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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024_09_17 Game Management Advisory Commission DRAFT Minutes Game Management Advisory Commission County of Hawai’i Minutes Meeting Date: September 17, 2024 Time: 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm Location: Zoom and In-Person - 25 Aupuni St., Ste. #1501, Puna Conf Rm., Hilo HI 1. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL: The meeting was called to order at 9:03 am. District 1 - Robert Duerr, Present, in person District 2 -Taysen Wong Chong, Present, in person District 3 - Rhon Leomana Turalde, Present, in person District 4 – Brian Ley –Present, in person District 5 - Vacant District 6 – Vacant District 7 – Natalie Reynolds – Excused District 8 – Cortney Okumura – Present, Zoom District 9 - Justin Ackerman, Present, Zoom Quorum Established (Total of 6) STAFF: Inha Kandatsu Kang Attorney, Corporation Counsel, in person. Barbara Kossow, Administrative Specialist, Mayors Kona Office, via Zoom. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: August 20, 2024 Action: Motion made by R. Duerr to approve August 20, 2024 minutes as circulated. Seconded by L. Turalde. Motion carried unanimously by poll voice vote. LT: Aloha, mai kakou. Thank you for joining us – this is her (Attorney Inha Kandatsu- Kang) third official meeting. Some housekeeping rules – please make sure your cell phones are turned off or are on silent – to all of us attending in person please remember to speak into the microphone so we can hear you. Under HRS 92-3 Sunshine Law – GMAC may remove any person who willfully disrupts this meeting and all persons appearing in front of GMAC are reminded to conduct themselves in a courteous manner. Questions from the public – for those on Zoom you may pose a question in the Chat – for those in person you may write your question on one of the statement papers we have over here – that way the Commission can keep a record. For those in person – just remember your questions may be asked, may not be answered. OK. And I guess that’s the beginning of our meeting. Thank you very much for the introduction and opening. So today is a very short meeting – OK, before we add anything to the agenda, I’d just like to ask our new District – 2 Commissioner (Taysen Wong Chong) to give us a little background, inspirations and why you’re here and what’s your long-term goals. Welcome. 1 TWC: My name is Taysen Wong Chong, I’m representing for District – 2, first off, I’d like to thank everybody for giving me the opportunity to be here as well. To give you some background, I studied Environmental Science and Biology, Forestry and Wildlife with the University of Hilo. Member of the Makahanaloa Fishing Association, caretaker of Hamakua coastline, I’ve been present in the meetings \[unclear\] growing up not just here but Department of Hawaiian Homelands, attended meetings, very active in a few non- profits in the community. I’ve worked with DLNR in the past 2007-2009. Basically, my goals are to preserve what we have, yeah, as, \[unclear\] conservation but for our future generations to come and as a community member as well there are concerns, of course, that we all have but as well for myself and how we can help manage these concerns and that’s just a little bit of my background. In the future there will be discussion of what I have in play - a lot of it has to do with the \[mauna?\] I’m not gonna lie, so… that’s what I’m here for. 3. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS: LT: Any statements from the public on agenda items? We have no people in the public meeting room, and I don’t see anybody raising their hands in the Chats. AA: (Abraham Antonio, pass GMAC chair) I can do mine or I can go now, or I can go later. LT: So, we got statements from the public we have Mr. Abraham Antonio, expert hunter, expert field man, and expert welder. AA: I’m here today to talk about Section 8, Part A – Open forum public comments on issues not on the current agenda for consideration for GMAC’s agenda at the next meeting, so I’d like 3 items – we can discuss them now or do we wait till you guys actually reach those items. IK: (Inha Kandatsu-Kang, Deputy Attorney). You can just provide some background and then they can decide when to put it on – if they’re gonna put it on the next agenda. AA: Ok. Barbara, did you get the photos I sent you? Is it possible that you can pull ‘em up? BK: I’ll look. AA: Game mammals when living in a wild or feral state not under domestication: deer, pronghorn, goat, sheep, cattle, pig – and any mother mammal that may or have been introduced into the State and released for hunting and for which a hunting season is established by law or by rule of the Department. So, just representing the community – so with that being said, is this from the HRS 183d- 51 – of Game Animals defined with exceptions – so with this – that’s basically saying that our animals within GMA’s (Game Management Area) and forest reserve – they’re not, ungulates they’re ungulates but they’re not invasive species because they were 2 introduced to these \[unclear\] so they’re technically, in my opinion, protected animals and I bringing this part up to the Commission so you guys can go back and investigate this under the HRS 183d-51. And I provided that to the Chair – so the Chair can do it through Corp Counsel and then you guys can…vote to approve that. I don’t know if you guys like do that or? Just to have it documented but I believe the Commission should look into this. Can protect these animals in our reserves and they’ve been released there for hunting. LT: Is there a – I can have a discussion right now or? IK: No, let’s do \[unclear\] legal research first. And then I can get back to you for the next meeting and we can go into it then. I’d want to research it… LT: Right… IK: Yeah. AA: I’m just bringing this to light that technically I was given this for our last Corporation Counsel and \[unclear\] recently… LT: Yeah… AA: My bad \[unclear\] as the last Chair \[unclear\] I see this \[unclear\] for you guys to investigate. LT: Do you know if there’s a different legal designation or description… AA: Well, it goes back, it kinda goes like there’s this and then there’s also the Act – the one we introduced – now it’s law. So maybe we can compile – maybe you guys can compile the two together and really do a strong arm and present that to the State in an advisory manner. LT: I’m trying to look for where the State puts that these animals are invasive or… AA: I guess in some areas, right? LT: Yeah. AA: But as far as like designated GMA’s or \[unclear\] and forest reserve – guaranteed in GMAs. LT: Yeah, in GMAs this is the designation, right? AA: Game Management Area, right, so that would be like \[unclear\]. 3 BL: Brian, District – 4, a few years ago the State was trying to designate them as pests so that way they had no legal standing and the group shoot it down, so, we’ve gone through this before. Words mean a lot especially the lawyers and the…like you said if we can get these down – designated as game animals and \[unclear\] like they’re supposed to be… AA: It’s pretty much what this is designated… RD: Duerr, District – 1. It might be advisable for us to have an attorney from a hunting group or a national wildlife group or in the State of Hawaii to kind of like put us into the ballpark of what this means. BL: A legal definition. RD: A legal definition – and looking at it from our perspective and not the State’s perspective, because essentially what Abraham’s bringing to the table is that games are resources – to be – and you would think that resource would have a management plan and that there was an impact on those game for problem areas that would lead to a mitigation. The resources are valuable, yes, there’s a problem, yes we have a management plan, yes, yes, we’re gonna consider what we need to do. Put the game in another area, put money into another area for enhancement, you see what I’m saying this essentially is how the environmentalists work – once they have a resource that has a jurisdiction and a mandate – when you’re gonna affect it you need to have a mitigation package, you need to pay. LT: OK. I think we should add this on the agenda for next month’s meeting, yeah, and then have it in that designation, discussion, yeah.... IK: There’s a lot going on – a lot of detail, yeah. LT: So, thank you for bringing this up. Moving on. AA: Chair, there’s no District – 5 representative at this time, so I’d like to throw it back into your court about, you know Volcano Transfer Station and move the boulders back to the front. So maybe the Commission can have a discussion about that and write a letter to the Mayor, County Council and also Department of Solid Waste. Two weekends ago - there was an influx of hunters that was actually parking alongside the road...it is not safe. And this has been a continuing issue \[unclear\] move them from the front to the back… LT: It’s not safe. RD: Abraham, can we have a concise like paragraph of like what’s – where’s the problem – what’s the impact. So, like maybe \[unclear\]. 4 AA: I don’t write, I have it recorded. Basically, there’s no real access to the forest reserve in those areas, I mean, there’s – we’ve had this discussion before – there’s quite an access right above the transfer station which is the 25-mile marker which it goes in maybe 25 \[unclear\] yard. DOFAW has gone in and did some gravel, they have gone in and taken out some of the grass that was in there so that is one way to access the forest reserve. Below the transfer station there’s another hunting trail over there that people that can only park like one vehicle at a time and then you can access the forest there. Other than that it’s right next to the transfer station – the State owns the property right around the transfer station and back in the day you could traverse in and out right next to the transfer station and there was a road that drove \[unclear\] maybe 200 yards back \[unclear\] I really not sure exactly what the distance is, but since the County upgraded that transfer station it just kept on blocking and they blame vandalism to the facility. the last time they moved the boulders to the back. They were still continuing on with vandalism to the facility but in my opinion it doesn’t matter if the boulders in the front or the back – they still getting vandalism – they still getting theft over there at the station so why penalize… LT: The hunters… AA: …. forest users. LT: Gatherers… AA: Because guarantee get other people that would like to use that as customary practices, right. So that was number two. Number 3 is to the Chair as well. This is actually in District – 4, Commissioner Brian’s district. There’s this bunch of land between Makuu Paradise Park and Hawaiian Beaches – it’s unencumbered state land – with the state taking away a lot of our hunting areas and if this is unencumbered land I’m asking the Commission – you need to write some kind of advisory letter or investigate these properties and see if we can turn that into a GMA because there’s – in my opinion – and, you know, traversing through these properties – there’s no real invasive, endangered animals nor is it any endangered plants – is only invasive grasses and invasive trees. So, the first parcel and you guys will get it later on when we document it. The first parcel is 1, 882.44 acres, right, and all these acres they have different – four different tax map key numbers – but I think they are all one big parcel even though they are individual. So, the first one is 1-5-01:000 – that is 1,882.44 acres. The next parcel is 1-5-01:003 – this one is 3, 823 acres. The next parcel is 1-5-009:009 – this one is 780 acres. The last parcel is 1-5-009:010 and this is 639.94 acres. That’s a lot of potential hunting land in these areas and maybe you guys can investigate it as well – and I’ll do my own investigation as well but as the Commission you guys can do your guys own – maybe create a PIG – investigate it and maybe potentially – maybe the County can actually purchase this land – we had a discussion in \[unclear\] and I think Robert Duerr might have been there, I not sure, when one of the potential mayor candidates – then 5 we do – we can purchase this land under the County potentially under one of the – maybe Robert Duerr can help me out with this… RD: The public funds… AA: Public funds… LT: Legacy \[unclear\] designation. Something like that, yeah? AA: Maybe the County can actually have their own hunting area, yeah? So, other than that – Barbara did you get a chance to upload the photos I sent you this morning? BK: Yeah, you texted me something. It’s on Civil Beat. IK: What is this? ? Need to share it. LT: Yeah, cause growing up I used to live on nines and this is where the green harvest was \[unclear\]. Yeah, it was right – but even the DHHL lands – so a lot of people don’t know that Department of Hawaiian Homes is a government entity – it’s not for – it’s not made by Hawaiians and the deal was in the 1920s when they adopted the land and the whole plan \[unclear\] so 100 years ended in 2021 – that’s 3 years ago – so even I’m looking for – where does the land go now? Cause that’s why if we hear in the other meetings where, Senator Inouye, right, she’s using these lands, she’s already talking about this as State lands – Hawaiian Homes properties too – so, I mean, if this all goes through, I don’t see why we cannot have the whole area, yeah, to go hunting in. AA: They called the State land management branch \[unclear\] unencumbered land. So \[unclear\] through that property – which is very weird like you can walk through, you can hike it – but you’re not hunting it. \[Unclear\]. And there’s a lot of game, oh, just pigs but the hunters a lot of game \[unclear\]. LT: Cause looking at the map it’s probably all the animals from both sides. AA: If can get ‘em into one GMA then \[unclear\] sheep \[unclear\]. RD: Duerr, District – 1. Abraham? Is this so I don’t know, it’s about 6,000 acres. Would this be, would hunters be up for fencing this and \[unclear\] a game management area where game from other areas that are nuisances could be brought to if it was fenced? AA: If it was fenced – would be fencing – so it would kind of be one good idea, right, cause then you’d fence off the boundaries of like Hawaiian Beaches and Makuu and then 6 maybe up in the – on the top zone - for like the Hawaiian Homes – fence off that boundary and maybe – and then they wouldn’t be into the subdivisions, right, so potentially, as a hunter – I could see that, being a positive because then a lot of the animals would be stopped going into, crossing the highways and going into subdivisions – so I could see that in the positive, but you no like really hunt in fenced units, right, but with this game – as you said – it’s 6,000 acreage – that is a lot of acreage that the animals get roam, ah? And if you can get it into a GMA then you can take your animals from one GMA and release ‘em into another GMA. So good… \[Unclear\] RD: Good idea. It’s a good start, Abraham, thanks for \[unclear\] that. You know, Abraham, Duerr, District – 1, what I love about that is it’s pro-active, it’s, not saying oh you’re gonna eradicate more game. It’s pro-active for what game should there… AA: Apparently, what the land manager also said, because Railroad – if you guys are familiar with that is, traverses through that property to other properties and the County might, I guess, it works for the State too, to really acquire that road \[unclear\] properties but they’re already in some kind of discussion \[unclear\] chitter chatter right now \[unclear\]. LT: \[Unclear\] kine… AA: It can kinda like expands from there, yeah? And if it’s an emergency route then animals - vote’s not a public road or whatever, right? BL: Right. AA: It’s just a gravel road for emergency purposes \[unclear\] and you’re not going to be \[unclear\] road. If the Commission supports it then you guys can \[unclear\] as well, yeah? LT: On this one? IK: Create a PIG. LT: Oh, ah, should we vote on this now? IK: Yeah. LT: OK. Leomana, District – 3, I’d like to make a motion to put these topics and these items on top of the next agenda for next months’ meeting. AA: Chair? LT: Yes, sir… 7 AA: Maybe we should wait until they do the next presentation and then you can encompass all of ‘em…I’m just looking for the news link to come up… LT: Oh, OK, we’ll wait for that… IK: \[Unclear\] LT: So, Leomana, District – 3. Is there any hunting areas? BK: I’m looking for the link. IK: OK. Thank you. \[Discussion\] ?: Robert Duerr does… LT: OK, yeah. IK: Email to Barbara’s email that way she can provide us the direct link in the Chat box. LT: So, if this is designated non-residential. What is the, what is the boundary limits within, with hunting, bows, guns, dogs or… AA: That would be 50-yard, right? LT: Yeah… AA: You cannot have any loaded weapons within 50 yards of, ah, you come up the road right or maybe subdivision, right, in my assumption going be anything within 50 yards from any structure, road, whatever. LT: OK, cause yeah, sorry, I didn’t know like the official designation for that distance, cause I fear \[unclear\] road, so off of that road… ?: \[Unclear\] LT: …. yeah, OK. AA: You guys can probably bring DOCARE in for a brief discussion with them about jurisdictions that how often they go up to the different parts of the Island to investigate situations – not just hanging out – And there’s also a federal wildlife officer and just to – maybe you guys can bring him in just for talk story and see what his goals and 8 regulations and guidelines and where does his scope cover, right, \[unclear\] State land or is it just federal land like just as a park kind of deal. RD: Chair, Duerr – District 1. Abraham, the federal wildlife officer – is that with US Fish and Wildlife? Do we know what agency they’re with? AA: There’s a US government agency \[unclear\] officer and just report refuge violations, I can forward… LT: Yeah, OK, now I remember the one you sent me – that was it. AA: DOCARE officer what is their scope pretty much, yeah. TN: Chairman Leomana, this is Teresa – could I add to what Abraham has presented? LT: Ah, yes ma’am. TN: Abraham, could you look into existing trails through those properties? Because those existing trails through – goes through those properties then they become gathering right trails and the konohikis that used to take care of the land. They might be families still using those access trails and because of the splintered paddle ruling, public access is acquired, I mean, is in existence – could you add trails to Abraham’s presentation to be looked in to also? Thank you. AA: Abraham, yeah, Teresa, that’s a good idea too, as well, as far as I know the only trails that I know of is just hunting trails that’s been created from hunters throughout the years, as far as how long, those trails have been there – I don’t know, some people, like I said they just cut trails and basically either hunting or maybe \[unclear\] like that. LT: Might be ancient hunting trails. These might be traditional hunting trails for pigs cause they’ve been here with us a long time so, we gotta continue the use of these traditional trails. Thank you for that. It’s really important for us to uphold the traditions of you know, gathering culture. Are we still waiting for the upload? \[Technical difficulties\] AA: This particular part right here, that’s this red line here – that is within the Kau Forest Reserve – that’s potential fence, ah, I am not from the Kau area, um, so I do not know anything about this, um, parcel right here. Too bad we don’t have a District – 6 Commissioner, so in all honesty as a hunter, and, you know, also a conservationist as well, I can and cannot see the positives and negatives with this fence line so, but, as a hunter we no like any fences the commission can write a letter opposing this fence line – sorry I don’t have any information about that, um, this, this is a large area – this is also in Kau, um, the yellow line is the existing fence – this is a Natural Area Reserve and then 9 they’re put, they’re planning on fencing off this red area straight line here, ah, this is a NARS so and it’s completely fenced so I don’t see any opposition within this potential fenced area. BL: I wonder if they want to put a fence across the fenced area. AA: Maybe because they’re still doing eradication controls and that’s probably an easier way for them to, ah, to do some eradication, ah, but a NARs area is pretty much 100% eradication. IK: Which, um, agency is doing this? AA: Natural Area Reserve – NARs – that’s also through DLNR. So that’s one of DLNR’s branches. So, this is what actually brought me here today – is this area – Puu Makaala they potentially want to fence off this kipuka koa unit so I’ve actually hunted on this area – I hunt all in this area here – so this blue line is the Puu Makaala Natural Area Reserve, right, so, all fenced off. They also do pretty much 100% eradication, pretty much all NARs areas is fenced off and is 100% eradication. There still potentially might be game in these areas – but I cannot really answer questions, you have to go back and call NARs and ask them, but this kipuka koa unit – it is open as it is now – they’re talking about bull dozing this, purple line here, which, that is right next to the lava flow so they going bull doze along the lava flow here and install new fence and then they’re planning on the green line is existing in the forest. There’s no fence or bull dozed roads – they’re planning to bull doze a road through the forest and then this orange line here – that is an old, old, existing road from back in the military days – so they want to come here and they want to connect to this orange road that comes and, connect back into the Natural Area Reserve fence line here. So back in the days, back in the 80s I think – when Pig Hunters of Hawaii first started as a pretty strong group back then – they pretty much, came, they had discussions with DLNR and, they came up with the decisions that they was like - close this area off-seasonal, right, so in six months – from this upper area all the way to Tree Planting Road and you going up Stainback – everything on the right, on the right hand side is closed six months a year for the protection of our game species, which in here, in the forest is pigs along this lava corridor here – there’s actually sheep up here – I have seen them, I have heard them, I never collected any of them because that’s not my game of species to hunt, so, with them fencing off this area, this is like the migration route of the pigs come down either or so it will affect not just up here in this area but it will affect hunting up here and all the way down to the Tree Planting Road. And I’m coming here again to ask the Commission to write a letter to – in opposition of this fencing. I see their thing about, you know, protecting the koa forest here – but they don’t need to take all this land because the koa forest is mainly like right in the middle here and it also goes into the NARs area here, so they don’t need to take more than what they need to basically… IK: Do you know why? 10 AA: …. \[unclear\] and they’re over-reaching. IK: Do you know why they’re taking it? AA: They want to protect the plants all inside here. IK: OK. AA: Yeah. But in my – while I’m hunting up here there’s not really too much game – the game is more down in this lower section \[unclear\]. I also emailed DOFAW/SHOPA representatives and I’m waiting to hear back to schedule a meeting with them. LT: Do we have any examples of koa forests with pigs inside of ‘em? AA: Probably upper Mauna Kea. I not sure – the other slopes of Mauna Loa – I’m pretty not sure about that. These are already full-grown trees, koa trees no more the rot like…you know, they’re pretty solid trees. BL: Koa wood… AA: All in the higher elevations, this is not higher here, yeah, so… LT: OK, is this the last of your presentation? AA: My last of my presentation… LT: OK. Leomana, District – 3. Thank you very much for all your presentation. All this information is really helpful for all of us to stay on these kinds of things cause we don’t hunt up there – this is primarily the pig hunting area for you guys and, if I don’t hear this from anybody else, I always forget about this area cause it’s not even in my hunting zone. You guys know that. AA: And this particular area – up here – \[unclear\] come from throughout the Island to hunt down in here especially down in the Tree Planting area they walk up – all up inside this area they’ll walk up from the Tree Planting area and walk up this lava field and then they hunt all up in here too as well, yeah, so,I know people who and not just hunting with me but they come from out-of-state and they also come from other islands and they hunt all this area – there’s a lot of people that use this area for hunting. And this is actually a forest reserve area, it’s not a NARs area – I need confirmation to see if that’s actually NARs that is actually pushing this fence line here and I still need to do more investigating on my side as well. There is a comment period, which is October 8 that needs to have public comments to be in on by October 8. And I know by the time next meeting going be kind of late already but maybe we still can get a letter in opposition because 11 sometimes they say, oh, just put it in – it will still make it – even though they have the deadline. LT: Emergency meetings are a thing to, you know, something that requires action. IK: Yeah, you can do emergency meetings. We can go over that later. LT: OK. Thank you. Leomana, District – 3, I’d like to make a motion to add all of these topics to our next agenda item, and bring a discussion within the Commission and we can develop some sort of support or letters – some sort of, I guess, letter going out to DLNR, DOFAW and everybody that’s going to fence off these areas. IK: And that you might have an emergency meeting… LT: OK. Yeah. And that we might have an emergency – host an emergency meeting in between so that way we can meet the October 8 day… IK: Or maybe a special meeting, right, yeah, we’ll get to that a little bit more. Cause I need to understand what the emergency is, it’s usually, it has to do with like health and safety… LT: Yeah. IK: …. but… AA: Well, the emergency could be timeline… LT: Timeline, yeah, time restrictions for the fencing… IK: OK. I’ll have to look into that… LT: OK, yeah… IK: …. but it might be either a special meeting or… We’ll get to that, but, yeah… LT: OK, so… IK: …. a separate meeting from the regular meetings essentially but you’re saying add these topics to the next regular meeting agenda item but then also possibly have something in between… AA: Chair, um… LT: Yeah. 12 AA: …. again not telling you how or what to do or whatever but some of the – not add all the items at the next meeting… LT: Yeah, October 8, yeah? AA: …. but like the land one and some of the other ones can be \[unclear\], you know, throughout the year. LT: OK, yeah. AA: The more important one would be the fencing because of time… That’s all… IK: We can still add it and then if we don’t get to it, you just push it to the… RD: Chair, District – 1, Duerr. A comment on the letter. One thing that we know is that we need more information. The other thing we know is that DOFAW did not reach out to this group. We’re the Commission – so, there’s Sunshine – I think we could get a letter saying, hey, listen, we need more information and you need to hold off on this. Without making a decision on whether it’s right or wrong – the process is to the detriment especially where this is seemingly an area that’s popular, easily accessible, and has game in it. LT: And it’s been a traditional hunting area for a long time too, so… RD: Yeah. LT: We gotta protect these traditional… AA: So, you can technically ask DOFAW for an extension on that public testimony timeline. Abraham, District pau, community… Action: L. Turalde motion to add the items discussed to the October 15, 2024 agenda. Secconded by C. Okumura. Motion carried unanimously by poll vote. LT: OK, we get a motion to add these topics to the next agenda, and then after that we’ll get to an immediate extension letter right now. Leomana, District – 3, making a motion to add these topics to the next agenda items. CO: Cortney, District – 8, I second the motion. LT: All in favor? Oh, any discussion to be had? No discussion seen, no hands – OK – no discussion. Roll call vote – District – 1? RD: Aye. 13 LT: District – 2? TWC: Aye. LT: District – 3? Aye. District – 4? BL: Aye. LT: District 8? CO: Aye. LT: District – 9? JA: Aye. LT: All ayes. Motion passes to add agenda items to next month’s meeting. Next on the list, I’d like to make a motion for the Commission to write an extension letter to DOFAW regarding the fencing – due to the fact that the Game Management Advisory Commission was not contacted – we weren’t involved at all in any of these decision makings – we didn’t even have our opinions heard by DOFAW and DLNR. So, again, I’d th like to make a motion to write DOFAW and extension letter to the October 8 is this an EIS or? (Note: No one seconded the motion). AA: This is an EA… LT: Oh, EA. OK. AA: I think if she scrolls all the way down to the bottom it says it has the timeline… IK: Oh, you mean here? AA: Yeah. LT: Leomana, District – 3. How long does it take to or what encompasses an extension letter – like? IK: I can look into that. LT: OK. Cause… 14 RD: Chair, Duerr, District – 1. The other thing is we’re not bound as Commissioners to a board vote. So, we could write as District – 1 saying… LT: OK, yeah… RD: …. hey, listen, we had some information from a citizen on this issue and we need an extension on this time period and… LT: Yup. RD: …. right. LT: OK. Can we each, ah… IK: This is Deputy Inha Kandatsu-Kang, so I just wanted to let you guys know that, either one or two of you can just reach out to them, not necessarily submitting a formal letter but you can also do that on the side but, perhaps after this meeting you can just contact them, but just don’t get into Board discussions thereafter… LT: Um-hum. RD: Thank you… IK: But you as an individual… RD: As to one or more, one or two people can… IK: Yeah, because then as long as the conversation stays between the two members it’s fine cause it’s a permitted inter-action but even just you as an individual may go to whomever’s – whoever you need to submit this comment to and just contact them… RD: Yeah, OK. IK: And just see what you guys can do to request for an extension because it has to go through you guys, I don’t particularly know the rules, I would have to look, but if you’re saying that is the rule that they would have to give you guys and extension because… AA: We can ask for an extension… IK: Oh, you can ask for an extension but you’re also saying that they would have to go through this committee to… RD: Well, with an extension we could put them on the agenda to come and tell us what… 15 IK: Oh, OK, yeah. BL: Why they need the fencing… RD: Right. IK: Yes. RD: How much is the fencing… IK: OK, so, yes, one of you or two of you can reach out together and you don’t need to vote on that, but it’s good that you guys just came out – but I would also – I suggest that you think of – someone make a motion to add that on to the next agenda to – in case you’re able to invite this person to provide and \[unclear\]. AA: Abraham from the County. This is a forest reserve but it’s also a hunting unit – it’s unit H in the game mammal books. So, if you guys like research it – it’s Unit H in the game mammal \[unclear\]. JA: Justin, District – 9. I thought it was B? AA: No, it’s H, Justin. JA: Thank you, Mr. Antonio, Abraham. No – it’s showing B. LT: Ah, B… AA: B is north. LT: OK, um… JA: Kulani buffer zone is H. AA: Yeah, that’s where it’s at. JA: OK, cause they’re saying the upper forest is B just… But we can’t expect them to be right, so… AA: Yeah, it’s within the Kulani buffer zone – in the Unit H – it’s on the – so, the buffer zone encompasses the right hand side and also the left hand side and the last letter they wanted to fence along the Stainback Highway which we wrote a letter in opposition of that fence line and that was just that one fence that was coming down – this fencing project is on the right hand side, way up on the mauka which also covers Unit H. Not also but it is Unit H. 16 LT: OK. Leomana, District – 3. It’s – does that wrap up our statements from the public? AA: Yes, sir, me… LT: OK. Mahalo for all of that – plenty information to cover. Good information to have for everybody that’s not from Kau or Puna. Go check out those areas so we have a better understanding of what’s going on. 4. COMMISSIONER REPORT BY DISTRICT: a. Each Commissioner will provide updates and share concerns about their respective districts; Commission members to decide on where to discuss any issues raised in their report during the next meeting and to invite public to provide testimonies and presentations concerning the future agenda item. RD: District – 1. Leomana, thank you, I never really knew that the testimony is to bring forward agenda items and, yeah, and so thank you for that. Not much ongoing public access Pepeekeo with Makahanaloa fishing group is still going. Hakalau closed off is still an issue, Waipio is still an issue, a little update on the dredging, the dredging company ran out of money. The money was appropriated, the budget was cut, the dredging company ran out of money and they evidently found more money but they haven’t done – dredged the channel yet. So, the whole point of like getting access to boaters has not been done yet. The basic fish report – we’re kind of in the fall there’s some fish off- shore – mahi mahi are smaller – there’s some ono around and the large ahi have aloha oe and this, but this, the koa ae are – seems to be some shoreline fishing for papio and that, that’s all I have. LT: Thank you District – 1. Mahalo, moving on to District - 2. TWC: Taysen Wong Chong, District – 2. And regarding the Makahanaloa Fishing Association, for the access, I talked to the president, the chair, right now, the report will be given to me this Friday, I can meet with him possibly to discuss that next meeting on what I find about, one thing that is possible, I don’t know if I can bring up now – but I did want to bring up another issue is, the feral cat situation for Liliuokalani Gardens for not just the protection of the Nene geese but, marine wildlife and public safety hazard has been brought to my attention from a non-profit of Liliuokalani Gardens. I was supposed to receive the report yesterday but was unfortunate, the president or chair of that non- profit – her husband just passed away – so I’m gonna wait until I receive the information – I should get it through email and a hard copy as well but I’ll get more information on that. LT: Mahalo, District – 2, moving on to District – 3, Leomana Turalde. Just going back to Keaukaha – I covered the sewage plant a lot – the sewage plant is 100% out-of-order, 17 broken, leaking 24 hours a day. That’s the reports just been coming out here and there. Obviously, they cannot make that huge report in one cause the County will get sued, but there’s a couple of developments that wanted to come into Keaukaha and build 48-unit, condos or what, you know, they wanted to make short-term rentals right there in front of Onekahakaha Beach Park and another one at the end by Richardson’s. This past County Council meeting and Department of Planning meeting last week denied them, ah, denied them their permits, a lot of it was having to do with the properties being below the high tide mark inland – and over ponds in Keaukaha is all ponds and lava tubes everywhere so just the infrastructure of putting in the waterline and the sewage line for another 48 units plus the street handling an average of two cars per unit was enough for the Planning Department to, um, I don’t know if they 100% cancelled the project but the project is not allowed to move forward thus far, and you know, that has to all do with the sewage plant. Shoots I was talking the \[unclear\]. I forget, kala mai, that was my update about the sewage plant and then this past weekend I noticed it’s actually your district but I went on a hunting trip to Wailoa, I counted with my own eyes 56 huge tilapia about this big – they’re really huge – they’re the bigger fish in the pond – I saw some awa’awa – the tilapia was bigger – I saw mullet – the tilapia was bigger – all the mullet were like woo woo size, you know, not too big, and it went from the river mouth where the water starts to get a little more salty – all the way back into the graffiti area by the Green Onion and all the way up to the homeless camp, you know, the homeless camp by Mitchville – so the tilapia actually go up to homeless camp and the people re-building the bridge right down the road – they tell me that the tilapia swim up there because the homeless population throws things in the river that causes the tilapia to grow in population in that little stretch right down here, so that was like a real interesting thing where I ran across some hunters with their slingshot bows with, you know, we’re out there for like 3 or 4 hours trying to catch the tilapia. We caught two, that was pretty cool but that was my big understanding of how the population of tilapia kind of wrecked all the fish inside there by taking the food, taking the resources and kind of dominating the area by – with aggression, that was, that was my main concern this past one and same thing the pigs is nothing different with the pigs, nothing different with the fish, and that was my report for District – 3, today, thank you. Moving forward, District – 4? BL: Brian, District – 4, the usual healthy pig population – we’re doing good – we don’t have to worry about running out of food any time soon. I haven’t heard anything about the dredging in Pohoiki starting lately. I got another report of the hatchet guy on the trail up Kaloli – just wandering down there with a hatchet and I did look up brandishing is illegal in the State of Hawaii to brandish a weapon which is just waving around threateningly so when he’s yelling and screaming at people waving a hatchet that’s considered brandishing and it’s against the law. He’s been reported but he’s still down there – I’m sure if he took a hatchet to a turtle there would be swarming with DOFAW officers and quick but since he’s just threatening elderly people that OK, so, and, ah, Barbara, were you able to load up those pictures I sent you yesterday? Did we lose Barbara again? 18 BK: Two emails? \[Technical difficulties\] PB: Offered to assist with uploading. BL: Yeah, this is one of the bird waters I reported over two weeks ago and it’s still broken up on our one refuge – right past our ten – I’ve reported it several times and it’s still not working and there was a couple other pictures of some waterers… Oh, this is the picture – this is last year when they had all the money for the fire prevention – this is what they created – they created a fire hazard. They went in there with the mulching machine along the side of the roads and mulched all the trees and left that, so this is they’re - DLNR’s offer for fire break and fire prevention. You know this is by R 13 – you can see the picture, I mean, the roads are like that all over the place. ?: \[Unclear\] BL: Yeah, I took a buddy, he’s from Oregon – he said he couldn’t believe it. This is the picture of the water from – one of the few waters for the goats off mile marker 18 in Kona side – it’s in there – the two waters are overflowing – you can tell by this picture there hasn’t been water in this thing forever – I reported it a couple weeks ago and, you know, it’s the same thing – everyone’s crying about the goats being on the roads but they’re not supplying the water and that was one of the issues I wanted to bring up as a discussion maybe for the next meeting we can discuss with the County filing a lawsuit against the DLNR for not doing it – we had a law passed that they’re supposed to be providing quality habitat for these animals and not having water available is not providing quality habitat, much less getting into food sources and everything – here’s a picture of how much water was in the one of the tanks and the other tank is just that way – I mean, there’s water there – that’s just the thing’s broken and Lord knows how long it’s been broken and when I was up last week, I saw four erckels and this is one of ‘em caught in one of the cat traps along the road so, statistically we’re looking at 25% of the erckels I saw that day were dead in a cat trap. And I did see cat tracks further down the road in the middle of the road, so, we have no bird population – we’ve got waters that are in functional – full of putrid water and we’re killing our game birds and, like I said, there were plenty of birds in June and July and now there’s not any birds. Here’s a picture of one of the waterers filled up with just some damp, you know, the bees are able to get some moisture out of it, but this is the water, it’s just filled with dirt – it’s just mud – and there’s no way the birds are gonna get any water out of that. And this is another bird waterer – you can tell that it’s been quite a while since it’s seen water too, so maybe we can bring up the discussion and have the DLNR come in here and explain their water practices. Who’s responsible for these waters, how often are they checked, is there somebody we can let know cause this affects everybody and like I said, Mauna Kea is a flip into the desert – they’ve destroyed Mauna Kea, as far as the animals are concerned with no game birds, there’s no native birds, there’s no songbirds, there’s no 19 nothing, it’s a desert up there and it’s sad and somebody needs to be taken responsibility for this. It’s hopefully we can either write a letter to the County – saying we would like to see them file a lawsuit against the State for doing their job, cause it is a state law to provide these game animals with quality habitat. And as we’ve seen from the pictures, that is not quality habitat, and somebody needs – and they want to put more fencing up and they can’t even manage what they’ve got. LT: Absolutely. BL: So, you know, I’ve gone up there, there was birds, baby birds June and July. I went up st there \[unclear\] on September 1 and I’m just disgusted. I’m not even gonna go up there this week because it just breaks my heart to not seeing any birds and I know, you know, I’ve gone up there on good years and put up 130 -180 birds and when I only see 12 or 13 birds for an all-day of running the dogs is something needs to be done. So that’s it for my report and my \[unclear\] moment and all that other good stuff, so… IK: Could someone make a motion. Action: L. Turalde made a motion to add bird waters issue to next month’s agenda and to write a letter to DLNR and or the accountable parties who are not providing quality habitat for these animals. Second by B. Ley. Motion carried unanimously by poll voice vote. LT: Leomana, District – 3, I’d like to make a motion to add this topic to next month’s agenda item – also, um, to write a letter in support of this idea to DLNR or accountable parties. BL: Brian, District – 4, I second that motion. LT: Ah, let’s have a discussion on this agenda topic. Anybody have discussion? IK: \[Unclear\] agenda topic – to voting, to put it on the next agenda for discussion. OK. So, it’s just… LT: No discussion. OK. Ah, we’re gonna take a roll call vote, District – 1? RD: Aye. LT: District – 2? TWC: Aye. LT: District – 3, aye. District – 4? BL: Aye. 20 LT: District – 8? CO: Aye. LT: District – 9? JA: Aye. LT: Oh, all passed - add it to the next month’s agenda item. Thank you very much. RD: Chair, um… LT: Yes, sir… RD: …. there’s a member of the public asking the host to end the split screen so we can see the speaker. ?: Oh, I already did. RD: OK, right on. ?: I, I, yeah, I did it. OK. Thank you, though. RD: Right on. Thank you. ?: \[Unclear\] I just wanted to add on to the agenda item for next month – I can provide photos of what was mentioned, for myself as of June and July bird season \[unclear\] trip, unmaintained feral cat traps, it’s a safety hazard as well for the game birds because if it’s left unmaintained, all baited, curiosity can kill the cat, right, so, as well as the birds, I’ll provide the pictures as well the next meeting. LT: Mahalo. Thank you very much for that. AA: Abraham from the County. You guys might want to also reach out to Mauna Kea \[unclear\] Forest Station, I think the one that manages the traps. \[Unclear\] BL: And I also wanted to report that I did see a feral cat crossing mile marker 38 from PTA over into the Mauna Kea area when I was going hunting Saturday morning. \[Unclear\] PTA they have a thriving population, so they need to do something to keep them from migrating over. LT: Thank you very much for that update, moving forward to District – 8. 21 CO: Thank you, Chair. I just wanted to say welcome to our newest Commissioner – thank you so much for joining us and serving. We’re grateful to have you. Thanks. And thanks, Abraham for all of the amazing information you provided today, we really appreciate you continuing on with us as we move along. OK, a couple of announcements regarding some volunteer workdays. The first one is gonna be at the Kiholo fishpond and I will go ahead and send Barbara all of the details for registration, so that you have it if you want to forward it on to anyone in your community who might be interested. The Kiholo st fishpond volunteer workday will be this Saturday, September 21 and it sounds like you can still register and join, and they have these volunteer days once a month. The second one is Puuanahulu fire break volunteer day to sign up, so that will include some work on clearing and expanding existing fire break alongside the Puuanahulu bluff and th that’s taking place Saturday, September 28 and that’s gonna be at the bluff hiker check in station by the Country Club so up, up above the other entrance. So anyway I’ll send those details on – the contact information – to Barbara for anyone who’s interested. And that’s all I have for my report, Chair, thank you. LT: Thank you very much. Mahalo. Mahalo for that and moving on to District – 9. JA: Justin, District – 9. The only notifications that I’ve got are just some public service announcements. Pick up your brass when you’re at the range, regardless, if you’re a hunter, shooter, whatever, pick up your brass and your friend’s as well, before somebody shuts it down on us. And the other one is, ah, was brought to my attention as an avid hunter of A and G. There’s gonna be an aerial eradication that was not published on the website, and I’ve noticed that the last few times they haven’t been publishing. ththth There’s another eradication scheduled for October 9 and 10 and October 30 at A, G and K. The exception is this time they’re not closing down the Slice for archery. So, for those of us that like to archery hunt on the Slice it’ll be open and that is all I have. LT: Mahalo very much. That last one about the them not publishing it on top of the website – there’s a handful of people who reached out to me this past week sending me pictures about the collection and the Mauna Kea shut down – making that statement – it’s not on the website, it’s not on the website – I looked on the website, I couldn’t find it, so I think we need to address them and their publication and PSA with this cause it’s junk that we get it through the Hawaii Tribune Hearld only. JA: Yeah, it’s strange. TWC: Taysen, District – 2. I wanted to second that, yeah, we need to – all I say is - suggest address an advisory letters to DLNR just to updates on, making it public notice to where these aerial shootings will – when they take place – make it publicly noticed – other than just having on check-in stations. LT: Um-hum. 22 TWC: You know, update the websites and always for the Slice as well, because they don’t do that on the app that they use right now. LT: Yeah, on trail… TWC: Yeah, \[unclear\] they don’t update that as often as they should be doing so, I’d advise that. 5. PRESENTATION: None on September 17, 2024 6. NEW BUSINESS: a. Discussion and Decision Making: Draft GMAC 2024 First Quarter Report to Mayor Roth and County Council, Commissioner Robert Duerr. RD: It’s ongoing… LT: Okay. b. Discussion and Decision Making: Draft GMAC 2024 Second Quarter Report to Mayor Roth and County Council, Commissioner Leomana Turalde. LT: I have my draft in the email but I will hold mine’s off so we can do it at the same time with the first and second quarter report, having matching outlines and structure to our reports to mayor and the County Council. 7. COMMISSION REPORTS: a. Regulations Affecting Keauhou Bay and Logistical Issues, and Potential Solutions, Commission member Robert Duerr. RD: So essentially this is a report that was chaired by Natalie Reynolds but getting with Natalie she said that in fact she’s resigned. She didn’t have time for it. So, Cortney and I worked together to put it together. I put the report into Barbara, and I think the protocol is the report gets put in the first month, the second month it’s on the table for discussion and then it comes back the third month for approval or a voter approval or denial. In the report, essentially is, the bottom line is Keauhou is a really crowded situation and fishers are being pushed out of the bay essentially by a tourist industry 23 primarily manta rays but there’s others and, the other stakeholder at the table is Kamehameha Bishop Estates, which essentially owns the bay and they have a plan together to kind of essentially re-work the bay which includes putting parking areas for the commercial operations which are now are a problem. But the controversial part of that is that they also want to put in a sort of hotel/bungalows so, you know, essentially for us to move forward on this we’d want to get a heads up on the manta ray business. Manta ray business, essentially what happened to fishers is that DOBOR – Division of Boating – eliminated fishing from their mandate. They had two mandates which was recreational boating and promote fishing. They eliminated fishing. So now they’re just recreational boating and with recreational boating it – they are only focused on commercial because they get a monthly fee, but they also get a percentage of the revenues. So essentially that’s kind of some of the situation of what’s happening in Keauhou. IK: Do you guys want to add that to the next agenda item for like further discussion or possible… RD: I think actually, yeah, I think actually the process, once it’s put in – cause this was a permitted inter-action group… IK: Oh, oh, OK, then. RD: Yeah, so once the… .IK: Well, investigative group… RD: Investigative group, yes, exactly so… IK: OK. Sorry… I’m just coming in, so I don’t really know the history so... RD: Yeah, yeah, first month, it just sent in so we kinda take a look at it… IK: Yeah. First meeting is you create the PIG so next meeting if anyone wants to create a PIG for whatever issue that comes up – that would – you could do that, and then the next meeting would be to provide a report and the third meeting would have the discussion, unless you need more time to investigate. LT: Thank you very much, ah, for that report. 8. NEXT MEETING AGENDA ITEMS: a. Open Forum: Public comments on issues not on the current agenda for consideration for GMAC’s agenda at the next meeting. 24 LT: We kinda put this in here when I first started and remember we started to do the Commissioner reports and that was, I guess, for me, I, it was just a report on the district but it’s also now, um, that I’m more aware of it, it’s actually where we present the next item as a Commissioner, right, um, but also for the public because a lot of people, they reach out to me saying, oh I have this like the castration of the \[unclears\]. Oh, that’s not on the agenda item – I cannot just talk about it. You can email – we can have a private discussion but you would just come to the GMAC Commission meeting wanting to discuss that with us – that’s not what we’re talking about and so they’re starting to have like a lot of pilikia with the public on how come you guys not talk about the stuff we want to talk about or that we’re dealing with now and I’m always having to respond because nobody really calls me to let me know ahead of time from the public and you’re supposed to call, you’re just supposed to reach out to the District Commissioner which most people – they don’t do – so we’re trying to figure out how to just get more feedback from the public so we can add more items on top here. IK: Deputy Inha. So, I just have a comment so, there are different ways for the public to engage besides listening in. They can contact the County Clerk and that would be Barbara right now, to request to make a presentation so that’s one way to get their voice out and then another thing, so if it’s not on the agenda – and then so once they contact the clerk we can add that to the agenda as long as it’s before the 6-day deadline, right, and then, of course, they can come in during the meeting to comment on any of the agenda items for the current meeting and then the third is at the end – so item number 8a – I inserted that to just kind of open the forum for the public to comment on what they want to add as a topic for the next agenda item, so they can make suggestions and then during that time all of you can vote on whether to add that or and I guess the fourth would be they could contact any of you and then it would go through Chair who has the authority to add anything on to the agenda – as long as it’s before the 6-day deadline. So I’ll just summarize and I’ll have that disseminated to you guys, but there’s, yeah, several ways for them to raise an issue or get involved, but that’s why I think having the topics flushed out on the agenda is important because that gives them notice as to what topics are gonna be discussed so if they want to get involved they can, but if it’s something that’s not on there and they want to get involved, provide testimony or comment and then make a suggestion so, I’ll send that out. LT: Yeah, thank you very much. The hunting community is not the most literate, and agendize community, you know. IK: It’s a little confusing… LT: Yeah, it’s just agenda – what is that? Yeah, the government’s got an agenda… 25 IK: We’ll make it clear that you are basically the liaison between the public and the federal agencies, the County, state agencies would have you, even council members and mayors and … LT: Yeah. That’s OK. You’ll think about it. IK: Yeah. And the train will come back. b. Commission members discussion to add other items on the agenda for the next meeting. Action: L. Turalde made a motion to add to next month’s agenda the GMAC Expenditure Detail Report and what is the standard operating procedure. Seconded by T. Wong-Chong. Motion carried unanimously by voice poll vote. LT: OK. Leomana, District – 3, just moving forward on agenda item number 8 b. Commission members discussion to add any other items on the agenda for the next meeting. I’m just gonna start this off, I wanted to make a motion to add budget and SOP of spending the Commission’s budget to next month’s agenda. I’d like to make a motion. TWC: I’d like to second that motion. LT: Motion seconded. Is there any discussion on adding budget to our agenda for next month’s meeting? None seeing, all right. Roll call vote. District – 1? RD: Aye. LT: District – 2? TWC: Aye. LT: Three, aye. District – 4? BL: Aye. LT: District – 8? CO: Aye. LT: District – 9? JA: Aye. 26 LT: All in favors. Motion passes. Thank you for adding budget to next month’s agenda item. Any other Commissioners have any other topics to add to that agenda for next month? RD: The things we’ve talked about – Duerr, District – 1. The things we had talked about on the agenda was DOCARE, fencing with DOFAW, Mahaloloa, and waters. I mean do we want to, if we take these items as agenda items we might not be able to handle it all on – but it, we… LT: Yup AA: Stretch ‘em… RD: …. stretch ‘em out but if we put ‘em on the agenda and we don’t get to ‘em we can defer so people know that we’re… LT: Just like a Q list. RD: Yeah. LT: Yeah, that is what I was thinking about. IK: Sorry, what? LT: A Q list, you know? IK: Yeah, what was the question? LT: Oh, if we have too much agenda items that we’re unable to get to ‘em then we can defer to the next meeting. IK: Well, I… Yeah, I can just update the agenda note but the agenda would be the place where you provide notice to… LT: Yeah. IK: Yeah, so I can just update it. Um… OK, so I did update the – if the remote meeting got disconnected and you couldn’t reconnect – I did update the notice to say well, whatever wasn’t addressed… LT: Yeah. IK: …. was it be continued \[unclear\]. LT: OK. Yeah. 27 IK: That way it’s not terminated, but I will update it to say if, any other, any of the agenda items that weren’t addressed at this meeting will just be tabled for next. LT: Yeah, yes, thank you. ?: Oh, yeah. LT: All right. RD: Chair, I’d like to make a motion for potential agenda items, one that we bring DOCARE… LT: Um-hum. RD: Two that we have DOFAW talk about their current and proposed fencing projects – the three that we have the public access Mahanaloa on the agenda and that we put waterers – bird waterers – game waterers, yeah, game waterers on Hawaii Island. BL: I’ve got another one since they’ve been ignoring it. I would like to put on the agenda the pallia bird count that nobody’s heard about. They keep… ?: Hide… BL: Yeah. What’s the number. RD: Chair, Corporation Counsel, do we – is this at the discretion of the Chair to, if we’re bringing potential agenda items that he can go through them and then see if they fit what he wants to put on. IK: Yeah, absolutely. But then it just has to be posted by the 6-day. That’s all but he can – but I would prefer to get it like a day before that way I can review it and make sure it’s flushed out and so the public will understand. TWC: \[Unclear\] actually bring up a motion for the Liliuokalani Gardens and feral cat s well… LT: Um-hum. TWC: I’ll try and bring the president in as well. She could have the information \[unclear\] studies as well \[unclear\] non-profit… RD: Yeah, and Chair, to add to that, District – 1, it’s KT Cannon Eger… TWC: Yeah. RD: ….and KT Eger. 28 IK: Deputy Corporation Counsel Inha. I just want to comment, maybe it would, you know, it’s kind of hard to keep up with taking notes so after the meeting just email him and cc Barbara and even me, that way I can help… LT: Yeah. IK: ….and kind of flush out the description of the agenda item and that way, ah, we’ll have all these items listed out because I know you get really busy too… LT: Yeah. IK: …. you know, work schedule so if everyone can just send it over… LT: Yes, ma’am… IK: And then, yeah, we’ll… LT: Leomana, District – 3, you know it kinda seems like a lot of topics but when we get a representative from DLNR usually they can cover, one, more than one, they can cover two to three: the fencing, the access, and the waters all in the same area and you know the department heads they can, you know, give us some stuff so… IK: OK, well, yeah, that would be good. Yeah… LT: So, you can block these off. Thank you very much for all of these topics for next month, it’s really, it’s really helpful to get topics started the month before. Ah, moving on to next agenda item. OK, yeah, there you go. Before we get to agenda item number 9 I’d just like to add that in two weeks, next month, the second week of next month we have – we were talking about aerial eradications earlier and shutting down Mauna Kea with District – 9, you brought that up. One of the things that’s happening with that is the meat collection sites, you off hand know…? BL: Usually there’s two – they have one they meet on Waimea for Mana Road, upper end and then they do another one – they’ve been alternating it – you meet at the – across the street from the check in station by Girl Scout Camp off Old Saddle Road – those are the two areas. JA: That’s the Kilohana check-in station for G. BL: It also would be interesting to find out is why the sheep numbers are escalated so much, cause a few years ago they would only have like 3 sheep getting caught and last month they killed over – close to 100. So, I don’t know where these sheep are coming from when they got just a couple miles left to fence – so did somebody let these animals in to keep the numbers up. 29 ?: \[Unclear\] BL: \[Unclear\] LT: As long as it’s up, yeah. RD: Chair, District – 1. You know Brian, could you go through what happens at collection? What happens on collection day. BL: Ah, they tell you to meet and we all meet and we all sign in there and you call in ahead of time and you’re assigned a number by the basis of what you got in to – they decide where they’re gonna do the collection agents – it changes sometimes – sometimes it’s the first tree, sometimes cabbage patch, and I’ve actually done down by the camp ground out there they’ve done it and you set up your little cleaning station and you just wait and they bring the helicopter in with the sheep hanging from it and they go by the number, you know, number 1 you get pick up, when they keep coming and they just go through the rotation and so that – and then once everyone’s done cleaning and filling in the mass grave then they release us usually around one or so, unless they’re really get into the sheep, which the – last month – ones up on Mana Road there was two trucks and they killed 24 sheep so they all had 12 apiece to clean. So, they said that the officers were actually helping them to clean so they could get out of there and when I went there was nine of us and we all ended up with at least 3 sheep apiece so that was 27 so that was a long day. \[unclear\] a month before had a buddy, he was number 15 and he got two sheep so there was at least 30 and that’s not even counting the ones that they’re not even recovering. LT: They recover about 27%? BL: 40%. LT: 40%? That’s like max recovery, yeah? BL: Yeah. LT: Yeah, DOFAW has… BL: For every 10 sheep they’re bringing in they’re leaving six laying out there… According to their own numbers. LT: All right, thank you very much for that update. If this is the kind of food that you eat, please go help them out – they got a lot of work – last one 12 sheep per truckload – that’s a lot – that’s a lot of work, and this is free food – the County is destroying them anyway, I don’t – anyways we know a lot about that. Moving forward on the last agenda item. 30 9. ANNOUNCEMENTS: a. Next meeting will be October 15, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. 25 Aupuni Street, Puna Conference Room. LT: Agenda item number 9. Announcements. Nine a, the next meeting will be held on October 15, 2024, at 9:00 AM, 25 Aupuni Street, Puna Conference Room, Hilo, Hawaii, 96720. b. Open Forum: Public’s opportunity to announce matters in the County. LT: Agenda Item number 9 b. Open Forum: Public’s opportunity to announce matters in the County. We have one representative from the public, yes, sir. AA: Abraham from the public. I would also like to announce that there is a State GMAC meeting this evening – usually start I think about 6:00 PM – you guys can go to the State DLNR website and find the link and jump on there. I will be there as well to discuss the vetting and bring up Justin’s concern about, you know, getting you guys public out in a quicker time and bringing up \[unclear\] concern as well. IK: I have a question, Deputy Inha. So, for the State GMAC is there a subscription notification any place? AA: Yeah. IK: So maybe you – cause I think that that’s really important that you – that County GMAC and State GMAC work intimately together but I think, you can personally sign up for notification. AA: I shared with the Chair and some of the Commissioners the State GMAC representatives contact information. IK: OK. No, but I meant like a notification, ah, like email newsletter… LT: Agenda… IK: Yeah, cause our County has it too, anyone who wants to get, receive notices… AA: Yeah… IK: OK. AA: So, Brian’s concern was about the watering units and also the palila count because apparently it was in the last State GMAC meeting and Jason Omick the representative for the State said he has the update on the palila birds and to date there’s no 31 documentation for the County GMAC or in the State GMAC representative. So, we’re gonna question about that? IK: What do you mean documentation? AA: Because of… IK: Well, let’s not get into discussion but if you can just briefly disclose… AA: Yeah, so, we start as the County GMAC we assisted in passing a working group within the legislature to investigate the decline of the palila and they had a certain amount of time to come up with this report and they submitted a report, but we haven’t seen it yet. IK: Oh, OK. So, I guess we need to find out who we can get in touch with… AA: Jason Omick. IK: Oh, OK. So, you have all that… LT: They don’t want to give it to us. IK: OK, so, I guess I, well, I’d like to make an announcement. Just generally speaking for members of the public, you can always, and this is under the Hawaii State, you can file a UIPA-file request. So what that is, is like you request – you submit a request to whatever agency you wanted to obtain records so, as long as that there’s not a criminal investigation or something like – they would have to release their government records to the requester – yeah, they’re required to and that’s the same thing with FOYA which is – that would be FOYA as well – FOYA is for the federal agencies so, but it’s pretty straight forward process, but I just wanted to bring this up because \[unclear\]. AA: You’re \[unclear\] public testimony for State GMAC. IK: Hum? AA: Cortney put it up \[unclear\]. IK: Oh. AA: 4:30 – 6:30 PM sorry… RD: Chair, District – 1. LT: Yes, sir… 32 RD: A question for Corporation Counsel. IK: Yeah. RD: Can a District Commissioner do a UIPA on their own or does it – does a UIPA or FOYA going to an agency – can a district – say I’m with – I am a district GMAC Commissioner, and I would like this information. IK: Um, no, you don’t. It’s probably just best to go as – submit as an individual. RD: Citizen? IK: Yeah, yeah, because it’s meant for the public and I would have to do some digging about how it would… RD: If we would need a, um, motion to actually put our name GMAC in UIPA? IK: I wouldn’t go that far. You can just – it would probably be more effective if you just submit it as a citizen because I’m not really sure, you know, you’re a county official sending a UIPA request. I don’t really know; I would have to look into that. But they would have to release records regardless to a member of the public and then if you wanted to bring it up as part of the meeting, you can just address it as long as it’s an agenda item. LT: Is that, um… IK: Yeah, so you would just it on… RD: So as a chair, so for example, like as a chair in an investigative committee of which I have for federal funds, I’ve sent out UIPAs requesting information for stating that this is an investigative committee with GMAC. Is that appropriate? IK: I would have to look into it. Um… Yeah, because I know it governs the public interests, right, and as commissioners you’re technically part of the County, but it’s not like you can’t act in your individual capacity… LT: Yeah, OK. Yeah, it’s a public thing not a... IK: Yeah, I would have to look into it but, yeah, it just doesn’t seem like… LT: Yeah. IK: It’s not like that would be more effective, I don’t think… Um, but as a member of the public you have a right to know about everything that’s going on. 33 BL: There’s a time frame they have to reply by… IK: Um, time frame is – well the initial response would be 10 days if they were having a hard time with gathering the records – they can request or they can send an acknowledgement saying we received your request – that would give them an extra days so 20 days. And then, if it just requires too much work – they can request that, you know, you pay for it so that’s why I’m not really sure about whether a county official or committee requesting, you know, if there’s a lot of work involved – you’d have to pay for it, right? LT: OK, yeah. RD: But you can also ask for a waiver of fees in the public interest. IK: I – to what extent, yeah. LT: Yeah, that’s why, I mean, yup, we got a budget we can – we’re gonna, um… IK: Yeah, so I would have to look into that. I don’t have an answer for you right off the bat. RD: OK. Thank you. LT: We can have some discussion on that next meeting, yeah? IK: Yeah, we can add that to the agenda as well. LT: Yeah, thank you very much for that, Leomana, District – 3. Um, you know, I never filed one of these reports before so I’m going through the process, understanding the cost, if it’s beneficial for us as a Commission to send something that belongs to public individuals, definitely would love to have that discussion next month and then execute some of these letters. IK: Like what would be more effective. LT: Yeah, what would be more effective, right, cause it’s a public, individual public right versus a Commission right, so I kind of get it. IK: Yeah. \[Unclear\] LT: Where were you with that one… And the last of the – shoots – kala mai – before we end – I had one more thing that I wanted – might have to just end this right now. IK: I mean unless anyone has something that they’d like to announce maybe another event or something. 34 LT: I know I emailed you about something that I wanted to talk about. You know, I cannot think about it right now so I’m actually just going move to the last part, agenda item number 10 – which is adjournment… IK: Wait, well, actually, I just wanted to clarify because, um, Abraham, he mentioned that there’s a State GMAC meeting. You can attend as public members but if you want to attend as a Commissioner – like as GMAC – then it would have to be less than a quorum and then you can come back with a report at the next meeting. LT: Do we need to take a vote to have someone represent GMAC – like, Aloha, my name is Leomana, I’m the Chair of GMAC, or Aloha my name is Leomana, I’m a hunter. IK: So, you don’t have to vote if just one person is going… LT: Oh, OK. Yeah, yeah. IK: It’s more like if a group of members want to go and that would have to be less than a quorum and so you would vote on who would be attending, but, if you’re attending strictly as a member of the public, and you’re not going to wave around, oh, I’m a Commissioner, any of you guys can go. All of you can go… Yeah, but, you know, just don’t acknowledge it but you all can go. See that’s the confusing things about these advisory committees, cause I have another one too where they’re like oh, can we all attend like these non-county hosted events that they blend in with their interests and their authority too, um, but, no, you can go just follow those guidelines – all of you can go as a member of the public or if you want to go as a Commission, less than a quorum you can go. And then you can provide a report afterwards or if just one of you is gonna go – then it’s fine. But it’s just like, you don’t want to go and, um…. LT: A unit, yeah, just send an individual representative. IK: Yeah. Ok, Motion to adjourn. 10. ADJOURNMENT: Action: R. Duerr motioned to end the meeting. Seconded by L. Turalde. Motion carried unanimously by voice poll vote. RD: I make a motion, Duerr, District – 1. LT: Leomana, District – 3, I second the motion to adjourn the meeting, ah, right after we take a vote. Any discussion? Only discussion is that was a good meeting, thank you everybody for all the information and thank you to the public for so much… OK, roll call vote. Starting at the top, District – 1? 35 RD: Aye. LT: District – 2? TWC: Aye. LT: District – 3, aye. District – 4? BL: Aye. LT: District – 8? CO: Aye. LT: District – 9? JA: Aye. LT: And our Corp Counsel. All Commissioners voted in favor of ending the meeting. Thank you guys very much for attending today’s Commission meeting, see you guys next month and see you on the emails. Aloha. Respectfully submitted by, Barbara Kossow, Secretary 36