HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022_03_15 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes
Game Management Advisory Commission
County of Hawai’i
Minutes
Meeting Date/Time: March 15, 2022, 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Place: Mayor’s Hilo Office Conf. Rm & via Zoom Mayor’s Office Kona
1. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL: The meeting was called to order at 6:00 pm
District 1 - Stanley Mendes, Present, in person
District 2 - Kean Umeda, Present, via Zoom
District 3 – Rhon Leomana Turalde, Present via Zoom
District 4 – Brian Ley – Present, in person
District 5 - Abraham Antonio, Present, via Zoom
District 6 - Grayson Hashida – Excused
District 7 - Vacant
District 8 – Cortney Okumura – Present via Zoom
District 9 - George Donev, Excused
Quorum Established with 6 in attendance
STAFF: Diana Mellon-Lacey, Attorney, Corp Counsel (via Zoom)
Pomai Bartolome, Executive Assistant to Mayor Roth
Barbara Kossow, Administrative Specialist Mayor’s Kona Office
Chair Antonio reminded all Commissioners per the Sunshine Law, you must be visible on the screen and
you need to make known who is in the room with you especially when making a motion.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
Action: S. Mendes motioned to approve the February 15, 2022 minutes. Seconded by B.
Ley. Motion carried unanimously.
AA: OK, Diana, you can do your quick presentation of updating the public on our future meetings.
DML: OK. So at this point in time we expect everything to be lifted – the mask mandates to be lifted by
our next meeting and you have some options as far as how you choose to meet. You can do the
traditional, which is one meeting site – everybody present in person, no Zoom required. That’s
one option. Of the second is you can have some meeting in person at more than one site so
some people could be in West Hawaii, some people could be in East Hawaii and then you’d be
connected via Zoom and the public could come by at both sites. That may be harder to
orchestrate because there might be more people, but that’s an option under Sunshine Law. And
then the third is everybody that wants to be remote can be remote and that could be all the
board members but you would still have to have at least one in person site where the public
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could come to see it – they may be viewing it by Zoom if no one is there but them, but they also
would have to have the capacity to provide testimony or input to your meeting. So the set-up
would have to allow for that. So if you do remote you’ve gotta have at least one site where the
public can talk – but only one site is required you don’t have to have more. So that is the
requirement as to the meetings and the rest of the (break in recording) kind of newer things, I
think you were very eloquent about, Chair, that, you know, that the quorum has to be visible at
all times and they actually recommend you do the vote by roll call vote people on Zoom, you
know, who are on Zoom because it is clearer in public watching how people voted if they want
to know that and that’s probably the main thing. I guess the other thing is if you lose
connectivity then you have to take a break for up to 30 minutes to try to restore it but if you
cannot restore it after 30 minutes than you really have to call meeting and so some people are
actually putting a back-up date in case they go down to say the meeting will be Zoomed on such
and such a date – so they don’t have to re-notice, but I don’t know that we’ve had that kind of
problem, but that’s just an option and if you do remote and that site for the public – the one site
you have to have for the public goes down than the same thing happens – 30 minutes to fix it –
if you can’t fix it – even if all the other board members are connected it’s lost – so the public’s
site you would have to adjourn.
AA: OK. So on picking a place or any option do we need to vote on any of those options or – how
does that go about.
DML: Well, um, you know, I think some of its logistics so if you do vote I don’t know what’s possible in
the County and maybe Barbara needs to weigh in because I really don’t know what your options
are in terms of locations and all of that – so I don’t know what you’re thinking or what she thinks
is possible, but, of course you can quickly vote on it.
AA: OK. I guess I’ll just keep in contact with Barbara throughout the – before our next meeting and
see how it goes for that…
BK: That’d be fine.
AA: Yeah, thank Diana, thanks Barbara.
DML: Welcome.
3. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS:
Chair Abraham Antonio, welcomes anyone that may want to say something regarding an agenda item
may do so anytime throughout the meeting.
AA: At this time any statements from the public on agenda items or just statements from the public
in general.
TN: Chair Abraham – if there isn’t anyone I’d like to put in a short report.
AA: Yup, that’s fine Teresa. But try to state your name next time.
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TN: All right. Sorry. Teresa – Kona, West Hawaii. I had a meeting on Monday on the 7 with Peter
Simmons regarding the strawberry guava issue and we had a very short meeting down at
Kawaihae Small Boat Harbor and we discussed the possibilities or reaching the same goal and
we wanted the outcome to be a common goal for everyone where we would work out a long
term positive solution of creating partnerships with private, public and charter schools to have a
collaboration with their educational curriculum and guidance form DLNR Forestry Division to
oversee some sort of plan to tackle the strawberry guava issue and this is long term – maybe
taking on a certain area inch by inch systematically planned for every removal of strawberry
guava that something else be planted in its’ place and in the past there was a project done by
the League of Women Voters doing Arbor Day on the calendar year in August where the League
of Women Voters approached the principals of various schools of Hookena Elementary,
Holualoa Elementary, Konawaena and Kealakehe Intermediate – participated in the growth of
1,000 wili seeds and it was part of their science curriculum and at the end of the school year 990
seedlings were grown and the Department of Forestry Division picked them up and replanted
them through partnership, again, with Kulani inmates on furloughs and on Mile 19 they
replanted the 990 wiliwili seedlings so it’s been proven in the past that this is possible but it’s a
long term goal and this is what we discussed and Peter if you want to add to this if you’re here
at the meeting I’d be more than happy to have your input also. Thanks, Peter.
PS: Thank you. I really enjoyed our meeting, but also having discussed things with Nani and
Abraham over a period of time regarding the strawberry guava it’s made me much more aware
of the opportunity and also kind of the – I’m disappointed in some ways – but the opportunity of
being collaborative and making something really positive out of what is a negative situation in
my opinion and what I mean is that I’m aware – more aware than I was before for sure – of the
personal loss of individual people over something that they like – whether they cherish it or not
– but just liking it – and the takings aspect of it without – for the public good – I’m just assuming
it’s for the public good but people still suffer even if you giving it for the public good – and what
can be done to make that pono – what can be done to make that right – probably not enough
but it starts with recognizing, I think, that people that are – through no fault of their own have
strawberry guava on their property and they might like it and is being affected, is going to be
affected and so what can be done. I don’t have a solution – but it’s a community issue – we’re all
in this thing together – it’s already being released. I think it’s a good thing, myself, it’s been
through the process – but that doesn’t mean it’s right – that doesn’t mean that people aren’t
going to be affected disproportionately and so education, yeah, but also, we need to come up
with ideas. I think as a public to say – this will make it better – I know in the past there’s been
some replacement plans that were given – maybe Ohia that’s disease resistant eventually or
fruit trees but it doesn’t have to – hopefully we can come to a way of grappling with this and
then the collective opportunity especially looking at State land that’s zoned for recreation and
commercial forestry – it’s just a tremendous opportunity for creativity and public participation.
How that’s gonna roll out, I mean, gosh, you know, I don’t know but I do know that those lands
are there – the conservation resource lands above the sugar lands and they’re being destroyed
by the strawberry guava and they represent a tremendous opportunity for our community and
one that shouldn’t be lost and education is absolutely key and it starts with the people who are
actually know the land and I look at that group of people being, yeah, it’s DLNR, you know, but
it’s also the hunters, it’s the cattlemen, it’s local people that know those lands and we will not
be successful – I don’t care – if we don’t find out a way to get in this thing together. It’s a
tremendous opportunity, really there is – honestly I kid you not. I’m 73 – I had a great career –
but I got to see things above my pay grade and this is one that I see that is just an awesome
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opportunity – I’m not looking to create a dynasty for me – I’m just trying to say my gosh, if we
really got our heads together – we could do this – this could be a really tremendous opportunity
for the Island and for the State – but I’m looking at the Island so, you know, thank you.
TN: Thank you, Peter and thank you for meeting. This is Teresa, West Hawaii, thank you for meeting
and I hope to have many more meetings with you, Mahalo.
AA: Thank you, Teresa, and Peter. Moving on to presentations.
4. PRESENTATION:
a. Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC) Communications Director, Franny
Brewer, will speak about game resources being identified as “invasive species.”
AA. We have Franny Brewer she’s from Big Island Invasive Species Committee – we’re gonna have a
discussion or she’s gonna do a presentation on our game resources being identified as invasive
species.
FB: Yes, I noticed that was on the agenda but when I talked to Brian originally I started to explain we
don’t really intercept with game species though I thought this might be a good opportunity to go
over what BIISC is and what we do – if you don’t mind – just sort of introduce our programs to
you and then we can talk story. So is that OK?
AA: Yeah, that’s fine.
FB: I’m gonna share my screen if that’s all right with everybody. Thank you so much for having me. I
am Franny from the Big Island Invasive Species and I’m a communications director so I just want
to kind of go over who we are and the actual programs that we work on. Centered around that
definition of Invasive Species, which is in our name – we operate under the Executive Order –
this is federal law that was issued in 1999 and reissued in 2016 with some changes but the
definition under that law is invasive species – it’s sort of a two-part definition. The first part of it
is that a species has to be not native to an area – so if you think of something – even if it’s
weedy – so like in North America something like poison ivy would be considered weedy but it’s
native to the area – so not an invasive species, right, might not be desirable to have around your
property but it’s not invasive. That’s the first part of the definition. The second part of the
definition is that it has to be causing harm in at least one of three areas and those areas are
defined as the environment, the economy, or the human health of the area. And in response to
that 1999 order, the Hawaii Invasive Species Council was formed by the State Legislature and
they included way of life to sort of reflect that we understand that Hawaii has unique cultural
aspects and lifestyle aspects that could be impacted by invasive species. So what is that – the
HISC - Hawaiian Invasive Species Council – that is actually a council set at the state level and it’s
made up by representatives from six different state departments – that would be Department of
Agriculture, DLNR, the Department of Transportation, DBEDT, UH, and the Department of
Health all have seats on that council so that HSIC is a little bit separate from the Island invasive
species committees, of which we are one. We are formed as research projects under the Pacific
Cooperative Studies Unit of the University of Hawaii and we do have a guiding committee that’s
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made up of representatives from various agencies and groups so, for instance, we have
currently people from the forest service – Fish & Wildlife Service, Hawaii Volcanos National Park,
we have DOFAW reps on there, academia, we have UH-Hilo. I actually heard the voice of one of
our steering committee members from CTAHR – J B Friday – we have County of Hawaii, R & D,
non-profits: currently we’re working with Malama o Puna, and watershed partnerships – so that
changes sometimes but those are generally the areas that are represented. We are a 100% grant
funded program so while the bulk of our funding comes through grants from the HIISC – each
year the Legislature makes an allocation of money to the Hawaiian Invasive Species Council
which then runs a grant program that various folks who work in invasive species across the
Islands can apply for money and it’s sent to you – we really depend on that funding but we have
to compete with everybody else – but we also search for grant funds from various sources and
this year this is some of our funders and that changes from year to year depending on what
grants we get. So why is this such a big concern? Currently, Hawaii is already home to 50 of the
world’s 100 worst invasive species as designated by the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature which is sort of part of the UN and that’s not a static number – so while
we already have half of those 100 worst invasives which are found in multiple countries all
around the world there is a lot of traffic going/coming into Hawaii so you can look at the top
three numbers – they’re kind of big numbers representing what’s coming in to Hawaii and that
bottom 82 – that’s how many people that we have total for all of the Islands for inspection at
our ship ports and our airports – 82 people for the entire State, every airport, every ship port –
365 days a year – 7 days a week – 24 hours a day – so we’re up against quite an onslaught.
Estimates of what’s arriving here – just with insects – this study was done about 20 years ago so
we actually think at this point this has probably increased but at that point it was estimated it
was about one new insect species arriving in Hawaii every day. Now, not all of that 365 species
are gonna survive – most of them are not gonna be able to cope with Hawaii and they’ll pass
away – but about 17, it’s estimated, will establish whether those become invasive or not – we
won’t know until/unless they start causing harm so we’re still constantly getting an onslaught of
accidentally introduced species that could potentially become invasive. This is kind of
problematic because the best medicine is prevention – when you look at the cost of invasive
species – the cheapest and most effective is sort of getting into that first block which his
prevention – just keeping it from ever getting here in the first place. If it does get here – the next
best thing is to find it very early and be able to get rid of it. But, unfortunately, a lot of the time
that window slams shut very quickly, particularly for things like insects where there isn’t a lot of
time before it’s passed that point and then you get into when people first start to notice it it’s
probably already too late or close to too late and then you get into different kinds of
management strategies. So, again, that prevention – mainly the prevention people in Hawaii are
the Department of Agriculture, there’s the USDA and then there’s HGOA – Department of
Transportation’s involved – sort of those people that are the front lines and then that last bit
sort of when you get into management that tends to fall to the landowners – so whether that’s
the State managing forest reserves or Kamehameha Schools or it could just be a private
landowner managing their own residence – that’s where you get into trying to keep things out
or trying to manage what’s on your land. But in-between is sort of where BIISC works which is
that early detection and eradication. Well, our history has generally been botanical so we mostly
deal with plant species, so if you’re familiar with the history of invasive plants on Hawaii Island –
sort of the first really noteworthy one was miconia and BIISC evolved out of the Big Island
Miconia Task Force that was formed in the 90’s – a lot of people think that the goal of that task
force was to eradicate miconia from the Big Island but it was actually already recognized by the
late 90’s that miconia was not an eradicable species on the Big Island so the goal was really to
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keep miconia contained – remember one of those management strategies is containment –
trying to keep it in one area and that actually worked really well – BIISC really focused on the
task force and then BIISC focused on those outlier populations and hitting those things that
were outside that main corridor – that North Hilo to Puna main corridor – unfortunately with
the recession in 2009-2010 all the funding for that dried up and it only takes a few years for a
plant to – that makes 25 million seeds a year – to explode beyond even containment. So, at this
point, miconia’s becoming more and more widespread – but one of the things that did come out
of that is this concept of, you know, if we had gotten to miconia in 1976 instead of 1996 then
there was a good chance that it could have been eradicated – that 20 years makes a huge
difference and who’s looking at the plants that are out there that maybe are in that 1976
miconia stage that could be eradicated now if people were working on them. So that’s really our
core mission is around plants so we have currently about a dozen or so target species that we
are – and hopefully you don’t know any of them – you might have heard some of our alerts on a
couple of them but we hope that most people don’t encounter them because we are working to
eradicate those species so that they do not become the next albizia or, you know, wide spread
species. So plant eradication, early detection eradication is one of our big programs. We also do
some work with insect early detection so we are part of the Malamu Poepoe Program which is
an inter-agency program where we do airport checks looking for things like africanized honey
bees , murder hornets, red imported fire ants – the Department of Transportation – Hawaii Ant
Lab – Department of Health are all involved in this as well, so, we’re looking for those species
that we know are moving around the world and are very likely to end up in Hawaii and hoping to
catch them early by being at those ports. We also – on the plant side of early detection – we
have a Plant Pono program that’s kind of a big – several of our programs are kind of umbrella
programs and Plant Pono is one of those – where we work with nurseries to try and get invasive
plants out of the nursery trade so we have a nursery endorsement program. We also have an
education program for the public on invasive plants and planting with non-invasive plants and
we have a website – that’s sort of the anchor for that program – plantpono.org – and there you
can look up a plant to find out if it’s likely to be invasive and you can also get recommendations
for a plant that you’re looking for and it will return lots of selection of non-invasive plants and
we also have a list of nurseries where you can buy those, um, so recognizing that we sort of
work in that, you know, early detection and eradication area – we also know that our
community, particularly on the Big Island has been left a lot with those widespread species and
no one to really help them – sort of after it gets past a certain point, um, and, I mean, you’re
probably all familiar with a couple of the big ones that we work on doing community support:
albizia and little fire ants. So, um, our goal with these species is we just try to empower
community folks to train people how to take care of it in their own neighborhoods, we hold
volunteer events, we go out – we work with partners like HDOT and DPW and HELCO to try and
clear corridors where there would be a lot of exit and egress during a natural disaster and so we
really focused on working with communities and homeowners associations and that sort of
thing with albizia, um, similarly, we have a training program for little fire ants where we bring
the research-based strategies produced by Hawaii Ant Lab to the public and we do talks –
teaching people how to properly treat for little fire ant and we also do backyard trainings if
people organize their neighbors we will come out and we’ll do a year of treatment support
where we do the first treatment with the community and then we sort of hand hold for the next
few months and really try to get people to feel like they are very skilled fire ant fighters so that’s
one of our big programs – it’s kind of been on hold for a couple of years – we’re excited to be
starting that up again, um, and we also have a team that works on rapid ohia death – early
detection – a rapid response of rapid ohia death – and there’s a lot of pieces to that – we work
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on mapping regularly to look for new areas of dead ohia outbreak and then going in – finding
those dead trees – trying to determine if rot is what killed them – we use drones – this is kind of
a high tech thing but part of what we do with that is that we also provide support to the
different researchers that are working on ROD – we will provide manpower for a lot of those
research teams to, you know, help provide whatever they need in order to continue the
research on rapid ohia death and just generally we do a lot of outreach and education so we’re
really active on social media if you’re interested at all – follow us on Facebook or Instagram. We
also have a You Tube channel now with lots of webinars on there – we do classroom
presentations, um, we do a teacher/professional development – I just wrapped up a
teacher/professional development a few months ago in rat lung worms so we teach teachers
how to teach children about rat lung worm and try create a safer community that way, we do a
lot of community presentation and some webinars and all the normal stuff, um, one thing, you
know, just thinking about when I saw I was on the agenda for game species and like we don’t
really do a lot with game species – but what in the past you’re thinking – well, you know, we had
in the past – you probably heard that BIISC was involved with coqui back in the day and that
BIISC was involved with the axis deer eradication back in the day – so what makes our field
crews different from maybe a field crew that works of DOFAW, you know, NARS, watershed
partnerships – is that we’re not tied to a piece of land – so we are not restricted by boundaries.
We don’t have any land that we manage. The way that BIISC is unique is that we are really set-
up to be mobile and move around the Island and we move around the Island to lots of different
places – I’m using this picture while explaining this because you can see these folks are not in
the forests they are on private property and a lot of our target species – we find them on private
property so the way that we work to go after our target plants species is we get permissions
from landowners to go in there – I noticed earlier someone was mentioning replacement plants
– so that’s one of the things that we do if we’re working on private property and we remove a
species we refill that spot with a nice native or non-invasive plant to make up for that loss and
so this is something that we’re very poised to do is be sort of nimble and so in the past – just like
I said – we do for rapid ohia death – BIISC has provided man power – we’re sort of readymade
teams of folks that are trained to go into the field, trained to work in rough terrain, rough
weather, trained to work with various equipment who can respond to things when there’s a
new species that needs to be responded to – so we have in the past worked with eradication of
newly found species but we don’t tend to work on widespread species generally. So that’s my
wrap up on this – this is our group as of November and now I am happy to stop sharing and
happy to take your questions.
BL: Oh, Brian – District 4 – if nobody’s gonna pop up real quick, hey, I appreciate Fanny, thank you
for coming and everything else and sorry for the confusion for last month. I guess our biggest
concern is we see the word “invasive species” thrown out toward our game animals and it’s a
word game, let’s be honest, and you say invasive species and everyone says kill it and that’s
what we’re running into and we would like to work out – these game animals were brought
here, they serve a purpose, they can fight fires they can save our forests and, I watched a, ah, I
think you were on it too – the Puuwaawaa Committee the other month and, I was disgusted
and horrified to find out that they’re trapping these pigs, killing ‘em and just dragging them in
the forest to rot and they’re going on and on about how they’re invasive species, they’re filthy
animals, they’ve got diseases and everything else and don’t get next to any of these things cause
they’re destroying everything and, this is the perception that we’re fighting – these animals
have value in the community, they were brought over first canoe and we’re trying to work with
everybody and like everything else a rose bush and a corn is a weed…
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FB: Sure, and I want to point something out about invasive species. So just because a species has
use or is used it doesn’t mean it doesn’t cause harm, right? So that’s, I think a lot of people
think, oh, invasive species is something that nobody likes – but that’s not the case and a lot of
our invasives were actually and especially even plant like a lot of our plants were brought here
intentionally and became invasive, um, because people liked them either because they use
them or they produce some kind of food or beverage or it’s pretty or for whatever reason
people actually introduced them intentionally and with animals same thing, you know, people
actually introduced them intentionally so part of the definition of invasive species is not that it
doesn’t have any use – so just like that’s not part of it because it can be useful or appreciated
by some folks but it can still be causing harm. So just when you’re thinking about that – that’s
not a – those are two different sort of areas. It’s not a disqualifier for that term.
BL: OK. I know. But you know what I’m saying when we’re dealing with the general public and when
I’m talking to people, you know, they all – I get that it’s an invasive species and it needs to be
wiped out - everybody talks about it. It’s invasive species and it needs to be eradicated off the
island and..
FB: You know, I get that a lot too where people talk about things needing to be eradicated but I
think, you know, for most of our game species that we have here, I don’t think that eradication
is anyone’s realistic goal. And I think in the community the word eradication gets tossed around
a lot, I mean, I just had this recently – I’m working with Resilience teams in Puna for the
recovery and, you know, they sort of assigned one of our working groups – the goal of
eradicating invasive species in Puna – and I was like whoa, whoa, whoa, that’s an impossible
goal, like there’s no way that these species are gonna be eradicated. We are, for most of these
species, mitigating, so, I think, you know, when people are saying eradicated – it has to be really
clear like you’re not going to be able to eradicate most of those species – that’s just not possible
so I think maybe managing expectations for folks about like OK, maybe there’s some areas
where we want to do that exclusion – or some areas depending on the species where we can do
containment but most of these species are well into that point of no-return space and so there
wouldn’t be an opportunity to eradicate those, unfortunately, for those who want that.
BL: OK. Like I said, that was our big concern is we’re trying to, we’ve got legislation going trying to
get the State to acknowledge that these game animals have value and are useful resources, the
thing that 400,000 pounds of wild meat are consumed on this Island alone every year, and
we’ve got everyone – we need a fence, we need to eradicate and, like I said, that Puuwaawaa
thing where we got to put fences up, we got to kill everything and drag it in the forest and
they’re nasty and, the one guy, I want to kill all the mynah birds and it was just a hateful thing
and anything that was invasive they wanted to kill it and it was just, we’re just trying to come
with a compromise and, this is why I asked you to come and so we could see if we could work on
terminology and words, cause, like they say, these days everything is a word game.
FB: I have a request for you folks, if, I don’t know if this is out of line but, um, we do get a lot of
complaints about pigs and the County had at one point provided us with a list of hunters who’d
be willing to do trapping for a fee or whatever, but that list is really defunct and I don’t know if
you guys know a lot of folks that would be willing to be on a list for when we get complaints
from folks from different parts of the Island who have pigs on their private land and want those
trapped, um, if that’s something that would be possible to put together I’d really love to get
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your guys help on that because there are a lot of people who are struggling with that and I don’t
have any resources for them at all.
BL: Yeah, this is Brian – District 4. Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. We work together,
you know, we don’t need pigs in every area but, it would be nice to see ‘em every now and then
and like I said, you know, I’m busy as all get out – just catching pigs from the people I know so…
And there’s Abraham and a couple other people that we know that do go out and trap these
nuisance animals and, ah, like I said, that has a place…
FB: Yeah, that would… I mean, yeah, it’s sort of, you know, they’re out there and, you know, you
don’t want them in your back yard – a lot of people can’t afford the fencing and, you know, so
it’s like maybe this could benefit somebody but I know that most hunters are like, hey, I’m
pretty busy – so I don’t know how many people are willing to do it but if anybody is willing to do
that would be great.
BL: Yeah, I’ll try to get ahold of you next week or sometime in the near future and maybe we can
discuss on how maybe we can move this forward a little bit.
Yeah, all right, like I said I appreciate you coming and talking and everything so thank you…
BK: Hi, this is Barbara, so Chair lost connection so Brian you’re the VP so, um, go ahead and continue
the meeting. Is that OK Diana?
BL: Oh, we lost Abraham?
BK: We lost him, he’s trying to reconnect.
BL: OK.
?: \[Unclear…\]
BL: Anybody else have anything to talk to Franny about?
NP: Ah, Nani Pogline here – a member from the public. I have a question. Franny – are you there can
you hear me?
FB: Yes, I can hear you. Yup.
NP: Thank you, thank you again for coming on and your graciousness. I’d like to say a few comments
about hunter availability – the problem is that – I think it stems from the DLNR – they’re
instructed in HRS 183 to promote, preserve and protect public hunting. Now, it seems to me
that hunting is expensive and hunters need to have some sort of – the DLNR could promote
public hunting by subsidizing hunters in their costs. They have to have trucks, they have to have
traps, I mean, there are so many things involved. Why should they put this bill for controlling an
overpopulation situation and I’d like to say also – if you have any influence, um, the DLNR also
could supply the public with free classes in hunting, hunting technique – encouraging youth to
learn hunting develop the skill – the DLNR could have classes teaching about slaughtering
techniques and meat preparation and good local recipes for the meat – to promote a positive
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view to hunting the game resources to the public would really help deal with the problem – also
for the DLNR to be a part – or the Department of Ag – to provide public inspection sites for the
meat that were user-friendly, and also the DLNR, Dept. of Ag, could make – create incentives for
small businesses to create a local product from the wild caught meat and there are so many
things they could do. So there’s a reason why the hunters or there’s a shortage of hunters to
deal with the problem. The image, there’s lack of promotion, there’s lack of funding and so, I’d
just like to say that. Also, I think from what I would like to say is what we’re asking is that there
be a different attitude perpetuated for our game resources. They are to us a valuable, local,
game resource for local sustainability and very well could become more so as meat prices soar.
So we’d like more promotion of our local, wild resources, and also, when you continually hear
our game resources referred to as feral, ungulate, invasive species – as Brian was saying – it
perpetuates this concept in the public that these are just nasty creatures and we would just like
to have that changed, I mean, our game animals, they’re historical, they’re cultural – they
actually have Hawaiian names, you know, speaking particularly of our pig – the puaa – why can’t
it be referred to with a little more respect and value, I guess, what we’re hoping to influence Big
Island Invasive Species Committee on those points, thank you, that’s about all I have to say,
thank you so much.
FB: Thank you, yeah, I appreciate that. Sorry, I don’t think I have much influence at DLNR in any of
that but I do think that would be great to see classes offered as well and, yeah, I used to teach
and a lot of my students were hunters and it’s great to see the youth involved with it. It would
be good to see that more.
BL: I think I saw Abraham – did he disappear or is he still here. Oh, there he is, I see him…
AA: I have nothing to say, I’m sure Brian and Nani covered it. Does anybody else from the public or
Commissioners have any comments or suggestions for Franny? No? OK. Thank you, Franny.
Thank you for your time, thank you for your presentation and my apologies for missing most of
it.
FB: I totally understand and you folks can always email me if you have any questions and thank you
so much for having me I really appreciate it. Aloha.
BL: Thank you, aloha…
5. OLD BUSINESS: None
6. NEW BUSINESS:
a. Waipio Village road closure.
AA: OK. New Business is under Waipio Valley Road closure, I’m pretty sure all you guys watch social
media or even on the local news our Mayor closed public access down to Waipio due to the bad
shape of the road and a rock fall area but the reason why we’re kinda taking this up is because
there’s a public hunting access down in the valley and public access trails down in the valley and
also – and Nani can touch up on this – Na Ala Hele is also taking part – I think they’re writing up
a letter for leaving the road open – am I right or wrong Nani?
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NP: Hi, thank you. They composed a letter when it first was closed and then it goes reopened – that
was closed on a different issue, this time it’s the rock fall – the last time also they were saying,
oh, well, only Hawaiians – cultural practice – could – anyway there was all that debate so now
Na Ala Hele is in the next meeting – is gonna discuss their next possible strategy and, it’s not
confirmed yet but I believe they will be writing another letter supporting public access.
AA: OK. So at this time I think we should follow suit behind Na Ala Hele. Anyone would like to make
a motion to draft up a letter in support of leaving Waipio Valley Road open and also there was a
meeting last week and it’s recorded and I think you guys can get it or get access to that
recording through the County website. So does anybody want to make a motion to draft up a
letter in support of leaving Waipio Valley Road open – shall we have a discussion about that?
Action: S. Mendes motioned to have GMAC write up a letter to keep the Waipio road open.
Seconded by B. Ley. Discussion followed and the motion was deferred to the next
GMAC meeting.
SM: Stanley – District 1. We can write up – we should write up a letter to keep the road open.
BL: Brian – District 4. I second that motion.
AA: Barbara can you – Diana - can you make a roll call vote?
DML: Well, you should have a discussion first, Chair, see if there’s any more discussion…
AA: OK. Does any Commissioners have any comments that they would like to speak on about this
issue?
CO: Chair, this is Cortney – District 8. I’m curious and I’m sorry I didn’t attend the meeting or haven’t
had a chance to watch it but what are the residents in favor of?
AA: The residents are in favor of closure.
CO: OK. And is there discussion of perhaps allowing for certain activities like hunting versus just
opening it back up again? I mean, is there a way to say we’re in favor of maybe providing access
to licensed hunters or subsistence reasons versus just saying we want to push for full – I’m just
trying to think of ways to get – to make a good argument that might be approved. If there’s a lot
public or if residents are not in favor of it fully maybe they would be open to considering
granting access to hunters?
SM: Stanley – District 1. My understanding is the top side of the road is unstable for landslides and
that’s one reason and I think the bull dozer – I heard a bull dozer went down the road and hit a
guard rail and by hitting that guard rail caused undermine – on the makai side of the road so
that’s the reason they want to close because the road is, I mean, if they close ‘em to the public
and they opening for residents – the residents still has l- you’re still gonna have the issue with
the road, you know, the rock fall and all that so – I don’t know what the answer, I mean, if they
11
gonna open up for the hunters are the hunters going to be allowed only to walk down or, you
know what I mean – because they want to close the vehicle traffic so I don’t know…
NP: Ah, Nani here. I have a comment – so the County, from my understanding, will be in the process
of fixing the road, fixing the banks, securing the bank and repairing the road within the next six
or so months so, I think it’ll definitely remained closed – I believe that’s the story, ah, except for
residents only, I think in our letter it should be about after the repairs that we would support
reopening access to the public – not only for hunters but for fishermen and also for hikers – it
connects to State trails – so there’s a lot of reason why public access really should be preserved
– not to mention the surfers down there but, so it would be for after the repairs are done that
we would hope, I mean, I would suggest in a letter that GMAC would hope that public access
would be restored. If it’s by a permit basis, if it’s by local Hawaii Island residents only – there’s
lots of ways they can control the traffic if it’s just to say no more rented vehicles to go down
there, um, so there’s a lot of ways they can solve the problems that GMAC may suggest in a
letter. Thank you…
AA: Thank you, Nani.
LT: Leomana – District 3. Yeah, I think this one is a hard one for me – I feel like if you are a hunter
and you’re from here then you would know how to get in, I mean, I, even though they closed
the road I can still go down I just make a call and I feel like all the hunters aren’t connected here
to where if you wanted to go you can kinda just go cause that’s how our community is kind of
set up with Waipio and I think after – like Nani was saying – after the fixing of the road. I hope
that they would open up access to the public, ah, but from what I know is – now that they have
a chance to close it down they want – like the residents and the farm owners – the farmers
down there they kind of want to regulate access, um, and not for us – not because of the
residents – but because there are so many tourists going down there over the past couple of
years, um, but, yeah, this one is – I think for myself I’m kind of just up in the air. If you guys
support it – I support it – if not then I, yeah, I don’t know. I just feel like if we wanted to go hunt
we could go hunt so I wouldn’t really need a letter of support to have hunter access.
TN: Abraham – Teresa from Kona.
AA: Go ahead, Teresa.
TN: You know on the road because it’s snow bird season – we have an extra 40,000 vehicles on the
road and over half of ‘em are 4-wheel drive vehicles especially the new Jeeps that are here and I
– maybe that’s the concern of the residents down Waipio – that these people are not educated
of how to be respectful towards the lands of Waipio. So we have to take a lot into consideration
before we draft a letter and, you know, get the whole story before we ask for public access.
Thank you.
NP: Nani here, I have one more comment. GMAC – one of the purposes of GMAC is for public access
and preserving public access and I feel it’s certain, in my opinion, that GMAC should take a stand
for the preservation of public access in Waipio Valley.
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AA: Thank you, Nani. Any other comments or our Commissioners for the public? OK. First I’d like to
say, thank you Commissioners because this – that more than one person was actually speaking
so I’d like to just thank you guys on that, um, the other thing is the first time that this Waipio
issue came up we was in GMAC I think – we wrote a – we already wrote a letter in support of
keeping it open for the reasons that Nani is saying, um, as far as what Teresa said – I think it
should and even Stanley, um, or maybe even Stanley brought up a new issue that we didn’t
know about was a tractor went down and hit a guard rail and maybe made the road more
unstable then what it was throughout the years, um, so now, thinking it that way and looking at
it in a different way that’s very unsafe if that thing is true – so Stanley since you are still a
commissioner at this time can you investigate that little bit more and maybe by next month you
can give us a report on it, um, as an individual – as a member of the public? And, ah, as far as
the road being open, I think they going leave the – I think the Mayor said indefinitely, am I right
Barbara? Or just until the time that it’s repaired and then they gonna re-look into it again.
SM: Stanley – District 1. They said until 2025 I think.
AA: Yeah, that’s probably gonna be the time when the estimated time for the repair. It’s just hard
for me and some of the other Commissioners to say when and it’s been brought up here before
– to say when they gonna close something – and Teresa you can pretty much agree with me
because and even when we had Jerome Nickerson and they closed the pier and the pier is still
closed at this time. So when the government says that they’re gonna close something the public
is really skittish to – when they say closure because it’s easy to close something and it’s harder
to open something back up. So I feel in GMAC’s stance we should close it for the repairs but yet
open it again after and maybe we can draw up some kind of letter stating that. Any other
comments at this time?
AA: Go ahead Leomana.
LT: Aloha, Leomana – District 3. I was – so my family lives right at the last house at the lookout. My
Auntie Nella lives in that house. I can ask if she wants to jump in and say something as well on
the next meeting just to get like one of the people who live there and their perspective on
what’s going on. And then if we wanted someone else my uncle – he works as the guard at the
top three days a week going down into Waipio so I can reach out to them and ask them if they
would, I guess, come and just tell us what’s going on from the people who live there – if that’s
something that we’re interested in.
AA: OK. Thanks, Leomana. Nani, you had something?
NP: I was just saying that what you said, Abraham, on the letter – I support that. Thank you.
AA: So at this time I’d like to hold off or maybe Stanley can re-take his motion – if I’m doing it
correctly and we’ll move it to next meeting and then Stanley can give a report and Leomana can
invite one or both people.
DML: So Chair you can table the motion until the next meeting.
13
AA: OK, so yeah, I’d like to table the motion to form a letter – let’s just move it down the road and
then we’ll bring this subject up again next meeting. Thanks, Diana.
b. HCR17 – Requesting the Department of Land and Natural Resources to convene a task
force to develop a feral ungulate management plan for West Hawai’i.
AA: Next is HCR 17 requesting the Department of Land and Natural Resources to convene a task
force to develop a fair ungulate management plan for West Hawaii. So, I got to get to this –
Representative Tarnas introduced this – I think it’s a resolution – and Peter Simmons kind of
touched up on this pretty much when he first – the first time that he was invited to GMAC and
he made it to the end and it was about like the goats – but this thing has a broader thing
because it says ungulates on it. And I not gonna read you guys the whole thing but just a
measure title and I think that I already did – requesting the Department of Land and Natural
Resources to convene the task force to develop a feral ungulate management plan for West
Hawaii and the reason why I’m bringing this up is because in this resolution – there in the task
force, actually, there having County GMAC have a representative – so I’m not sure if you guys all
had time to look at this – so let me know if you guys didn’t… Nobody? And then we can have a
discussion about this bill or resolution.
BL: Brian – District 4. I’m kinda against these things – it’s just basically the part of the government
getting involved with our game animals once again and overstepping their boundaries, you
know, these – it’s private property and you know State law says if the animal is on private
property belongs to the person so it would be up to the private individual if he has a problem
with goats he can reach out to some hunters and, you know, rectify the problem. It’s the same
thing as like they were talking about, you know, somebody’s got a feral pig problem – they call
me – I go take care of the problem. I don’t see why we need the government to step in and do
something that could be handled without the government’s thing – if somebody had a problem
with goats they could reach out and find people to take care of the goats if they don’t the goats
on their property anymore, you know, I don’t, like I said, once the government steps in then
we’re – next things no – we got the helicopters flying again and we’re eradicating goats in Kona
instead of Mauna Kea and everything else – this is my two cents worth on it, you know, if we
could discuss it with somebody else that the, you know, the Department of DLNR gets together
with the hunting community and we have classes like they have with their shooters where we’ve
got hunters that meet qualifications, get things, maybe we could get some special permits that
we \[unclear\] to get these pigs and \[unclear\] umbrella of the State and we have, you know,
\[unclear\] hunters that pass the background check to do these things and try to keep the
government’s \[unclear\].
SM: Stanley – District 1.
AA: OK. Stanley…
SM: Our objective is to have the State recognize our game mammals like they recognize our game
birds so, they want to do stuff like this – so then they can regulate on private property like they
regulate the birds – cause they give farmers permits to go shoot birds that are destroying their
crop so that’s my take – I mean make it so our game animals are protected like the birds and
14
regulated like the birds then we talk story about going into private property and getting these
animals, right? I mean that’s our objective, right?
AA: Yup.
PS: This is Peter Simmons chiming in here a little bit – I assume the – I understand what you’re
saying – it was kind of modeled after the Maui Deer Management – I guess they have a task
force on Maui that’s trying to help with the deer problem that includes the ranchers, the
landowners, you know, the whole pile – I think the idea here was to actually learn and better
manage the whole of the goat population and I’m only really familiar with that part of it but
clearly there’s too many goats getting killed on the highway and in the neighborhoods and all of
that, um, let alone that there are so many and they’re starving and the only thing that’s really
out there helping, there’s no management and so they’re starving and they have disease and
that’s not what anybody wants. And so how do we – looking at it from the perspective of people
– like yourselves – who really, I mean, many of you probably know goats – how do you properly
manage what we have as a resource so that it isn’t a hazard on the highway but it is animals that
have sufficient feed to survive. And I’m hoping, when I, you know, I was part of this – I must say I
didn’t get many of my ideas in but the only one that they took was that – I thought GMAC
should be represented – that was the only idea – the thing that worked and I think it’s an
opportunity to educate people because what I’ve learned just in the short time that I’ve been
listening is that you guys make a lot of sense and I think that sense needs to be heard and I’m
hoping and the way this was written, yeah, I think it’s a DOFAW driven or DLNR driven project
but I think you hire – you elect your own chairman and you can bring in other people that you
think are – have expertise in this and I was hoping that people like, you know, Mark Crivello and
other people that herd goats and know goats and maybe Darcy Nobriga and them would
participate as well because this is a resource as you guys say and we’re wasting it. I don’t mean
just wasting in the sense of not eating the meat – but we’re wasting it in the sense that
collectively yes – they’re owned by the property owner that – on the property that they’re on
but collectively, we have animals that are in bad shape and I don’t think anybody wants that. So
how do you take leadership on doing it right and I thought this was an opportunity to take
advantage of that – and I’m hoping that there’s a way to do that because I think the education
part is really, really critical. Thanks.
SM: Yeah, ah, Stanley – District 1. I agree with what you saying but we start with them recognizing
our game mammals. That’s what we start with – after they recognize our game mammals like
the do the birds then we move forward, then we talk, you know, because now once they do that
now they have an obligation to manage – really manage. That’s my point. We need animals to
come under action like our game birds.
BL: Brian – District 4. Hey, Peter, you know, we’ve, I’ve, you know we’ve suggested trapping animals
and moving them to hunting areas – they won’t do it, we suggest that they give water \[unclear\]
and we have the food and we manage these animals – the State land – these animals would
move into these areas but, you know, the State is not letting any water in there – they won’t let
us trap these animals and move ‘em to a hunting area and have a special hunt, and we get a
little frustrated when we come up with these ideas and then we’ve got this explosion like we see
on Maui and Kauai with these animals that aren’t managed and then all of a sudden it’s the
hunter’s fault – cause these animals are causing damage when you only get to hunt 2 days a
15
week and State holidays and they say the hunters aren’t doing their job so we need to get the
helicopters and do the eradication program again.
PS: I hear your frustration and I believe you and actually I think, I mean you guys know this stuff
better than I do - I’m just coming into it fresh – but I’m looking at it and saying, you know what
– this is an opportunity – I know you – I mean, that’s why I think they allowed for the committee
to elect their own chairman because they know that in certain places, you know, they would be
preferred to have other people than DLNR running the show, um, but the fact is that you guys
know a lot and the fact is the public needs that knowledge along with other people’s knowledge
– the ranchers and others that I – when you look at what they’re doing in Maui – hopefully, it
becomes intelligent and it’s humane and who’s going to lead that? You guys have to, I’m sorry,
but, you know, it seems to me that you guys are a key element even if you’re frustrated and I
just see it as – what you just said, Stanley, is being absolutely right – why wouldn’t you give
starving animals feed, why wouldn’t you give them water, why wouldn’t you move them to
better places? I mean, my goodness, but that all needs to be said – all the things that you said
that were right need to be said to a bigger audience and said more often and the same with
things that Nani has said in the past, I mean, I just think that \[unclear\] demonizing innocent
animals in the name of whatever is just not right and then you end up with this situation that’s
on our streets and highways and neighborhoods that nobody wants. So, you know, this might be
a time, like I said, for kind of reaching out for a bigger crowd and looking for an opportunity to
educate even though I got to be realistic – you guys have already, you know, blunted your head
many times, so…
BL: Brian – District 4. I just want to say thank you for putting it in there to put a GMAC
representative in there to get the hunters input and stuff like that – we appreciate, you know,
somebody thinking out – thinking for us and getting the other side involved in the process. I
appreciate that before we get into other stuff I just wanted to say that – thank you.
AA: Thanks guys for the discussion. You’re right, I agree with Stanley 100%.
NP: May I make a comment? Nani?
AA: Go ahead.
NP: I think with the task force I could be supportive of it if I knew the selection of the members,
they’re all volunteer bases except for probably the DLNR will have an employee that manages
the task force – but if we knew that the task force was made from people who were pro-game
resource – that would give me confidence and I do think maybe it’s a good opportunity for
GMAC to have a member on the task force that they may be able then to influence the task
force for these reasons that Brian brought up that animals could be relocated – they could be
given quality habitat and that’s what are bills are about SB 3299, HB 1872 is that our game
animals merit quality habitat, food, water and refuge and, yeah, if these animals could be
relocated onto a game management area that had increase – includes habitat. It could be a
good think if there were positive people on the task force, thank you…
AA: Thank you, Nani. Abraham – District 5, again. Yeah, like I said, I agree with Stanley and like Nani
just said – we really need support on our bills – you guys gonna get a legislative update pretty
soon, um…
16
SM: Stanley, District 1 – Until the State recognizes our game, it’s all for nothing – they going do what
they like do – I don’t care who they put on the board – they’re gonna do what they want to do.
AA: Abraham – District 5. That’s what I was just gonna bring up Stanley. Because as we know – we
talk onto deaf ears many times and we just keep repeating ourselves over and over but like
Peter said we need to be on a broader, a bigger scale. We need to be at more of these meetings
like Brian attended the Puuanahulu meeting and the opposition we get from these
environmentalists and even the public people that they’re grumbling about the goats that come
into their back yards and the pigs come in to their backyards and they no want to touch ‘em
because they’re scared of – the fear that the State or has put into their minds about all the
diseases and – but there’s, you know, there’s protection that you can use when you’re dealing
with your game animals – you can put on your rubber gloves and clean the animals very well,
cook your meat well, you know, there’s all these bunch of preventative stuffs that you can do
when you’re dealing with wild game that they’re not educated about because back in – when
was the missile alert 2015 – we went – me and my two sons went to one hunter education
advanced class about game mammal care and wasn’t even just about game mammals but it was
also discussing birds and a lot of – had maybe 50 people in that class that day and some of you
heard this story before – and a lot of the people that was there was elder people - non-hunters
that kill game in their backyard and they don’t know what to do with it so they came to this class
to learn – the second, the next step after dispatching the animal – so that’s something that we
can look at too – and that’s something that we need to push through is more education when it
comes to that next step after dispatching the animal.
TN: Abraham – Teresa – West Hawaii – Kona.
AA: Yeah, go ahead Teresa.
TN: You know, I’m really out there in the public and I’ve been talking to our people and they’ve said
they’re faced with the high prices of eating out, I mean, just to feed five kids costs this one
person over 125 dollars.
AA: Ho, ho, you no need tell me that.
TN: Yeah, with the drinks and everything so… I spoke to her about learning how to contact hunters
and we all collectively get together with the hunters and they share the catch that they do come
across because we’re gonna be faced with even higher prices – the gas is already over $5.00 a
gallon, which is gonna push prices for chicken even higher and people are gonna be faced with
what are they gonna do when they can’t afford these things. We’re really looking into pushing
the idea to our legislators and to DLNR that this is our food resource. We’re gonna have to feed
the public because they – some people are not going to be able to afford what’s happening right
now.
AA: Right.
TN: Thank you…
17
AA: Thank you, Teresa… Um, so as far as that – it’s a good (unclear) - thank you Peter for pushing for
GMAC to have a representative on that team that might be created.
So moving on, unless anybody has any more comments?
OK. Announcements. Nani would you want to talk about Na Ala Hele? Na Ala Hele and
Kaupakuea yeah.
7. ANNOUNCEMENTS:
NP: Nani here - I got tipped off on some information that I’m gonna present to Na Ala Hele at our next
meeting, on another access in North Hilo that might be much more obtainable then Kaupakuea…
Still, I think that Na Ala Hele is going to compose another letter, which I’ve been assigned to do –
requesting the Planning Department pursue that public access – but up in Honomu by Akaka Falls
there’s another – on paper – paper trail – of access into the forest reserve Kawiki side – it’s the
parcel of land – the private owner where the access goes through they’re applying for subdividing
that property in which case they would subdivide and sell and make lots of money so, it was
suggested that Na Ala Hele request that one of the conditions of their permit to subdivide would
be that the private landowner would do the clearing of that access so it’s a really simple clear cut
– there’s no reason they wouldn’t because they stand to make lots of money to receive the permit
so, that’s another one, GMAC could jump on board – that’s a current thing that’s happening so
it’s a good time hit the paddle while it is hot and get that public access established before this
private landowner subdivides the land (unclear) that’s all I have to say (unclear) most likely.
AA: Perfect. Leomana did you have any updates for that area too?
LT No, none at this moment.
AA: OK. Thanks… Nani? That other area you’re talking about in Kawiki – is that in District 2 or 3?
NP: I’m not sure – up Honomu – up by Akaka Falls. You go up Honomu. I’m not sure what district
that is.
SM: District 1.
NP: That’s yours Stanley? Yeah… Probably District 1.
AA: OK. We need a District 1 representative for that area. OK. Other announcements? I got a bunch
of them... DLNR updates – we get the 20 and 22 in the line mouflon – controlled special hunt –
it’s gonna be weekends and this is on Lanai – Saturdays, Sundays – April 2 and 3, April 9 and 10,
April 16 and 17, and April 23 and 24. So each weekend you going get 50 non-Lanai hunters so
everybody from out-of-state 50 per weekend can go to Lanai and go hunt. Use only and no bag
limits and that’s for Lanai’s mouflon
Turkey hunting season is still on. Ends April 15.
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Puuanahulu Game Management it’s opened in March – this month is the beginning part of this
month – it’s still available for hunting till June 26 and like Brian said it’s on weekends and State
holidays.
Mauna Kea and Kaohe Game Management Area is closed to the public. April 27 and 28 due to
animal control aerial shooting. And that’s something else that we’ve been fighting for a long
time.
For our gatherers a new system for collecting foliage and fruit trees in our State in and on our
State lands. There’s a new online process that you can go and access through
DLNR.Hawaii.gov/DOFAW/permits.
The Milolii CVSFA is moving forward. That’s a community-based fishing – something that’s been
brought up before in our meetings – the CVSFA – but the Milolii community is moving forward
with their plan – with their CVSFA plan.
There’s a job posting for Hawaiian Hawk Research Tech. You just contact East Hawaii DOFAW
Office.
And that’s all I got for announcements… OK… Moving…
SM: Stanley – District 1.
AA: Yeah, Stanley…
SM: You know this eradication now – that they gonna do this again and, you know, like Teresa hit on
it before – the food resources – maybe GMAC should write one letter – personal – to the
Governor – so that – and tell him that, our people now going be starving cause food not coming
and we going need this resource cause my understanding is bring out what they can so I thought
that, maybe well, if it wasn’t on gulch or something that they shot it they going leave but it’s not
the case, even inside trees, if they shoot ‘em in the trees the helicopter cannot land and they
not going pick up those animals and all that is wasted so we gotta stop that.
AA: Diana, if we write a letter to the Governor does that have to go through the Mayor or can GMAC
write an individual letter to the Governor itself.
DML: I think that should go – that would be to go through the Mayor.
AA: Still would have to go through the Mayor?
DML: Yeah.
AA: So we’d have to advise the Mayor to stop eradication due to limited resources in the future –
however the wording should be…
DML: You’re making a case that animals would provide food for people and shouldn’t be wasted. So
that’s an important point.
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AA: Yeah. OK. Thank you.
BL: Brian – District 4.
AA: Yeah, hold on Brian. OK so at this time I would like to make a discussion. Go ahead Brian.
BL: OK. Hey, I just wanted to point out according to the DLNR zone numbers they only recover 40%
of the animals they shoot so 60% is left rotting on the mountain so that’s something to consider
that – they’re not even getting 50% of the animals that they’re killing. So, just to throw that out
there.
LT: Leomana – District 3. Is there any way I can find that in writing so I can use that as a kadata
point and reference?
BL: Brian – District 4. talk to DLNR – they should have that somewhere – that’s where I got it – I
read it somewhere but I can’t remember where it was – I remember the numbers stopped
‘cause I was disgusted with the whole thing that the number stuck in my head. And it was even
lower cause they had a new helicopter pilot and the numbers were even low cause he was not
doing the sketchy stuff – he was – they was even worse – so they got the new – the old
helicopter pilot back where they were recovering more so, you know, the numbers fluctuate but
on average it was about a 40% reduction.
AA: Any other comments? Discussion? Kean you get anything to say about this thing?
KU: Kean – District 2 – you know I think we went through all this once before, um, we’ve been going
through this for how many years since the 70s. I think we can try to write that letter. I’m not
sure - Yeah, I think we just got to get that through legislation, you know, that what we’re trying
to do there and that hopefully takes care of, you know, everything that we’re trying, you know,
to do for GMAC.
AA: OK. Thanks, Kean… OK, so, I guess at this time you guys like to vote to draft up a letter…
DML: You need a motion first, Chair.
AA: Yeah, a motion to draft up a letter, yeah…
CO: This is Cortney – District 8 – I’d like to put forward a motion to draft the letter as stated…
BK: Can we go ahead and state a motion clearly please… Thank you… This is Barbara…
SM: I second the motion…
AA: No, hold on… Cortney you better make it more clearly of what she’s making a motion for the
letter for us…
CO: Ah, can someone assist with the language that we would like to use exactly please…? I don’t
want to get it wrong…
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AA: OK, so, ah, Cortney made a motion to draft up a letter to advise the Mayor to advise the
Governor to postpone the eradication on Mauna Kea to save our game resources for…
BL: Sustainability…
AA: There you go – that’s what I was looking for… Something like that…
BK: OK. So Cortney…
BL: Food security and sustainability – how’s that sound.
AA: There you go – that sounds a lot better.
CO: That sounds good.
BK: Brian, repeat that again what did you say?
BL: Ah, that we draft a letter to the Mayor to send to the Governor to stop the eradication hunt on
Mauna Kea…
AA: Postpone the eradication…
BK: OK. So this is what I have, OK, so the motion is to advise the Mayor to advise the Governor to
postpone the eradication to save our resources for food sustainability…
AA: There you go – sounds good.
BL: Sounds good.
BK: OK. Second?
SM: I second, Stanley second.
AA: OK. Diana could you make a roll call vote please?
DML: You have to see if there’s any more discussion now, Chair.
AA: OK. Is there any more discussion at this time?
LT: None…
DML: It’s so – hearing none – you want me to do the roll call vote?
AA: Yes.
DML: Commissioner Mendes?
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SM: Yes…
DML: Commissioner Umeda?
KU: Yes.
DL: Commissioner T uralde?
LT: Aye, yes…
DML: Commissioner Ley?
BL: Yes.
DML: Commissioner Antonio?
AA: Yes.
DML: Commissioner Hashida?
AA: He’s absent…
DML: Oh, absent. Sorry about that… Commissioner Okumura?
CO: Aye.
DML: And Commissioner Donev is absent also?
BK: Correct.
DML: So you have six, yeah.
BK: No nays.
DML: The motion carries.
Action: C. Okamura motioned to request the Mayor to write a letter to advise the Governor
to postpone the eradication on Mauna Kea to save our resources for food
sustainability. Seconded by S. Mendes. Motion passed unanimously by voice vote.
AA: Thank you, Diana. Moving forward…
DML: So Chair who is drafting the letter? Is that worked out?
AA: That’s the roughed out I’m gonna make a phone call and then we’ll da kine go update on the
next meeting.
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DML: OK.
8. COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Shooting Range:
AA: Thanks. Now we’re going to Committee Reports. OK, so, Committee Reports – before we get to
the Committee Reports let’s have a discussion on the committees. So we have one, two, three,
four – we only have four committees, one is the Shooting Range, and we have two active
Commissioners involved with the Shooting Range and that’s Stanley Mendes and Kean Umeda,
two members from the public which is Tom Lodge and Jim O’Keefe – so at this time there’s only
Kean and Stanley – you guys have any updates on that committee?
KU: Kean – District 2. Right now we’re still waiting.
AA: OK. Oh, on this Shooting Range one we’re gonna have one update on ‘em actually when we get
down to the Legislative Committee, OK, so let’s move on to Cultural Practices – we have
Leomana and Teresa. Teresa is not here – Leomana do you have anything, any updates for
Cultural Practices Committee?
Cultural Practices:
LT: Ah, Aloha, Leomana – District 3. I just have a short presentation on our Hawaiian Moon Phases
– seeing as today is our power moon – I wanted to do a short presentation and talk about the
basics of the Hawaiian Moon Phase which we call Kaulana Mahina. Let me see if I can pull this
up and share my screen – OK – ay yah – OK. Aloha, this is Leomana – Kaulana Mahina is the
Hawaiian Moon Phase calendar – this is one of the best calendars according to nature and
when I say nature I mean the natural like cycle – the earth, sun and moon systems versus the 7-
day work week that we have. The Hawaiian moon is named mahina after the Hawaiian Goddess
of the moon Mahinahina – which is a female energy and, um, the male name we have for the
moon in Hawaiian is Lonomuku after the male god of agriculture. A lot of the Hawaiian gods
and goddesses they’re named after the natural elements and the, I guess, the spirit and power
that they bring with them – in Hawaii we have 3 weeks consisting of10 days which we call
Anahulu – Anahulu is a Hawaiian word for a short period – the first of our 3 weeks is the
Ho’onui Anahulu or the Ho’onui phase and that’s the growing of the Hawaiian moon, um, these
are all the ten names right here – we’re moving forward to the Poepoe phase – this is the
current phase that we’re in right now, I like to call this our power phase – our moon tonight is
Hua – Hua is our third one out of the 10 and our last ten days in our week is Ho’emi phase or
the lessening one. Emi means to lessen. Obviously, if you look at the moon phases you can
(unclear). Tonight is the first of our four power moons – our first four moons in Hawaii. Hua.
Hua means egg – it’s one of the most powerful moons out there. A long time ago most
Polynesian women would cycle according to this moon phase right there – this where the
majority of the Hawaiian animals drop their seeds, drop their eggs and become fertile right
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before all of the rest of the four power moons. Um, and, right back here is the important for
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our full moon system – if you guys see on the 5 one down we have Hōkū ili when the moon is
still in the sky as the sun rises and when the moon is out of the sky when the sun rises – this is
important to us because a lot of fishing and hunting happening at this time. This is where the
animals would come out and eat – this is the early game hunting period. And also, this is the
late night hunting period. I hunt all night during our full moons – I don’t know about you guys –
and on Mauna Kea during the full moon time is when most of the accidents happen because
most of the mouflon and the goat are out close to the road because the moon reflects on the
road, um, and it reflects strongly during our power moon so if you guys check the traffic
records that the Hawaii County Police you can see that most of the accidents on Mauna Kea –
on Saddle Road – happen during this moon phase period - the Poepoe. And that’s it – my
basics on the Hawaiian Moon Calendar. Mahalo.
AA: Right on. Looks good, thanks very much Leomana.
LT: Thank you.
Legislative Committee:
AA: Next we’re moving to Legislative Committee – Grayson is the chair for that committee but he’s
excused and next we have George and he’s excused so I asked Cortney to do a, oh, actually we
have Brian who’s also in the Legislative Committee and Nani from the public. So I asked Cortney
to do legislative update.
CO: Aloha everyone, thank you Chair, this is Cortney – District 8. So thanks again to Nani for
compiling this list for us – she’s been following things very closely, um, I’ll start with SB 3298
with regard to the shooting range developments since on our minds today the bill passed
through the Water and Land Committee. It had no opposition and no amendments today so that
was good news that bill.
With regard to SB 3299…
AA: Hold on Cortney. So, yeah, SB 3298 so far it went through about – I would say now like – just
over half of the legislative process and it has reached no oppositions or no changing of wording
or anything so that one is going by steadily so if you guys can tell your friends and everybody to
keep on supporting SB 3298. OK. Cortney…
CO: OK, so according to Nani, Senator Tarnas eliminated SB 3299 today because supposedly HB 1872
had a head start and they are companion bills, so HB 1872 is currently waiting for the review in
the Water and Land Committee and the Agriculture and Environment Committees. So,
assignments for Commissioners – if you could please call and or email actually – they do prefer
that you email your requests and testimony – I’ve tried to call before and they just tell you to
email. Senator Inouye and Senator Gabbard and ask them to schedule HB 1872 – let’s see, oh,
an important note there – we are also needing to ask for amendments to that so if you can ask
them, as you’ll see in your email – Nani has sent this out before – we’re asking them to take out
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the word “can” on page 1 line 12, um, because game animals have and do provide a resource for
local sustainability and subsistence. OK.
Oh, and we’re still waiting to hear about HB 662 – we don’t have an update on that one.
But, yeah, good news on SB 3298, so, keep an eye on your emails and, again, was everyone able
to get set, -up on the state legislature page and get their updates? So I’m getting all the hearing,
you know, notices of hearings so you can sign up, type in the name of the bill and they’ll
automatically email you when things get a hearing or when there’s action on a certain piece of
legislation so I highly recommend you doing that so you can stay up-to-date on what’s
happening. And that’s all I have…
AA: Thanks, Cortney for the update. Eh, Brian, can you give us – do you have an update for HB 662?
BL: Ah, I talked to the, oh, I can’t remember off the top of my head and they said…
AA: Ishihara?
BL: Yeah, it was gonna go forward – I was gonna give him a call and get an update from him on what
was happening with HB 662. I’ll try to do that tomorrow if I don’t have any pigs in the trap.
AA: OK. Thanks, Brian. As far as the other legislative things – Cortney just asked if you guys already
set-up on the legislative website, if not, please do and testimonies – one thing to be set-up on
the website but we still need the testimonies when it’s time for the testimonies so they going
send you the alerts you’re gonna read through the bills, it going be the last line on the bottom
that’s going to be the most recent activity – it’s gonna, if you read through it, it’s gonna tell you
the time, date of the meeting or the hearing and you need testimony in 24 hour notice. As far as
the letters that we sent to the Mayor I’m pretty sure they’re going to send the letters out again
– cause each committee it goes to we gotta submit testimony all over again. And I checked with
Steve Bader which is – he runs the county legislation and he’s watching all of our bills and, ah,
which is good, so, at least the county has our back on our bills that we have going through – that
we asked them to support, so that’s good.
Out Door Day, October 2022:
AA: As far as the last committee which is Outdoor Day 2022 – Brian Ley, Stanley Mendes and
Leomana and also myself. Leomana – if you’re available this Sunday Brian is available – let’s
have a meeting on Sunday in Hilo at one of the beaches is just fine.
Name changed to “Hunter, Fishing Day Expo”. Date to be determined.
LT: Leomana – District 3. Available.
9. COMMISSIONER REPORT BY DISTRICTS:
AA: OK. Perfect. Now let’s move – I think the last one is Commissioner Reports so I’ll run through the
districts which is District 1 – Mr. Mendes – do you have anything to report for your district?
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SM: No. All good.
AA: Sure? No, you get the Waipio stuff, that’s right, you going follow up next month brah from the
public. District – 2 – Leomana – you get anything for your district.
LT: District 3 – Leomana. Not right now, Mahalo.
AA: District – 2 – Kean?
KU: Well, I been hearing the rumors that we might get a range someplace in Hilo. So, public range –
so that’s kinda nice to see people moving forward so, I’ll keep you guys updated.
AA: So it’s a public range – meaning for – I don’t know how much information you get but public
range meaning like something just like – just the range or rifle range or all together?
KU: Ah, 600-yard range.
AA: Oh, that’s pretty nice. OK. Yeah, keep us updated with that…
KU: Yes, I will…
AA: OK, now, District 3 – Leomana.
LT: District – 3, you know what – I actually was trying to investigate (unclear) - don’t know if, ah, I
guess I’m still kinda lost on top of game animals in the ocean. I don’t know how it goes but I was
investigating they wanted to build a bigger dock down in Keaukaha and the impacts that would
have on the wildlife in the ocean in the whole Keaukaha region so, ah, if anybody has any
updates or ideas on the dock and maxing…
AA: Abraham – District 5. I not sure about the whole process but you know what we can bring in one
representative for DARs and then we can discuss with him and at the same time we can have
Cortney ask Jerome Nickerson to come back again.
LT: Mahalo.
AA: District – 4, Brian Ley?
BL: Nothing at the moment.
AA: You have no update with DOFAW about the excursion we went on or anything?
BL: Oh, we did that at the last meeting, didn’t we? Oh, well, Abraham and I – we drove around with
DOFAW…
AA: Oh, if you, only if you had any updates on that?
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BL: Oh, no, nothing, sorry.
AA: OK. District – 5 – they still trapping in various different communities. And if you guys have any
other people that want to help the community trap – the state has their community trapping
program – it’s called DOFAW and put yourself on that list. District – 6 – is absent, right? District –
7 is vacant. District – 8 – Cortney – you have any updates?
CO: Hello, everyone. Cortney – District 8. Um, yes, I may be considered stalking Jerome – at this
point I’ve called, emailed - I’ve contacted other people in his office as well, no one will call me
back – trying to find out more information about the pier closure – so I’m probably gonna just
head down there at this point – I tried one more time today and no one responded so… I’ll just
go down to the harbor and see if I can get some information and report back next time, so… And
then one other question I had is for new folks moving to the Island – what is the best place for
getting information on or accurate up-to-date information on places to hunt?
AA: At this point I would suggest two things. One is like we discussed before in our meetings to go
download the app…
CO: If they’re not super technologically, I guess I can print stuff up for them. Ah, it seems like…
AA: Yeah, so there’s the outer special app…
SM: Stanley – District 1. You can…
AA: ….and then you can download the game mammal or the bird hunting books – you can download
‘em and print them out for them and the third way is talk to or find some local hunters – go
reach – and they asked before about reach out to you’re the hunting stores on the Kona side
and just introduce yourself and they can introduce themselves and hopefully, they can reach
somebody that’ll take them out. If they’re on this side then you can probably reach out to me
and Brian and maybe even Leomana, Kean and see how that works out.
CO: Excellent. Thanks, guys.
SM: Stanley – District 1. The DOFAW offices in Waimea or in Hilo – they supposed to have the
hunting rules and regulations and they tell you where you can hunt and what the seasons and
everything.
CO: OK. Thank you. Yeah, some of the website information they said seemed outdated so, um,
anyway, I’ll look in to that myself – but just wondering if you guys had other resources, thank
you…
AA: Yeah, just the app like I said and then I’d say the most recent one would be go to the office
cause like you just said, it’s kind of sketchy downloading which one because I’ve downloaded
and older one – an older version – and then there’s a newer version – the kind of like – you
don’t know what you’re reading – there’s some grey lines here and there inside some of the
books, so, yeah, you’re right… OK. Any other topics you guys want to discuss? If not, anybody
want to call for to adjourn the meeting? Make a motion?
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BK: Chair, this is Barbara…
AA: Yeah, Barbara?
BK: We need discuss a motion in the commissioners’ standing legislative committee to travel to
Oahu to represent bills.
AA: That’s right Barbara. OK. So last one is as far as the going back up to the Committee Reports –
me and Brian is planning on taking a trip to Oahu and, we’re gonna use GMAC funds so we need
a vote from the committee to travel, is that right Barbara?
BK: What exactly are you doing on this travel?
AA: We’re travelling to Oahu to go and speak to the legislators about our bills.
BK: OK. And I spoke earlier to our attorney and, our Deputy Managing Director has approved, has
said, go ahead and discuss it in your meeting and vote on it and then I’ll work out all the details
with you later.
AA: Yeah. So at this time…
DML: So we need a vote… Sorry Chair…
AA: Yeah, I was gonna open to discussion…
DML: You do the motion and second first then the discussion and then the vote.
AA: OK. Still learning the process. OK. Need somebody to make a motion for using GMAC funds to go
to Oahu to talk to legislators about our legislative bills.
LT: Leomana – District 3. I’d like to start a motion to use funds to go to Oahu to talk to legislators
about our bills…
CO: Cortney – District 8 – second.
DML: I think you should also mention who’s going…
AA: I did, ah, Brian…
?: GMAC Committee members…
DML: ….you do it in the motion…
LT: Aloha, District – 3, Leomana…
AA: Leomana made the motion, Cortney seconded…. So now we going open for discussion, right?
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BK: No.
DML: Yeah, but I think you need to…
AA: No, wrong again?
DML: ….to say for yourself and Mr. Ley to travel to Oahu. It needs to be specific.
AA: I think Leomana was catching ‘em… Sorry Leo…
LT: Yeah.
BK: Leomana, go ahead.
LT: Leomana – District 3. I’d like to make a motion to discuss spending GMAC funding to send
particular commissioners – in this case – the Chair and Brian to Oahu to talk to legislators about
our bills.
BK: OK. Need a second…
CO: Cortney – District 8. Second…
BK: Now the discussion…
AA: OK. Now we’re open for discussion… Any discussion?
LT: Leomana – District 3. I think it’s an amazing idea to be there physically to represent the bills and
our ideas and, I guess the things that we want to see. I’d 100% go myself to the rotunda and
show up in person so I think that showing face is something that we should do especially in this
time of high prices and food scarcity.
CO: This is Cortney – District 8. I am also in support of you guys going and appreciate your
willingness to travel and take it on. I’m curious if we’ve had – I don’t even know how much we
have in our funds and if whether or not we have enough to pay for the trip and how much
would be left over after the trip would be done.
AA: Yeah, I was just going call you on that, but…
BK: OK. I’ll just read it. There’s $3,831.33 cents in the budget as of today.
AA: OK. So if that’s how much – pretty much GMAC is – I’m not sure what is the total funds of what
they’re allocated for every year – that’s the amount that we have at this point – so me and Brian
hopefully will try make ‘em so we can go out probably tomorrow is Wednesday, right, and
hopefully we can get out here by Thursday then come back and give you guys a report at next
month’s meeting also.
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DML: Chair, I think there was a question about, you know, like how much approximately it would cost
for the two of you to go… I don’t know if you’re staying over or…
AA: No, we’re not staying over – we just staying for the day… Just go in the morning, stay the day, do
our business and then head back, you know, the last flight or whatever the next available flight
is – as far as the pricing I can’t really say because prices change day-to-day as far as the flight
and then there’s also taxi but I was gonna try reach out to Todd Yukatake cause he’s familiar
with the area and maybe he can pick us up but I still gotta reach out to him and then there’s not
gonna have the taxi cost.
DML: So likely it would be under $1,000 dollars.
AA: Oh, yeah, I’m pretty sure it’ll be under $1,000 dollars. Thanks, Diana.
DML: So if there’s not more discussion then we can do the vote…
AA: Yes – no more discussions so, yeah, you can make a vote.
LT: Leomana – District 3. I just wanted to check, I mean, if I can tag along and I’m free – I gotta
figure it out with my family tonight but I’ll tag along for the day if you need. If that’s – I just
wanted to check – if that’s an option – or we – cause of the two-person rules is actually…
DML: I’m not familiar with the 2-person rule…
BL: The Sunshine…
AA: The Sunshine law, but it’s not two people…
LT: Is it, ah, OK, maybe I’m confused with two Commissioners…
DML: Oh, OK, yeah. Two Commissioners discussing board business, sorry…you’re right…
AA: So he cannot go?
DML: No.
AA: Shucks… OK. End of discussion, anybody else? OK, Diana can you make a roll call vote?
DML: OK. Commissioner Mendes?
SM: OK.
DML: Commissioner Umeda?
KU: Yes.
DML: Commissioner Turalde?
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LT: Ah, yes.
DML Commissioner Ley?
BL: Yes.
DML: Commissioner Antonio?
AA: Yes.
DML: Commissioner Okumura?
CO: Yes.
DML: Six ayes. Motion carries.
Action: L. Turalde motioned to discuss spending GMAC funds (up to $1,000) to allow Chair
Antonio and Commissioner B. Ley to travel to Oahu to talk to legislators about our bills.
Seconded by: C. Okamura. Motion passed unanimously by voice vote.
10. ADJOURNMENT:
AA: Thank you. Now, would anybody like to make an adjournment motion?
ACTION: B. Ley motion to adjourn meeting at 8:32 pm. Seconded by C. Okamura. Motion
passed unanimously.
Next Meeting: April 19, 2022.
Respectfully submitted by,
Barbara Kossow
Secretary
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