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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-07-19 - Ltr. GMAC to D. Smith DLNRWilliam P. Kenoi Mayor July 19, 2016 County of Hawaii Office of the Mayor Randall M. Kurohara Managing Director Robert H. Command Deputy Managing Director 25 Aupuni Street, Suite 2603 • Hilo, Hawai'i 96720 • (808) 961-8211 • Fax (808) 961-6553 KONA: 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy., Bldg C • Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i 96740 (808) 323-4444 • Fax (808) 323-4440 Hawai'i County Game Management Advisory Commission David Smith, Administrator Division of Forestry and Wildlife Department of Land and Natural Resources Kalanimoku Building 1151 Punchbowl Street Honolulu, HI 96713 Dear Mr. Smith: This letter is a follow up on a number of outstanding promises made by DLNR that are to date unresolved. We are seeking a response to the following: Request for DLNR to implement the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for Puuwaawaa/Puuanahulu: On November 16, 2015, Edith Adkins gave a presentation to GMAC (Hawaii County Game Management Advisory Committee) regarding the implementation of a sustainable game program for Puuanahulu. It is now 8 months since our meeting with Ms. Adkins and DLNR still hasn't implemented the program. What is delaying it and when will it start? Re -drafting DLNR's Game Rules: On June 22, 2015, Scott Fretz, Acting Administrator, came with Chair Suzanne Case to meet with the GMAC. Mr. Fretz seemed to welcome the idea to work with a committee of hunters who would suggest rule changes to DLNR's game rules. GMAC was pleased to hear this because the vast majority of change recommendations made in 2008 were ignored by DLNR due to the urgency of reinstating tag fee revenues for the Wildlife Revolving Fund. Informal Committee to Re -draft Game Rules: James Cogswell, Wildlife Program Manager, suggested a tentative start date of December 2015 for this new committee. That date has lapsed without action. Now Mr. Cogswell suggests that the new State Game Commission take up this task when the new Wildlife Game Coordinator is hired on County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. David Smith, Administrator Division of Forestry and Wildlife July 19, 2016 Page 2 July 18, 2016. We want to begin the revision process now with a committee of hunters. We feel the State Commission's responsibility lies with game management. Hawai'i Island Game Management Plan (HIGMP) Status: Since 2010 DLNR has not returned the draft HIGMP to the original working group for comment and /or modification. DLNR promised GMAC at the March 2016 meeting that after their corrections, which they indicated have been done, they would get the draft back to the original working group, as well as, GMAC. We ask DLNR to return the current draft with their modifications to the original working group and GMAC as promised. The Wildlife Revolving Fund: Monies from the Wildlife Revolving Fund (funded entirely by hunter dollars) are obligated first to Pittman -Robertson (Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act) match requirements and don't seem to make best use of these distributions for the preservation or benefit of our game mammals. How is this being justified? How are you determining where monies are to be spent and what measures are you using to determine the benefit to our resources, particularly our game mammal resources? In many regards, from the hunter's standpoint, these are wasted dollars. We'd like to complete the game management plan and we'd like some money for our game mammals. We look forward to hearing back from your regarding these questions. Aloaah, ��a Thomas Lodge Game Management Advisory Commission Chair Cc: Chairwomen, Suzanne Case First Deputy, Kekoa Kaluhiwa James Cogswell, Wildlife Program Manager Hawai'i Island State Legislators County of Hawai'i is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.