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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-09-21 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes 14awaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes—September 21, 2015 Game Management Advisory Commission County of Hawaii Minutes Meeting Date: Monday, September 21, 2015 Time: 6:30 p.m. Place: Hawaii County Building — Council Chambers, via VTC West Hawaii Civic Center, Mayor's Conference Room I. CALL TO ORDER: Meeting was called to order at 6:31 pm. 11. ROLL CALL: Per B. Kossow: Willie-Joe Camara, District I - here Dwayne "Ike" Yoshina, District 2 — here Ryan Kohatsu — here Naniloa Pogline - here Thomas H. Lodge, District 5 - here Kenneth "Kalani" DeCoito, District 6 - here District 7, Vacant Mark C. Bartell — District 8 — here Jonathan Bertsch - here District 9, Vacant Quorum established ALSO PRESENT: Belinda Castillo Hall, Attorney, Corporation Counsel B. Command, Deputy Planning Director B. Kossow, Commission Secretary Ill. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND INTRODUCTIONS: GUESTS: J. B. Friday, UH, Cultural Research Bryan Mayberry, Pohakuloa Jon Pohemius, Pohakuloa Stanley Yasuda of Holualoa, a member of the MARS commission IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Action: W. Camara moved to approve the minutes as circulated. Seconded by Ike Yoshina. Motion carried unanimously. V. BUDGET Report: Action: M. Bartell moved to approve the budget report as circulated. Seconded by N. Pogline. Motion carried unanimously. Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes—September 21, 2015 Discussion followed with attorney B. Castillo Hall to entertain motion to amend agenda. The following motions were made. Action: Ike Yoshina motioned amend the agenda to include the discussion on the county parks skeet range. Seconded by M. Bartell. Motion carried unanimously. Action: M. Bartell motioned to amend the agenda by adding in GMAC's legislative items. Seconded by Ike Yoshina. Motion carried unanimously. VI. Public Testimony on Agenda Items: Tony Sylvester shared information on a multi-generational family owned company, Aloha Green, established in 1998 which will manage 2,000 plus acres along the Hamakua Coast. Grounded its roots as an agricultural based company, Aloha Green has emerged as a prominent advocate for the revitalization of economic conditions and positive community supported change. Aloha Green own and operates 40 acres tropical foliage farms, shade house growing operations, 30 acres tropical fruit orchard, and grass fed beef. They have engaged in land stewardship commercial/industrial development and leasing, and agricultural leasing. Also, provides land and opportunities to new agricultural businesses ensuring the diversity of this industry. Smart Development, long range vision for a balance community using principles of sustainability and planned development. Company vision includes mix agricultural, commercial, office, industrial, residential and conservation uses with a strong focus on the surrounding communities. Multiple entities getting involved in this project and I thought this would be a good opportunity for the hunting, farming, fishing community. Steve Shropshire is the proprietor of Aloha Green. He will be meeting with DLNR to make an attempt to rezone two parcels (Hakalau) at the top of the valley at the old sugar mill. Might be an opportunity for GMAC to show support as Steve goes through with this. And we would get like a 25 year lease for a dollar a year cause we want something that is signed in here— not spend time and money on something and get nothing out of it— so we're going through all these formal agreements and everything to do this. SMA permitting for that particular area is required. It will be a mixed-use area. We feel pretty confident on this and it's just a matter of going through the support. I guess it'll have to go through the county council to be able to move the project through for particular zonings. And like I said, the zoning is actually changing it from an industrial to like commercial, residential at the top and the valley stays as conservation. 2 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes- September 21, 2015 There are some old home sites with cultural things such as a Portuguese oven and Hawaiian cultural things as well. I think this is something that would be good for the community and we don't have much opportunity to get in on a project early on like this and be part of it and part of the planning - have a volunteer structure- I think this is great to get our youth involved in something like this that can benefit everyone in the long run, Discussion followed. The top parcel is being considered by Public Access, Open Space, Natural Preservation and Cultural (PONC) Preservation Commission (County of Hawaii commission) has actually placed that parcel #3 on the priority list for acquisition. Chair Tom said that it behooves us to support that project 100% as a commission. VII. Discussion: a. Colonel Peterson, Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) Commander (if available), on progress towards the various community outreach goals, hunting and potential long term relationships with our communities. Bryan Mayberry, Pohakuloa Game Warden shared Colonel Peterson's message that he had heard that there were discussions of forming the Pohakuloa Hunting Club. Colonel supports this community effort. We would like to get this started and request these folks to contact us to schedule a meeting to discuss the details. Commissioner Naniloa Pogline has youngsters that are interested. She will make the contact. b. Sunshine Law- Executive Meetings via teleconference due to geographic considerations? Action: Motion was made by W. Camara to abandon executive meeting discussion. Seconded by, M. Bartell. Motion carried unanimously. No discussion. 3 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes—September 21, 2015 c. Draft Meeting Rules — Rules of Meeting conduct for receiving public testimony, notification of meetings and agenda items, etc., published minutes, summaries, reports. Meeting follows Robert's Rules, Chair requested that items to add to the agenda be in writing to him or the secretary. Items on agenda have a brief detail so someone from the public can read it and understand it and actually comment or give testimony. The Chair has the flexibility to ask for and accept testimony written or oral, but usually on agendized items. Communications from the public could also be included on the agenda and folks could provide testimony on those topics because it is on the agenda. We lack follow-up. If somewhere in the meeting we actually looked at last agenda, the last meeting, the meeting prior to that, and somehow, whether we were given an action item or we need to follow-up with the public on a certain topic I would say our discipline around that is less than stellar. New Business would actually be the public testimony, it has to tie in with one of the agenda items. Staff will work on coming up with the wordage to place at the agenda alerting folks how to get an item on the agenda. d. Mayor's support for Legislative Agenda — HB104 recognition of our game animals as resources; Families Afield — Apprentice License for hunting. Are there other important Legislative Agenda items to consider? Mayor is very supportive of H BI 04, Families Afield —Apprentice License for hunting. He also said if more funding is needed he would increase our budget for more trips to the legislature and helping with the Heritage Day. Action: M. Bartell motioned that GMAC add to its legislative agenda a statewide game management advisory board. Seconded by N. Pogline. Motion carried unanimously. Action: Ike Yoshina motioned to resurrect Families Afield. Seconded by N. Pogline. Motion carried unanimously. M. Bartell will report back to the commission his research regarding the state's Aquatic Life and Wildlife Commission (ALAWC). 4 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes-September 21, 2015 e. Mayor's support for Outdoors Promotion, hunting, hiking, fishing awareness and participation; Venue Options include Trap and Skeet, Hakalau (Hunting, Fishing, Farming - Lease), Family Hunting Fishing Days around the Island. Mayor is supportive and shared that there is funds in Parks and Recreation for these activities, Chair Tom will contact the Director of P&R. f. Pohakuloa Public Participation Animal Removal and Recovery Efforts - Report by Ryan Kohatsu The volunteer removal project for the fence units are moving forward. We drew the participants and the list is out on our Hawaii Sportsmen Alliance Facebook page. All the participants, there's nine groups, three alternates and they have to submit their firearms form before participating and I have yet to approve a plan with range control at PT. We're definitely track some kind of metrics, what we take out, some kind of effectiveness measure or whatever we can to the best of our volunteer's abilities. And then, maybe one day it'll be something that you can talk about and maybe even the cultural aspect of how sportsmen here, we don't waste things and we'll find all avenues we can not to avoid that. 9. Invite DLNR to the October meeting to explain where, why and how Wildlife Revolving Fund and Pittman-Robertson monies are spent here in Hawaii. • What benefits do we receive from these expenditures? • What and how does Pittman-Robertson money benefit the game mammal and game bird resources here in Hawaii? • What does our Wildlife Revolving Fund money do to benefit game resources here in Hawaii particularly game mammals. • Resource Management-finding out what we have and where we have it is the only way we can begin to manage our game resources. There is no consistent history that we are aware of, on the Big Island anyway, that this has been done since the 1970s. I • Should GMAC push for an Audit of DLNR or at the very least, the Wildlife Revolving Fund? Action: Ike Yoshina motioned to invite representatives, preferably the heads from the U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service and DLNR to come and explain budgets, policies, and programs to us. 5 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes—September 21, 2015 Seconded by W. Camara. Motion carried unanimously. Chair will work with B. Command on drafting letters. VIII. Unfinished Business: None IX. Now Business: None X. Committee Reports: None XI. Commissioners Report by District: Ike Yoshida (District 2) - we need to get out an annual report. Also, there was a meeting recently with the governor's liaison and I came away with the perception that the governor understood conceptually this thing called resource management because he asked the question and I thought it was significant that, he wanted to know a place that we might actually do this. So, I'm being bold and I'm putting together a list to include places like, Puumakaala, Puuanahulu, Puuwaawaa, Kau Forest Reserve, Hamakua, Kohala Mountain, Hualalai, Mauna Loa and, Kona. So, I'm inviting you guys to give me more specifics if you have a specific place you'd like to see that happen. I'll bring back a draft so that the GMAC can act on it. K. DeCoito (District 6) said there has been a lot of chatter going on regarding the Olson fence. He will investigate and be in contact with David Penn. XII. Next Meeting Date: October 19, 2015 XIII. Adjournment: (8:30 p.m.) Action: J. Bartsch motioned to adjourn the meeting at 8:40 p.m. Seconded by W. Camara. Motion carried unanimously. Respectfully submitted by, Barbara Kossow Secretary Attest: Thomas H, Lodge 6