what effect is it to our shoreline? We have a concern and he wants to voice that concern and maybe George you can work with Bronson in drafting something that would show... MH: Sorry, can I just make a suggestion – they’re still an investigation ongoing – I think that we should wait until all the information is collected before we have a position or, I’m sorry, not we, before the Commission has a position cause it’s kinda hard to say what the effect on the fishing is and stuff without the actual court’s... TN: Maybe, an inquiry, we’d like to stay ahead of the game and not wait for last minute and so an inquire of possible impact. GD: Yeah, and I think Hu Honua people said that they were open to working with the community and working with us, as I recall – I think that would be appropriate based on what their own suggestions were. BKK: Teresa Nakama moved to have a letter drafted to inquire as to the impacts of our hunting and fishing that Hu Honua – Honua Ola may have. Seconded by George Donev. Motion carried unanimously by voice vote. Is there any further discussion? MH: Just a point of clarification. Who are you inquiring from? 27 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 TN: I guess the letter would be addressed to those at Hu Honua – Honua Ola, AA: Abraham. I think we should really invite their forester to come in and we can get their statement or their plans for the hunting community in that private and state lands – wherever it may be – and we can get more information from that person and as far as getting more information from Hu Honua we got to wait until they get started up and see what’s happening. Cause basically, we can’t do nothing until they get started to find out any kind of information – even, I think even in inquiry cause... Besides that black water that went into the ocean – as of right now there’s nothing else that went into the water so there’s really nothing there to inquire about right at this moment – we just have to wait until they get fired up, I guess. TN: What I’m saying is we have to be proactive because if we wait till the last minute and we put in our inquiry then – then they have already started up. This is an inquiry before they start up – we just, you know, have a question in mind as to their communication and transparency because of the way the community has reacted to all this and so let’s be proactive and just do an inquiry – it doesn’t hurt to do an inquiry – and that’s why my motion to just draft and inquiry and have a response from them whether they respond or not – the ball is in their court. GD: This is a big operation – they have plans – they have things in order to basically, you know, so that need to plan out this operation and they need to submit many documents to many different agencies, I’m sure, anyway and so to say that we need to wait until they start up – they know how they’re gonna run things from now, it seems like, and, you know, it would be nice to have that information. That’s all... SM: If no information came back yet on people getting sick and all that kind of stuff – they still waiting for tests – what good is one inquiry? TN: It’s an inquiry. Are they aware? SM: Yeah, they are aware. TN: We don’t have it documented. And the inquiry will document it. That’s all it is – it’s just an inquiry – it’s nothing official. SM: Teresa – they don’t know yet. 28 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 TN: No, the inquiry is about hunting on their land and fishing in the ocean. If they don’t know – they can tell us they don’t know – and then we have a document saying they don’t know. SM: They not stopping anybody from going down to the fish right now... TN: I’m not saying they are... This is not an argument. It’s an inquiry - all concerns. BKK: Is there any other discussion? I would like to say that I have the same reservation as Abraham, but we’re gonna move into voting – can I call for a division for a roll call vote? Donna, if you can please call for the roll and then the yeahs and nays. DUH: George Donev? GH: Aye. DUH: Grayson Hashida? GH: Yes. DUH: Kalei Kossow? BKK: Aye. DUH: Stanley Mendes? SM: Nay. DUH: Teresa Nakama? TN: Aye. DUH: Nani Poglin? NP: Reserved. DUH: Kean Umeda? KU: Aye. DUH: Abraham Antonio. AA: Reserved. 29 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 DUH: Chair you have five ayes, two reserved, one excused. BKK: Thank you. Motion carried and so George if you can start, if possible. And then we’re sending this to the Mayor first, right? OK. I just wanted to clarify that cause I didn’t hear that. GD: Yes. BKK: Is there anybody who have any New Business you want to bring up? AA: I would like to have the Commission invite Na Ala Hele on the terms of what is their scope – like what do they do – what trails – besides going online but just basically what do they do and can we get more like if you wanted to volunteer with their program. BKK: Do you want to have this for the next meeting... AA: Yeah. TN: Are you inviting the National Park Na Ala Hele or you’re inviting the state? BKK: The National Park doesn’t have a Na Ala Hele – that’s a state division. TN: No, they have their own. BKK: It’s not called Na Ala Hele, though. TN: What is it called? BKK: It’s called something – it’s not that. TN: So we’re inviting the state. BKK: The National Park – I can think of the name... So what I’ll do is I’ll reach out to Na Ala Hele and I’ll see what I can do to set up a meeting – we don‘t need a motion for it. BKK: Any other New Business? TN: I didn’t bring it with me and I’m so sorry I didn’t – the Hawaii Fishing News booklet had hunting in there by Tom Lodge and it was a very interesting article and because there’s hunting and fishing in there – I would like the members to think it over. If GMAC would purchase a copy that comes into Hilo and into Kona that we could start the public relations part and maybe some printing of our approved issues by the committee and put it on paper. If 30 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 it’s, um, you don’t have to make a decision now – it’s just a suggestion coming from Traditional Practices Committee and there’s also a Native Hawaiian Rights Handbook by Melody Kapilialoha MacKenzie and if you guys could look it up and see if it’s something that we could use here – when we talk about. NP: What’s it called? TN: It’s Native Hawaiian Rights Handbook, published in 1991 and the author is Melody Kapilialoha MacKenzie. I mean, this is a handbook we could use as reference if we needed to look up something – we live in Hawaii we better know what we’re doing in Hawaii. It’s a nice concise handbook that has case laws and things that have happened on the Island. The other thing that through our Traditional and Customary Lifestyle Committee – with our members Calvin Lai, Darrel Keana, Zed Hewlen, Makani Christianson and Terri Napeahi... COMMITTEE REPORTS A. Government Relations – Bills update/Testimony BKK: Moving on to Committee Reports under 8a – if we got the Government Relations – any bill, updates or testimony? NP: The only bill we have left standing that we voted on is HB 1325 – the others – maybe we can continue ‘em next year – bring ‘em back again – but they changed – the Committees changed the wording in HB 1325 so much that now it’s questionable whether we even want to support it anymore. So, um, that’s been a disappointment – the story’s not over so there’s still opportunity to get the wording back to the original intent of the bill – but as it stands – it would be great if – when it comes back up again – if testimony could be given to bring it back to its original intent and that is that the State GMAC is not only just notified of watershed initiatives but that they’re part of the decision making – but it got changed and a lot of curveballs were added in there – stipulations that negate our game so the fight is still on. And that’s it for bill update that I know of. BKK: Moving on to 8b. Traditional Customary Practices. BKK: Teresa Nakama moved to have GMAC subscribe to Hawaii Fishing Newspaper – one for Hilo and one for West Hawaii to be kept in the Mayor’s Office. Seconded by Abraham Antonio. Is there any discussion? MH: I have a question for that – do they have an electronic – I guess we could scan it in and give it out to the Committee though... 31 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 TN: I bought the paper, I meant to bring it and it had Tom Lodge wrote about hunting and what we’re doing so it was a great article. AA: Tthat’s a great idea cause now we can – it’s one way to be more publicized too – there’s a lot of people that access that magazine or newsletter. BKK: Any other discussion – no, I agree with you too, my only concern is the financial of $12.68 cents. OK. If we can amend your motion to include just one copy, maybe and then have it all scanned to every commissioner on the commission. TN: Agreed. I’ll amend my motion to have the one copy scanned to every commissioner on GMAC. GH: This is Grayson. Is that legal. Are we sure that’s legal? TN: \[Unclear\] said she’ll check on it. GH: Thank you. BKK: The question on the table is to purchase Hawaii Fishing News and have it distributed to two different locations – one on the East side of Hawaii and one on the West side of Hawaii Island. It’s been motioned by Teresa Nakama, seconded by Abraham. Motion carried unanimously by voice vote. b. Traditional and Customary Practices TN: In meeting through the phone with Calvin Lye, Reed Shook, Darrel Keana and Palikapu Dedman – they’ve received concerns over marine invasive marine species and it was suggested by marine biologist Terry Lily on the Island of Kauai, who is not in Palau doing research work on coral species – so as we discussed this further on – we’re planning for a statewide free diving invasive marine spearfishing tournament. This is something I’ll be involved in and we’re still in the planning stages and the things that we have put on paper so far and concerns are, you know, we’ve accumulated a suggestion list that the trophies throughout the statewide be the same – no gender difference in the adult category and same with the young adults in youth category must be accompanied by an adult. There will also be a harbor cleanup after the dive session on each island. We’re hoping to devise an app that can be developed so each island has the same start and end time and I’m asking – we’ll be asking State GMAC to support the overall statewide trophy for an adult category – we’ll seek out sponsors from retail and wholesale sport businesses. We’ll seek out support and planetary from other hunting and fishing organization. We’ll seek out support and advertisement from various 32 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2019 business like, you know, Aloha Air Cargo, bankers, NOAA, WESPAC and others. We’ll also seek out marine biologists and professors at the various school, university and community college for their participating to bring science into our tournament and so these are things we’re just on the discussion table so we’re planning a statewide free diving tournament – I don’t know how it’s gonna turn out – but this is a challenge for me and my committee members. Thank you. BKK: Moving along to 8c Public Relations? OK. Moving along to 8d Shooting Range Working Group; all right, moving along to 8 e Communications Committee. All right, and is there any commissioner’s report for districts? ADJOURNMENT: BKK: Teresa Nakama moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:30 pm. Seconded by George Donev. Motion Carried unanimously by voice vote. Respectfully submitted by: Donna Urban-Higuchi Secretary ATTEST: Bronsten “Kalei” Kossow, Chairman 33