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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-09-24 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 Game Management Advisory Commission County of Hawaii Minutes Meeting Date: Monday, September 24, 2018 Time: 6:30 p.m. Place: Hawaii County Building – Council Chambers I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL: Meeting was called to order at 6:30 pm. Stanley Mendes, District 1 – absent Kean Umeda - District 2 – here James O’Keefe - District 3 – absent Naniloa Poglen, District 4 - here Thomas H. Lodge, District 5 - here Grayson Hashinda - District 6 - here Bronsten-Glen “Kalei” Kossow, District 7 - here Teresa Nakama, District 8 – here George Donev, District 9 - here Quorum established ALSO PRESENT: Malia Hall, Corporation Counsel Donna Urban-Higuchi, Executive Assistant to Mayor Kim GUESTS: Dave Smith TL: District one? No stay? OK. Actually, he’s on the mainland. District 2? ?: Here... TL: District 3? He’s not here tonight either... Distric5t 4? NP: Here... TL: District 5... Here...District 6? GH: Here... TL: Oh, very good. District 7? 1 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 BK: Here... TL: And District 8? TN: Here... TL: OK. District 9? ?: Here... TL: OK. Gentleman, this is George... GD: Doniff... TL: He’s a newly appointed commissioner. We’re gonna have him speak to us here in a couple of minutes and give us some idea of who he is so bear with us we’ll learn a little bit about him together. I want to also introduce tonight Bill Stormont who is gonna be talking to us about Rapid Ohia Death. We’ve heard a little bit about that from the University in the past – this is from DOFAW. He’s gonna help us out but they’re looking for howhunters can support them in this issue. We also have Abraham Antonio her tonight. I’d like to have him come up and talk to us a little bit about Pig Hunters of Hawaii and many of you who have been here are familiar with Pig Hunters and he has some reasons why he would like to re-start that organization and get asupport from the hunting community and we fully support that or I do anyway. So we’re gonna talk about that just a little bit. So do we have the minutes, per chance? ?: Yes. nd TL: We do, OK? So those minutes are from where? July 2? OK. All right – the July 2 meeting – minutes – anybody want to make a motion to accept those minutes? NP: I’ll make a motion to accept the July 2 minutes. BK: Second. TL: OK. All in favor? \[The Ayes have it\] No opposed? OK. Moved and seconded so we’ll adopt the mintues. Where else are we this morning... Budget Report... Here we go. You folks all have the budget report infron of you – what do we have left? Oh, we have $3,800.00 dollars left. Anybody move to accept the expenditure detail report – budget report? ?: So moved. 2 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 ?: I move to accept the expenditure detail report. TL: OK. Very good. All in favor? \[The ayes have it\] Nobody oppo0sed? All right? Anybody from the public have any comments to make on our forthcoming presentations this evening either on the RAD. Oh, Bryan Leo from Pohakuloa who was gonna be here tonight – wasn’t able to make it. He will try to make it to our next meeting, which will be on November 8, I believe, and to let us know a little bit about what’s going on up at Pohakuloa with the hunting program uip there and what he’s trying to do to further that program. So we’ll be looking forward to having him here. Abraham Antonio will be – well is here – and will be talking to us briefly about the revival of Pig Hunters of Hawaii – Bill Stormont also what we can do – then we’ll get into the New Business – so before we do that – George? GD: Yes... Doniff... TL: Yeah, I’m gonna have to do something about this. This is in public too. OK. All right, George, please, if you don’t mind and speak into – tell us a little bit about who you are, how you got involved in this and what interested you in the commission. GD: So I’m George Donniff – I’m currently a freshman at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. I graduated from HPA in 2017 and I had previously done some field work with the Kohala Watershed Partnership and I was actively involved in some turtle tagging things in high school and so I care a lot about the environment and the animals that live on this island and the ecosystems and so my community was looking for a representative because the seat was vacant for a little while, I believe, and no one really stepped up and so I had the time to do so and so I thought I could represent my district. TL: Does anybody have any questions? NP: Thank you... TL: Do you hunt? GD: Yes, I have hunted before. TL: Do you have a hunting license now? GD: No, I do not have a hunting license. TL: Or the Hunter Ed program at all? GD: No. 3 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 TL: \[Not speaking in mice\] BK: George, what are you studying? GD: I’m studying computer science and mathematics. BK: That sounds fun... GD: I think so... TL: Some of the activities of the Commission – you mentioned the Watershed Partnership that we have up there – we haven’t always had a cordial relationship with some of those organizations in the past so if you all start feeling uncomfortable about any of the comments that you might here and you will hear them – just let us know – so that we don’t further any – but they have been why these people are here – when you talk about the animals here we care about the animals as well but a big part of the animal kingdom that relates to us here are game animals – animals that have been introduced here for the purposes of subsistence... GD: Of course... TL: And without management they do create issues for a lot of people, whether you be at home or in the partnership. So we may have some areas where are interests may diverge but our commission serves everybody on this Island and we’re gonna be talking about that tonight too. NP: He’s read through all of our minutes and he’s watched our You Tubes so – I think he has a pretty good idea. GD: Yeah, I think so... TL: OK. Yeah, very good. You know more about this than we do... OK. Anybody have any question for George? Comments or whatever, no? With that I”d just like to have Abraham Antonio to stand up and introduce himself to you – you guys all know who Abraham is? AA: Hello, I’m Abraham Antonio... TL: Abraham has put his application in to run for District 5 which is my district which I’m leaving at the end of this year. He has applied for the District 5 commission position and among other things that he’s embarking upon right now so anyway Abraham, thank y ou. Tell us a little bit about who you are and your interests in Pig Hunters of Hawaii and why you’d like to resurrect that organizaiotn again? 4 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 AA: Well, I’m an active hunter. Hunted for generations with – not generations but hunting been in generations in my family – me and my wife been foster parents for like over 15 years not or something and in my home there’s been a lot of youth children that I take with me different adventures and camping, fishing, hunting so it’s a wide variety of things that I do with children and that’s basically part of the reason why I want to bring back Pig Hunters of Hawaii is to bring the community back together and – yeah, just bring the community back together and bring in education and bring back the voice of the hunters cause back in the day when Pig Hunters of Hawaii originally started Pig Hunters did have a loud voice – after time – everyone got tired so the club just disbanded basically. And Pig Hunters of Hawaii – it’s just a strong name that everybody knows – that’s why I got the question of, “Why Pig Hunters – why not make something up of your own?” It’s because Pig Hunters of Hawaii was already established back in 1993. TL: Long before that... AA: Or maybe ’91... TL: \[Not speaking in mic\] AA: Yeah, ’91, yeah, something like that. So since that time it was very strong and hopefully I can bring it back strong and with – if I get accepted as a board member on this community – I can bring that voice back to the County because right now a lot of the questions come from Chair members and stuff like that – where is the voice coming from? Where is these hunters? So I’m trying to establish that voice to bring it back... NP: And give them courage to stand up... AA: Yeah, try to bring that fire back... NP: Yeah, instead of just giving up and laying low, right? AA: Yeah. Cause right now everybody is just laying low and waiting for something happen and hopefully, we can make something happen and like I say it’s not – even thought the name says Pig Hunters of Hawaii – even back then it wasn’t just for pig hunters – it was for sheep hunters, all outdoors men and if fishermen wanted to come involved – they can come involve too. It’s all fine and open arms. TL: Yeah, one of the benefits that I see of what you’re doing is that – when we talk about this voice – we have a voice that’s out there on the Internet and out... AA: Yeah... 5 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 TL: Nobody sees that voice, you know, you don’t see it in this room, for example. Whereas at the meetings that I attended the Pig Hunters of Hawaii there’s like a hundred people there and not only that – they had a grand repuration and the merchants in this town actually supported Pig Hunters of Hawaii in a very major way – whether you talk about Dells, or Mirandas or KTA or Wal-Mart, even, helped us out on a couple of occasions that we were there – cause of the repurtaion that they established with the management that they had and the things that they did – the cleanups that they did and all of that – they had a big impact that the public recognized and if we’re gonna carry that continuing on I think – and you were a member of that organization as well – so... AA: Yeah, short time cause it was kinda like when they were going out already... TL: So I applaud you and I don’t know about the rest of the Commission but I’m – we’ll support you – Hawaiian Hunting Association is gonna support you – we’ll have HRA support you as well and, of course, we talked to that gentleman on Oahu with Pig Hunters of Oahu so... Anyway, yeah, Ino, ’m glad you’re here and I’m glad that you’re doing it – it’s time to try and get a physical presence, I think, you know, with hunters, so, I congratulate you on that. NP: You know, there was an article on the paper a while back about some scientific research to trace the original genetics of our wild pig and they’re still – what was it Tom? 90% still genetically the same as the original pig that were brought and so to me they’re native. ?: Yeah. NP: So to be an advocate for that resource and work toward a positive attitude in the community about them can – I feel, is really important. AA: Just one of the resources that we’ll be supporting. NP: Yeah, right – but more power to you. Thank you. TN: Hi George – Theresa here in Kona. How do we contact you? GD: I believe I provided my contact information before. TN: I’m sorry – I mean to say Antonio.. Sorry... AA: My contact number and stuff I think it’s on the... TL: Theresa? I will email you his contact information tonight when I get home. 6 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 TN: All right, thank you, because I want to talk to you about a workshop that we could all come together and not be in a structured meeting like this and where hunters can be freely speaking. AA: Yes, and my plan is to start it – have my first meeting in January. Right now it’s open hunting season so I want to kinda get that out of the way right now. TN: Well, what I’m saying is that GMAC could possibly support you in paying for a meeting place if you have to – if you need a meeting place and something that all the commission members could be a part of and hear you folks out. Thank you. AA: Than you. MH: Sorry – I just have to interject. There’s Sunshine Law so if you guys are gonna have meeting like that then you would have to notice it and you would have to – if all the commissioners went to it – you would have to again notice it – it would have to be on the County calendar and all that stuff so just so you know – you would still have to do that if you’re planning on having all the commissioners there. NP: Thank you. TL: Sunshine... NP: I have one more question, Antonio. One of the other times you were here yuou said that you were seeing a lot of – that they decided they were nimetodes – parasites in the meat of... AA: Yeah, and never got no real confirmation or anything back just from that last... NP: Are you still seeing it like as much? AA: No, actually, where I’m hunting the game numbers are kind of down this year for some reason... NP: But the meat’s looking OK? AA: Yeah, so far, yeah. Nice, healthy game... NP: Oh, good... TL: Is that mostly on Kona side though, I mean? AA: No, Right in the Kulani buffer zone – very decent – but the numbers are kinda down this year. 7 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 TL: Anybody else? Anybody have any other – anybody from the public have any questions for Abraham? Got you $20.00 to join? OK. All right, I do appreciate. And remember – he is gonna be out District 5 representative I’m confident. OK. Mr. Stormont? Tell us a little bit about who you are when you come up here, I mean, some of us have known you for years, but there may be some in here that don’t and some of them may not have an idea of who you are... BS: Aloha. Mr. Chair and Members of the Commmission – thanks for having me this evening. My name is Bill Stormont – I’m forester with the State Division of Forrestry and Wildlife. I currently serve as our agency’s coordinator for our response to Rapid Ohia Death so I’m focusing on that. I was with DLNR between 1986 and 2001 in other capacities. Left in 2001 for some other opportunities and returned last July. So I’m returning to DLNR. Hilo boy born and raised here – classmatmes with this one over here – from elementary school all the way thorugh high school – as a matter of fact and spent over 30 years in natural resource management work here on the Island. Here tonight to share with the Commission – with a request, actually, to provide an update on Rapid Ohia Death as it’s occurring here on our Island and in the recent discovery of it on Kauai as well, but a very brief update on that and then a request with some information I’d like to share. As we know, in the summer around 2012 Rapid Ohia Death arrived here on Hawaii Island in the area of Puna has since spread throughout much of Island. Rapid Ohia Death – and I see you have a brochure – terrific – I have more, too, for you. The outreach folks are doing a great job. Rapid Ohia Death is caused by a fungus and we know a lot more about that – two fungi, actually, that have – are causing this problem with our native ohia trees. The genus is serratacistis – for a scientific name – they’re recently named the two new species that cause this Rapid Ohia Death – Serratiscistius Loku Ohia – the more aggressive of the two – that was formerly called species A – in our meetings I put a hat on the table and if anybody uses an A or B they have to put a dollar in the hat – we’re going with the new names – the other species is the former species BU – which is called Seratacisitic Huli Ohia. And Luku in Hawaiian means to destroy or destroyer – the Wailuku River is apply named and Huli Ohia we know - we all know what huli huli chicken is – it’s turning over – so it turns ohia. So Luku ohia has a tendency to be far more aggressive in the tree – causes it to wilt – it constricts that vascular tissue in the tree and it just starves it of water – and the tree dies very quickly, which is hwere the name comes from. Huli Ohia on the other hand can kill and entire tree – it will – but it has a tendency to form cankers in the tree – so it could do a branch at a time, for instance and not infect the whole tree – whereas Luku Ohia will do the whole thing. With Luku Ohia – once you see the symptoms the tree is done and there’s nothing that we know of yet that can be done to remedy the problem... TL: Can I interrupt you... 8 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 BS: Sure... TL: J.B. Friday... BS: Um-hum. TL: ....was here. He had mentioned that this Rapid Ohia Virus had been here for 40 years... BS: Four, did you say? TL: Forty... BS: Forty? Well, it’s – there’s a lot we still don’t know. What we do know is that these two species are here now. The lesser of the two – or the lesser of the two – Huli Ohia – there is some among the pathology community – there is some thinking that that one may have been here for some time now and we’re only seeing it now because we’re looking for it and it’s really being diagnosed and identified as a fungus that’s causing the death in ohia. There’s a lot of things that cause ohia to die including sinesis – old age... TL: \[Not speaking in mic\] for a power line is one way... BS: Well, there’s that and thank you for mentioning that cause that’s kinda where I’m gonna go. So there are these two fungi that are here and B – the former B – Huli Ohia could well have been here for a very long time and that’s what’s on Kauai. They’ve not found Luku Ohia on Kauai in that small area where they’ve detected it it’s been the Huli Ohia that they found there. One of the ways that we know that ohia does get infected by the fungus is through wounding in the trees – so tree trimming - and it could be a variety of things – that for instance bull dozer work – roadside clearing – we’ve seen examples where ranchers have felt the need to improve their pasture so they’ll have a bull dozer come in push the guava around to get rid of the guava to open up pasture land but it wounds ohia trees along the way and six to eight months later all of a sudden the trees are dying – lots of them and you go around and you see wounding so and it’s a lot of different things that can happen but very strong evidence that wounding is a major cause of trees becoming affected and it could also be the wind. I mean, it’s a lot of different reasons why ohia may be wounded. We also know that the spores that cause the fungus to be moved can be air borne and so you can imagine in a big wind storm spores are being carried and trees are being wounded – broken branches – that sort of things and so that’s a way that it can spread. What also happens is after a tree’s infected – ambrosia beetles – which we have both native and non-native ambrosia beetleshere in the Islands – they will go into a tree and begin to attack it – they know it’s wounded because a tree – 9 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 once it’s infected and showing some signs of stress will being to emit ethanol and other chemicals and the bugs find them. They’re attracted to that. They get in there – they begin to bore and they put out boring dust and it’s called “frass” which is their excrement, basically, and that has the fungal inoculam in it and can get picked up by the wind and carried and we – like I said – there’s still a lot we don’t know – these are things that we’ve learned along the way in the research that’s gone into trying to understand this fungus has been – is helping us drive our management and what I wanted to come this evening to share is that sometimes – well, what we’ve seen in our sampling on the Island – expecially in wet areas of our forest where there are a lot of very large ohia trees – sometimes forest users will have a practice of using - - putting blaze marks with a machete on ohia trees and we’d like to ask the Commission and the members of the hunting community to share that that can be a cause for a tree to become infected with Rapid Ohia Death and I have some sets of pictures and I apologize for not putting it more – develop a PowerPoint presentation together for you but I will – I have some images that are taken recently – this is off of Stainback Highway in upper Waiakea. And so I simply come this evening to ask and we know there are a lot of different forest users – hunters are among them – there are maile pickers – there’s people picking Kakumon for other uses in the home – and for a variety of different reasons with – we know that hunters are among those who are in that forest and we would ask that the Commission ask the different community members in the hunting community to consider curtailing this particular behavior cause it can be the cause of an infected tree. And so the more we can do about that the better – is simply why I come to ask and share with the commission and ask that it be encouraged that that practice be curtailed, so... TN: I have a question Tom. Please have the speaker explain to me what are blaze marks. SB: Blaze marks are – what I’ve seen done is when folks are walking through the forest so that they can identify the trail that they’ve used to get into an area they’ll take a machete and they’ll put a mark – they’ll cut the bark off of a tree – and leave a mark. So that’s when I say a “blaze mark” that’s what I mean and they – I’m sorry – I don’t have – I’m not sure if there’s a way we can project the images to them... TN: How do you know that hunters are doing this? SB: I don’t. I’m saying that we know there are a number of different kinds of users in the forest and I do know that hunters who I know have done that in the past – but that there are others there – I’m not trying to point fingers I’m just saying that that is – they are among the users of the forest and I”ve seen that practice in the past. 10 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 TN: Cause I’ve – I know hunters here and know no hunters that put blaze marks on any tree. SB: OK. Well, I’m glad to hear that... TN: So, yeah, to point out hunters do this, I mean, unless you have proof it shouldn’t be stated. You know, if you’re gonna generally speak that these things are happening I would rather have you just generally speak that these things are happening but not blame hunters for it. SB: Thank you. I appreciate that and as I did mention there are – we know that there are a number of different types of forest users in these areas and so I bring it to this Commission as a group that is working with that particular set of users. NP: Excuse me... SB: Yes. NP: Antonio – are the hunters realizing this and respecting ohia? AA: Yeah, that’s part of a way they use to mark the trails and stuff like that once they go in – when they come back out that’s one way – another way is ribbon – they put ribbon markers in and out. So not only surveyors but also hunters. That’s just to – so that they don’t get lost, basically. Some people are not familiarized with using compasses and other means so that’s just their way. As for me, personally, since – just within the last few months since I’ve been coming to these meetings and getting more knowledge about the Rapid Ohia Death – I actually stopped that practice - so for me and my kids and – just this past weekend I hunted with one of my other friends that don’t have the knowledge, right? And, you know, I educated him. So it’s like, “Eh, you shouldn’t do that anymore the Rapid Ohia Death you going spread it around, and stuff like that – so I no like mess up this forest or any other forest.” Right? So education is they key. That’s part of the reason why bringing back Pig Hunters of Hawaii – education is the key. NP: And hunters are some of the regional lovers of the forest, for sure... AA: Yeah, but backing up Theresa, yeah, not only hunters in the forest... SB: Sure... AA: Like you said – maile pickers and you know a lot of the other gatherers so... GB: I have a question – what are some alternatives that you might recommend to mitigate the blazing. 11 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 AA: Well, one is like ribboning, right, just grab one surveyor pink, blue, whatever color that you chose to use – that would be one way. The other way is just not to touch the ohia tree itself. There’s other foliage around, I suppose, that you can mark other foliages that is not in such crisis. But even that – bringing that education, you know, how much of hunters and gatherers actually know what’s in the forest, OK, like what is invasive and what is endangered, too, ah? So it’s all part – now that’s like one of my main focuses is education – education, education, education because how much education is there out there? Like is DOFAW going out during the week or during the weekends – are you guys giving up your guys’ time and staying outside of the kiosk like half the day or like early in the morning when the hunters are going out or in the middle of the day when the hunters are coming out from the forest and giving them education. I don’t see one DOFAW person there. Only on the work hours. SB: OK. Thank you. KM: Excuse me, but I’d like to make a point of that blazing. The old time hunters would use that method instead of putting a ribbon... TN: Excuse me, but could you state your name please? KM: Ah, Kino Meno... TN: Thank you. KM: They would blaze because they didn’t want other hunters to know their trail but using ribbons. When you put ribbons on there everyone can see that. So I would just like to make that point of why blazing was done back then. ?: Blazing is the wrong word because sounds like fire. Maybe that’s why Theresa kind of – you know blazing may be the wrong word. Maybe scuffing the tree or marking the tree and that but... SB: When it’s pounding rain you don’t really think about that, but, yeah... ?: ....just may be wrong choice or words. ?: Yeah. TN: Excuse me, this is Theresa... The hunters that I know they mark their trails because they’re cutting trails. I’ve not known them to cut the trees in any way, shape or form so, you know, it’s a surprise to me that hunters would do this cause when you have to make your own trail, it’s the ground you’re looking for and then, you know, if you’ve had any education, whether it came from your 12 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 knowledge that was handed down – you would mark the trail – not by cutting a tree, though, you’d either put fallen sticks or rocks in such a manner that you could point your way back on the trail to go back where you came from. So maybe, yes, Antonio we could get together and talk about this with the hunters as to what best practices can be done. Thank you. SB: And we welcome – the outreach team – welcomes the opportunity to meet with – I know they did a number of meetings with hunting clubs that are around the Island and have done that and we’d happy to come and talk stories with your club once you guys get rolling again – happy to. One idea that somebody had which I thought was kinda good was using toilet paper – it’s white – it goes away after a while, right, yeah, so, not everybody’s carrying toilet paper around up there but on a rainy day it’s not gonna be very useful but looking for alternatives is certainly... TL: Well on the mainland I have a friend who has a tract of land that they leased to go hunting and they started and it’s fairly overgrown, too, but they were using spray paint to mark it and which may be a good idea – you’re not hurting anything but on the other hand if you don’t want your trail known it’s there and so they – I don’t know if they still do it... But the other thing that they were doing was to mark their territory of their land area with spray paint, you know, rather than fencing... SB: Their property boundary you mean? TL: Right and that’s where they got the idea from, you know... But the other thing about ribbons, too, ribbons is a mess in the forest, if you don’t pick up your ribbons on the way back out it’s really kind of unsightly. If I see a ribbon I just take it down – generally speaking – sorry if you were... ?: You da one, ah? TL: Anyone else have a question for Bill? NP: I do... TL: OK. NP: With Huli Ohia you say that one doesn’t necessarily kill ‘em it just kills parts of them but here in this brochure is says if you have an infected tree cut it down, burn it. Well, can they recover and someone cut it down when it actually could recover? SB: The ones – we recommend felling the tree and getting it on the ground because it may have the beetles in it but those are typically ones that are all completely gone. And Huli Ohia will kill the whole tree – it can do it in time. 13 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 NP: But can the tree recover from it? SB: Not if it’s got the whole tree. A branch that may be infected could be cut off and then you need to seal that wound with prune sealer as best you can. So that’s possible but Huli Ohia will kill the entire tree and if the entire tree is dead and it’s got the ambrosia beetles in it – if you can put the tree on the ground without damaging other trees around it and do it safely then that is the recommendation because that way you don’t have the possibility or you have less of a possibility of the beetle frasse and the boring dust which has the active spores being carried by the wind. NP: Right, right, I had an opportunity recently to have a helicopter tour of Puna and, yeah, it looked to me like 90% of the ohia are dead and it was a shocking reality and my question is in this brochure you say that the ohia are the backbone of Hawaii’s native forest and watershed – now what? They’re dead – what about the watershed. Is there any plans, I mean, you know... You can’t bring back a whole tree in the near future... SB: No. And Puna is a very extreme example of what’s happened with eco systems there coupled with the fact that it’s a lower elevation and the understory beneath that canopy of ohia is typically non-native plants – I’m afraid the forests of Puna are in pretty dire straits from a native ecosystem standpoint... NP: So that may be just for the sake of vegetation maybe don’t kill the trees anymore maybe... SB: Absolutely. No. We don’t want to kill the native trees but the ones... NP: I’m sorry – the non-native... SB: Oh, OK. In the best thing we can do for our watersheds is to keep it clothed in forest and vegetation – clearly. Ohia has been here for many, many, many hundreds of thousands of years. It is the backbone of our native forest. It’s 80% of the total biomass of our native forest is ohia trees – there’s lots of other things in there – but when you look at the total biomass of an area it’s been said about 80% of that is ohia. Puna, as I said, is an extreme example l- there are many other places on the Island here and we look – that aren’t anywhere as nearly as badly affected by Rapid Ohia Death – your ohia trees aren’t. We fly the whole Island – all the ohia forests on the Island in a helicopter doing digital mapping twice a year and then in the priority areas where there are those edges where we’re trying to monitor to keep – to see if it’s spreading we do those in the off quarters as well – so four times a year those areas get flown and we’re mapping – we did that last week – we did a portion of the Island last week Friday – all of Kau, a portion of South Kona 14 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 and Kohala because the weather gave us that so we flew there. We’re keeping a very close eye on a quarterly basis of where we’re seeing these edges – particularly for Luku Ohia – less so for Huli Ohia. Luku Ohia is the bigger concern. Right now on the Island on the east side of the Island for the last year and a half the northern most Luku Ohia had been above Laupahoehoe in the lands of Waipunalei. Recently, in July, when we flew the area around Kalopa State Park and the Kalopa section of the Hamakua Forest Reserve we saw some symptomatic trees there. We got on the ground within the week and we sampled those trees and they came back positive for Luku Ohia so now we have some in Kalopa and that’s a twelve mile distance. We don’t see any inbetween. On the west side of the Island above Holualoa Town is where we see the northern most extent of Luku Ohia and from there south through Captain Cook and Kealakekua and scattered through South Kona and in Kau and certainly into Puna and upper Puna in the forests of Waiokele and upper Waiakea off of Stainback Highway we’ve got lots of Luku Ohia in there. So the southern end of the Island has a lot of it to different degrees of concentration but Puna is a really – it’s the exteme – no question. NP: Right. I was just wondering if there’s a shift in the view of non-native trees as a possible alternative for vegetation maybe not see it as so much an enemy cause it’s better to have forest of some kind of vegetation than no vegetation. SB: Absolutely, no question, but then we have to look at things like albezia and that’s yet another extreme example, certainly, but, yeah, no... NP: That is what’s there... SB: ....in our watershed recharge areas forests of some kind – vegetative cover of some kind or another properly managed is what we want to see and where we have healthy ohia forest we’d like to maintain that clearly. NP: So kill that albezia even though it’s the only trees that’ll live? SB: I’m afraid so... That’d be my goal... NP: So we’ll have nothing for the watershed then trees... SB: Well, no, there’s lots of other cover besides the albezia trees... NP: Wai wi? SB: Yeah. Well, we’re not – that’s a non-starter right there. Wai wi is here to stay \[unclear\]. NP: Well, l’m just suggesting that there should be an open mind to things that will grow... 15 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 SB: Sure... NP: ....since the ohia are pretty much 90% dead in Puna... SB: Absolutely, absolutely. And, but what we would – in addition to that what we want to do is try to do what we can to keep Rapid Ohia Death and the fungus from spreading into the ohia forest as well. TL: I have a question – how many birds feed off of the lehua flower? SB: Oh, I couldn’t give you anumber but certainly most of ournative birds and a lot of the non-natives use the nectar and the trees for nesting. TL: Now, and I’m not trying to drawn in inference here but knowing in Laupahoehoe when they killed off all of the banana poka we all of a sudden – or at least not maybe all of sudden – but I see – and I don’t go up there very often but I do notice there are not as many red birds Iiwi and the others are not as prevalent as they used to be with the banana poka so I’m curious are there things that can help our native birds survive that aren’t native in case this Rapid Ohia thing really goes terminal – is there any alternative for them. You know, like the Blackburn Sphinx, for example, you know, I mean, it’s using that tobacco plant or whatever it is as – and there’s a plant Cook something or other that’s kind of a hybrid plant that in South Point – that somebody was telling me about? SB: Don’t know... TL: Yeah, I’m not really – plants aren’t my thing so I’m not too sure either. But what about the birds, I mean, are there gonna be alternatives or are things like banana poka less on the list if that’s giving the birds some alternative to survive? SB: I think given the impact banana poka can have in the forested area I would go with getting rid of banana poka before I did anything else clearly because the broader impact that is caused by banana poka it’s gonna be much more severe on thenative ecosystems and the birds in the long run... TL: Than no ohia? SB: Than the ohia – those are up, you know, the banana poka’s up in the koa forest as well, I mean, the koa ohia mixed forest as we know is very rich in native bird life so... TL: So is there anything else though that the native birds will... 16 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 SB: Well, there’s a host of other trees that the native birds feed off olapa, pilo, and many other species of plants that the birds forage on and many birds are insect eaters so they’re not nectavours specifically. Some of them eat the fruite and some of them feed on the nectar and some of them are insect eaters – they eat it all – so there’s a – it’s a mixture. Your forest type has a lot of different species in it that can support native bird life. GB: This is George. So you – going back to what you mentioned about the beetles – is there – if there’s such a like prevalent vector for the disease has there been any effort to mitigate them or do you not focus on such efforts? SB: There is a lot of work going on in the understanding the life history of the beetles. Like I mentioned there are both native and non-natives. So if we work on trying to find something to control one it’s very difficult for it to not control the others so we have to be careful about non-target impacts. We are looking at some insecticides that might be possibly used instead of falling the tree – especially if you can’t fall the tree – if you’re in a tight tree canopy you’re not gonna cut the tree down because it’s gonna damage a whole bunch of other stuff on the way down. So are there insecticides that we can use? But the concern then is like I said over non-target impacts. You’re gonna kill everything but we don’t want to do that so we are trying to understand the beetle a little better than to understand the beetle and how it gets into the tree, what the timing is, how long do they stay, how long are the spores of the fungus viable – all those kinds of questions are now being worked on and trying to find answers to by the research committee that is involved. I’m glad you have the brochure, I have more... GH: This is Grayson. I had one more question. You mentioned the insects and the beetles – are there any interactions between ohia death and larger game animals or other animals in the forest? SB: We haven’t – that’s a difficult one to quantify – we do know that there are – we do see signs of bark stripping by animals on some ohia in some areas – particularly in drier areas on the Island. That opens up a wound and that’s a possible vector for ohia or the fungus to get in theohia trees. Nothing direct yet but we know that animals can have that kind of impact on trees. TN: This is Theresa – Kona. Have you folks tested what will kill the fungus that’s affecting the ohia tree? SB: There is no fungicide currently available to kill the fungus and the other problem, if you will, is once the tree shows symptoms it’s pau so it’s a difficult thing to combat once you see the signs. They are testing fungicides that you can inject trees with – they are doing some studies where they are injecting trees with fungicide – giving it am onth and then actually inoculating those trees with the fungus to see whether or not the fungicide works k- so that’s yet 17 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 another bit of research that’s underway – to see if the fungicide will keep the fungus from infecting the tree. TN: So there was a person that attempted to inform he University that there was a sea cucumber in the ocean that excretes a white substance that kills fungus – have you folks looked into that? SB: I’m not aware of that investigator or of any work looking at that – no – I don’t know – there may be but I am not aware. TN: Could I share that with you. So would you leave your contact number, possibly email and phone number? SB: Sure. And Chairman has my contact information and I can leave my card here with the staff. TN: That would be terrific because it was shared with the University and the response they don’t have anybody to go into the ocean to do the testing. I mean if this is gonna be terminal to our ohia forest shouldn’t every aspect be looked into? SB: Certainly... TN: All right. Thank you. GD: This is George. I was wondering if you have ever found any tree that might have displayed some sort of immunity or ahigher chance of perhaps surviving? SB: There is research underway, again, another facet – is there’s four or five different known varieties of ohia that occur here on Hawaii Island and they are doing studies to see if there’s a higher level of resistance among the different varieties. There was a graduate student and UH Hilo that got his masters on that and he’s been hired on with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to continue that work as a paid employee – continuing the work that he’s started and looking at whether or not there are some varieties of ohia that are resistant to the fungus. It’s in its early stages and the seed banking effort that’s been underway for several years now is gonna be helpful to their – they’re collecting seed, banking it and identifying which variety they are so that if and when there’s the opportunity to do restoration we can begin to grow them in the outhouse and get trees planted in the ground. TL: Which is the most easily transmittable of the two viruses. Is it Luku or Huli? 18 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 SB: I don’t know if we have an answer for that one. Yeah, I don’t know if one is a higher of level of transport than the other I don’t – if there is an answer, I’m not sure of it. TL: How in your own – and I’m not trying to have you pin anything down but you know there’s twelve miles between Laupahoehoe and Kalopa, for example – how would that happen in your mind? SB: One line of thought is that it was a significant Kona storm that brought wind out of the south. You know, the bigger question is, you know, we have that outbreak in North Kohala and that’s forty miles from the nearest known source of Luku Ohia either in Holualoa or at Waipunalei. We do know that six – well, the area in North Kohala was flown in April of 2017 and no sign of it whatsoever, and then it was flown on the first of September in 2017 and that was when we first detected it there. TL: Oh... SB: Looking back at the weather patterns back several months in late January of 2017 there was a three days of very significant Kona winds blowing on the Kona side of the Island bringing right up the coast – so is that potentially how it got there, I mean, in North Kohala you have significant wind events everyday – but that’s typically trade winds blowing in the other direction so there’s – and I keep talking about the different research that’s going on – one of the things that’s happening is, plant pathologists who have access to genetics labs are looking at samples of both Huli Ohia and Luku Ohia from different populations and they can identify genetic variations even within the species so that might help us understand the patterns of movement if what’s in North Kohala is the same as the stuff in Kona, then we have some indication that perhaps that’s where it came from – but it’s hard to know. How did it move forty miles all at once? And Maui is another 40 miles so that’s a big concern for us. TL: So you can actually measure a – like through DNA or I don’t know if it’s DNA but the genetics of one plant to another? SB: One wood sample to another, yeah, and the DNA of the fungus, yes. Search me how – but smarter people than us guys can figure that out. TL: Interesting... Yeah, Nani was telling me about her flight – she was distressed by what she saw. SB: And, yes, I’m sorry – I don’t mean to interrupt – but I’ll add to that and say the flying that we do we see vast areas where we see no sign of it whatsoever and that’s heartening. We do see that and, so, what we need to try to do 19 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 collectively, as a community, is do whatever we can to keep trees from being affected and understand it better which is what we’re working on. TL: Right... NP: But, to tell you the truth – after seeing a lava flow looks such a desert now and the dead ohia – the albezia, where they’re not harmful to anything – far away from roads and houses – look like beautiful broccoli – fresh green broccoli from the air and my thought was hey, they’re mitigating carbon. They’re cooling the earth. They’re filling in a space, ah, no, I think we should re-think them. TL: They’d make great canoes...Anybody else have any questions with Bill? Can you leave some of that stuff with us? SB: All of it... TL: OK. SB: Certainly. I’ve got here a few copies of the most recent Hawaii Island distribution map and I’m leaving them on the table – brochures and also a sheet that’s called “Frequently Asked Questions” sheet, so, I’ll leave them on the table for folks to have. TL: I appreciate that... SB: And if more is wanted or desired, please let me know. I’d be happy to – we’ve got lots of this material to share with the community so... TN: Excuse me, Tom – Theresa... Could you send some copies over to the Kona side? TL: I will... TN: Through Nora... TL: Nora or to Donna. TN: Have Nora send inter-department... SB: What I can do is \[unclear\] read your lips, you know... The images I shared with the members of the Commission here and the map – I can send via email to the Chair who can, in turn, share it with staff that can distribute it to everybody. TN: OK. That would be perfect. Thank you so much. 20 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 SB: My pleasure. TL: Anyone else. OK. NP: Thank you, thank you Bill so much. TL: Thank you so much for coming here. It’s interesting, you know, I know some people, ah, you know, it’s just more Rapid Ohia Death stuff, but, you know, I actually find that – and then you hear stories like her – when she goes out – and she goes for a helicopter ride and you get an new perspective from somebody who – so I think it’s threat and we would like to do what we can and you have guys like Abraham who already are, you know, taking your message out there and I think that it will probably will have some impact. One of the things about the hunters here, I mean, those that I know, anyway, they do care about where they hunt. SB: Well, you know that I know that too. TL: Yes, I do... SB: All right. Thank you very much folks, I appreciate it. TL: Thanks, Bill...Where are we schedule wise? Abraham? So do you want to come back up or do you think you’ve said enough? OK. Just so you folks know – I’m working with Abraham on this – we’re trying to get this thing going and anybody who can help us move this idea of getting Pig Hunters back together again we would appreciate anybody just come up and you know let us know before you leave tonight if you’d like to be a party to this because I think it’s important, ah, OK. Where are we? New Business? Elections... Next month we can have elections? MH: Are you guys planning to have a meeting in November or... NP: October... MH: Cause usually we have... TL: The last meeting is in November... MH: Yeah, usually you would have it like at the end of the year... TL: The end of the year, OK... MH: November would be... 21 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 th TL: So the November meeting – November 13? MH: Yeah. Sorry, it’s Malia... TL: OK. We will have our elections on November 13, which will be our last meeting for the year, but one of the things moving on from that – is the Charter Commission called me up a couple of weeks ago – or a month ago now maybe – asking us if we wanted to change our charter and did you get my email, Theresa, Grayson and Kalei? TN: Regarding? TL: The Commission membershiop and our charter? TN: No... TL: Well, it’s sitting on your email when you get home. It was late when I sent it. I don’t know if I’d asked Donna to – anyway it was a last minute thing... TN: I’m looking at my email right now, Tom, I didn’t get it. TL: All right. Well, the Game Management Advisory Commission – the purpose was to advise the County, State and federal agencies on matters relating to the preservation of subsistence hunting and fishing and protecting traditional and cultural gathering rights – that’s the purpose of our advisory commission that’s on the website... TN: Are you talking about Bill 104, Tom? TL: 104 – we’re gonna get to that. TN: No, this is something different then. TL: Yeah, this is on the Charter Commission. TN: OK. No. We didn’t get your email. TL: That came after the 104 email. MH: This is Malia... Do you guys have a copy of the Charter over there in Kona possibly? ?: I don’t have one, so... MH: If you guys look on – if you have a computer in front of you – you can go into the County website and look up the County Charter but basically what the 22 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 Charter Commission is requesting is that you look at section 6-9.3 which is the Game Management Advisory Commission – and basically it talks about, you know, how many members you’re supposed to have and what your purpose is and all that kind of stuff and what they’re actually – actually every commission in the County is how you would either, you know, if you have suggestions for them on how you would like to change it – if there are any – and this isn’t for this year’s ballot – this is for the 2020 ballot. So if you guys want to go home and read the Charter section – it’s not very long – probably about 2 paragraphs and then next meeting you guys can come back with if you have ideas and then Tom can re-send his email and then you can come back and see if you guys have any ideas of if you want it - leave it as it is – you like it – or if you want to add or amend – but, again, these are just suggestions because the Charter Commission at the end of the day has the power to, you know, create the amendments or not to be put on the ballot, so, that’s the overview of what the Charter Commission is doing. Any questions about that? TL: Nani has some comments – want to bring those up now or do you want to wait till next meeting? NP: I could comment on it. I thought at first I was really happy with the way our charter is – but then after thinking about it for a while there’s something I would like to change about it and I’d just like to throw it out there – that as far as the qualities of the commissioners that we have – I’d like it to be changed or include that commissioners need to be commited to the perpetuation of ouir natural resources as a sustainable and renewable resource – make that more specific as a qualities of the commissioners because the way it is it isn’t clear about that so... I suppose it’s premature to make a motion about it but maybe next meeting – I’d like to make a motion we add that – so maybe if anyone else has something to bounce off of it or tweak it in some way... TL: Yeah, that and there’s the other thing, too, it’s, there’s been suggestions that should this Charter Commission, I’m sorry, should our Commission have at- large members or a net-large membership. Right now we’re pretty unique in that we represent each of the Council Districts so we service those areas that we’re familiar with, generally speaking. But there are people that think that, you know, maybe we should be or have more of an at-large position as well, so that we don’t have vacancies like we did – these are all thoughts and we don’t mind hearing from the public on this too, you know, what would you like to see as far as your commissioners here, and, again, are we doing a good job and how can we do it better, that’s the main thing and how do we get our word out. OK. So we will defer this until our next meeting in November. BK: Ah, Chair, I have a question. This is Kalei. Is there a rough timeline that it’s needed by 2020? 23 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 MH: I believe they’re finalizing middle of 2019 to get it on the ballot for 2020, so, I don’t... BK: OK. So we don’t have to act on it right away then? MH: No, yeah, and if you have continued suggestions I think that you guys can – that’s also an option – like if you don’t, you know, have everything together next month but you guys have something that you want to say – you could do that or you can, yeah, continue it to the next meeting as well, yeah... TL: \[Unclear\] Kalei, that 2019 is two months away. BK: I know... TL: OK. Anybody else on this Charter Commission? What? OK... I missed the Committee Reports... OK. How many of you here – Kalei did you guys or Theresa did you guys get that Puukaohe.... TN: We got the map of it... Is that the one above the state park? TL: Right. Do you have that? TN: The existing one is by mile marker 16? ?: Yes... TL: We don’t have an existing one... TN: Excuse me, we don’t have an existing shooting range right now? TL: No, we do not. We do not...Sixteen Mile-Marker is a place to go shoot and people have been shooting up there for I don’t know how many years \[unclear\] probably since you were a kid, right? TN: So, Tom, there is one that people have been using... TL: We do not have a gun range, no, we do not. We have an area that we have been shooting and Manuka, Sixteen Miles - people will go up Kaohe like I do and do their siting-in up there. It is not a legal gun range, OK? It is an area that we have shooting is permitted. You can shoot in there – in the past it has been restricted to hunting calibers only – which means that, you know, you took your kids up there – but you still can’t take your kid up there unless he has a hunting license. So it is a place to shoot and in my personal opinion that, you know, people have behaved themselves up there – nobody, to my knowledge, has ever been hurt up there and – but it is not a gun range – there is no berms – there’s no \[unclear\] – but people have been paying 24 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 attention to what’s going on – there’s trash bins up there right now and now for a change you can go up there with a hunting license and you can practice. But that is not a gun range. What we are looking at here is a public range which would be open to anybody and we’ve looked in a number of different areas. There are two areas right now that are viable for us. One of them is the original Puuanahulu range, which is in Kona. The Mayor has directed Parks and Rec. to join the working group and to be a working group member so they’re now taking the lead on this gun range – so that took us about three or four months to get that – but now that the Parks and Rec. is involved in this – they’ve gone in with both feet and they’re very interested in getting this done – so that is a real encouragement to me, anyway... Oh... ?: \[Unclear\] TL: One of the things we want to do, too, is to make sure I stay on that working group – and we need to get you probably on that working group. But those that have – and if anybody wants to see this – I have some extra copies here that are available to anybody who wants them. Last year the military offered us an opportunity to establish a gun range in their area – this is Marquez – and he was real excited about doing this and working with the County and giving him some area across the street – where they’re not able to use it right now – it’s in critical habitat, I mean, that’s the designation is critical habitat – but that’s the political boundary – not really a biological boundary, which, and we have some reference here from Fish & Wildlife Service and Fish & Wildlife Service told us point blank – there are no palila in the area and there won’t be and that whatever we wanted to do with the shooting range would be doable in either area. But the military wasn’t wanting to get into this battle on critical habitat and maybe somebody stepped in and said hey, what are you doing - let’s not do this – they have their own environmental issues – so then we just moved across the mountain – you guys are familiar with Puukaohe – it’s that big hill as you’re just east of Mauna Kea State Park. There’s flat land area there – it’s got some issue that we need to be concerned about – there’s a lot of water courses there – lead and water don’t mix so there are concerns and considerations, but it is an ideal area to have a gun range provided you meet some of these areas – now Parks is concerned about this water – so I don’t know what the mitigation might be for that but that is something that we’re working on and it’s about one mile east of Mauna Kea State Park – it’s relatively accessible to everybody. You can have ranges that can go out to 600 or 1,000 yards if that ever gets into be one of our particular venues that are gonna be available to the public, but the idea of this range is to be a gun range that you could take your five year old, your ten year old, your seven year old, your wife – whoever – you don’t have to have a hunting license. You don’t have to have any requirement except that you have a firearm that you would like to go out and practice with and that’s what the purpose of our Commission on this gun range and that’s the purpose that Parks is looking at and we are working on this area right now and I’ll leave this out here for 25 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 anybody’s who’s interested in it and there is a discussion too, here, about what the critical habitat issues are that are in here too and Fish & Wildlife Services said it was not much of an issue that we need to worry about there – there may be other issues with water and lead and other things that we have to concern ourselves with but anyway – any questions on any of this? Comments? No? OK. Kalei, you were gonna let us know about the State Game Commission and what they’re up to? BK: Ah, Chair, I have two agendas that I will email out to the rest of our Commission. Something to take a look at from today’s State Commission is item # 4 and they’re still pending the \[unclear\] as far as that goes – and it’s probably for one that was today. So briefing on Mile Marker 16, and I believe this was by Lino and I think that was from DOCARE – so I don’t know any other information besides that but upon reading the agenda that’s probably one concern for our Commission and then the other one from the August 20 meeting – there’s nothing to be really concerned about other than what our commissioners have said to – what their meetings regarding the feral goats and the Waianae Mountain Range, which, I believe, Theresa wanted to respond on some of that. And that’s it from the report. TL: OK. You said Theresa had something to... TN: Yeah, I did a little bit more work into it and they are now working on a Hawaii State Wildlife Action Plan. Now, I don’t know if that includes all the islands or just Oahu – but they’re looking into feral hunting license for wild hog, which they want to require and can be bought for $10.00 for residency and non- residency at $95.00. I’d like to know more of their Hawaii State Wildlife Action Plan, which I know nothing about and it just came out in my email – so this is something I’ll send out to everyone so you all will be aware that they are planning a Hawaii State Wildlife Action Plan, which the acronym SWAP – and it says here details the Strategy and Plans of the DLNR and its partners to address conservation needs of over 10,000 species native to Hawaii. This is an update of a Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy 2005 Plan that was used successfully over the past ten years to make significant progress in the conservation of our native wildlife. So this is all news to me – I don’t know if you’re aware of it, Tom. TL: Ah, no, I’m well aware of it, actually, we actually had Tim Ohashi from National Park or US Dept. of Agriculture commented on that Wildlife Plan for us a couple of years ago. TN: Maybe that’s something that we could re-visit... TL: That is not something that our Commission – at least I’m not going to get involved in – that is way beyond our capability... 26 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 TN: Because they’re integrating that plan with the Waianae and West Oahu Watershed area and they’re stopped their aerial shooting over that area because of these... TL: Well, they stopped it in Waianae – they did not stop aerial shooting. They’re shooting today or tomorrow, in fact... TN: In Waianae? TL: No, they stopped in Waianae. TN: Yeah, I’m talking about Waianae. They’ve stopped it until January 2019 in which the State GMAC has to have a plan of action. So they’re going through the Waianae Hunting Association. The Waianae Hunting Ass’n wants to be part of the eradication efforts and not just do aerial shooting out in Waianae so they’re very actively involved in that, which, if they put together a plan, will that plan be a State plan? TL: No... TN: Something that will affect us here also? TL: No, that plan would be specific to Waianae. I actually talked to Hui Amorlog \[SP?\] this evening. He called me about the fact that Waianae hunters – this is the reason why Pig Hunters of Hawaii is an important ingredient, I think, in how we deal with what goes on. They went out and were very active – they had a lot of people that got involved in it and this is what you need – you need to have bodies and one of the reasons why Pig Hunters of Hawaii, in the past, was successful was because of the bodies and the money and why I hope that Abraham’s efforts will help the success of that organization going forward for just such things like this. But they did stop the aerial eradication in Waianae Mountains and they did put together and the gentleman that put together that plan is in Alaska right now – but they did put together a plan that DLNR originally said OK put together a plan and we’ll look at it – that very next day they went out and did aerial eradication so I’m not sure how trustworthy DLNR is on a lot of this stuff – but they were able to get an agreement with DLNR in Waianae through the efforts of the entire community and I think that that’s, you know, one of the reasons why your effort here is a - it’s a strong effort towards that same goal but, no, being active is what makes things happen – that’s why this Commmission has been fairly active in a lot of areas too – so we have been successful – but it’s gonna take more and so OK. Any other comments on the Waianae thing? Hey, Grayson, were you able to look into that Waikupuna Fishing Village Access thing? GH: Yes, sure, thank you so much for that opportunity and I was able to give them a call and from what I could tell it appears that this Waikupuna parcel has 27 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 been identified by the County as a priority and they’re – sounds like well on their way to finalizing and securing this property. I got a chance to speak with Laura Kaakua whose with the Native Lands Project Manager and she shared with me what so far their plans are. Everything from the existing leases with ranchers and some energy stuff to continuing to allow access via hikers coming in from the highway and weekends – she mentioned one vehicle coming in and working with the non-profit to manage all of that. I did ask her a little bit about game in that area and she wasn’t – and I’m not aware either – but not aware if there’s goat hunting by the ranchers in that area mauka in their property – she did mention that she’s seen some goat signs near the ocean side but it doesn’t seem to be like a huge hunting situation or opportunity but it might be something worth looking into and continuing to have dialogue with our Commission and the Native Land Project Manager regarding this parcel. NP: Grayson, did you happen to know or find out – has there been vehicular access up and down... GH: Yes. NP: And so they’re gonna be cutting off the access vehicles? GH: No, actually, one of the things she mentioned was they really want to try to keep it the way it has been going by allowing one vehicle – I guess it’s sort of like camping on the weekends kind of thing – it’s a sign-up to go in on the weekends and continuing with how they’ve been doing it in the past. NP: Right. What about fishing? GH: That’s exactly what I think they were doing is camping and fishing - when I say camping I meant fishing down the beach kinda with your family and friends. NP: So they’ll continue to allowing it and... GH: Yes. That’s their plan... NP: Are they gonna be fencing it? GH: No, they did not, um, no I didn’t get into that discussion of fencing... NP: Right. It’s over 2,000 acres... GH: Yeah, it’s pretty huge area. No they didn’t mention anything about fencing nor did I specifically ask about fencing. 28 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 NP: Right. So the goal is for the public and not too heavy on the preservation. It’s not gonna get fenced and locked up and prohibited... GH: Well, as far as the public being able to access as they currently are able to do she indicated that their plans are to keep it that way – like I said – they didn’t mention anything – we didn’t talk about fencing or any of the restrictions... NP: Or eradication or, yeah, right. Well, good... GH: Yeah, I did mention that from my own personal perspective if there is goats to hunt that I hoped that they would be open to having conversations about hunting and I did mention I am not a big fan of eradication, so... And she was very open to having those conversations with me and anybody else, including the Commission to further discuss that. NP: Thanks. TL: Thanks, Grayson... GH: Thank you, sir... NP: Next meeting.. BK: Ah, Chair, this is Kalei – what is the – can you explain House Bill No. 104 that was given as an attachment to us... And then we also received – a different context – Ecosystem Management – is that for... TL: That’s for you... That’s right and I forgive me – I meant to talk to Malia earlier about how to introduce this and I neglected – but she came late – that’s why. MH: No dinner next \[unclear\] TL: No, Eco System Management is something which is being foisted upon us all across the country and especially here in Hawaii and those of you... BK: Point of order or point of clarification, Chair, this is under New Business, correct? TL: It would be, yes... BK: Thank you. TL: This is an interesting document – this Eco System Management – and anybody here who would like to have it I would be happy to share this with ou or if you want me to email this to you - I’d be happy to do that as well. One of the salient points here is that when you talk about Eco System Management 29 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 - Eco Systems are being managed by a handful of people and the public is not involved in what goes on in these ecosystems nor in the management of these ecosystems and it’s creating quite a bit of angst in a lot of places – it has caused us to lose thousands of acres of recreation on the Big Island – we’ve lost Mauna Kea so far – there are thousands of acres that they keep taking from us almost on a daily basis. Eradications go on without concern to the public and these are all decisions that are made by a handful of people and you and I don’t have anything to say about it and what he’s saying is that when you get into ecosystem management it is not – it is the public that should be telling what we want to do with our ecosystems – what are the choices we want to have for our lands and the public needs to be involved rather than a bunch of people with a bunch of letters after their name – so it’s an interesting discussion – this discussion has been going on now for the last three years throughout the world, actually, people are getting a little distressed and concerned about environmentalism in the sense that it’s become pretty radical and there is a concern so this is one of those things that you’re gonna be dealing with – ecosystem management is how they manage Hawaii. They have a small area of plants here but they’ll take 1,000 acres to protect them and within that 1,000 acres the number of animals that are allowed resident in that 1,000 acres is what? Does anybody know? Zero... Do you know how they came up with that zero number? Anybody? I was shocked when I heard it and we actually heard it from Paul Bankoh and the reason why it \[unclear\] zero is that there’s no argument – nobody’s deciding, oh, maybe we can do five, oh, we can do seven. Zero is the number – so that’s one of the concerns and the other concern that we have and H.B. 104 – which I sent to you all – H. B. 104 is a bill that we turned in, in 2013 and it’s time that we do it again in my opinion so I’d like to get you folks to look at it and I want to bring it up at our next meeting if there’s any changes that you’d like to make to it or you can see that you would like to make to it – but what we’re asking with H.B. 104 is that our game was in our State Constitution – it’s been in our State Constitution from the start. In 1978 or ’79 when we had that Constitutional Convention they tried to take game animals out of the Constitution and they were able to get it out of the written Constitution but they weren’t able to ratify it and in 1979, as you know, we got sued and we lost Mauna Kea and some of you think I’m a conspiracy guy but it just seems to pat, actually. This thing has been a design and we would like to get our game animals – we have H.C.R. – a House Concurrent Resolution which was passed unanimously that says that our game animals have standing in Hawaii. Our fishing has standing in Hawaii. We have value with our game. And we would like to see that actually back in our Constitution and that’s what H.B. 104 does. It’s very simple – it just says that we would like to have our game animals back in it – it’s just a matter of two words – game animals – that we want to put back in the Constitution. So that’s what H.B. 104 is all about. GH: Chair I have a question, this is Grayson. 30 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 TL: Sure... GH: You mention that it went through the legislature in the past. Where did it die and why? TL: I don’t remember where it died. It died the first year on the first hearing. The second year we actually got some traction but it wasn’t heard in one of the committees – it wasn’t brought up for a hearing and because it was the second year it just died – it wasn’t able to be carried over into the following year and at that point – and Tony was Chair at the time – we decided that it was way more important for us rather than fight that battle is to go after the Game Management Commission instead and so that’s where we focused at that time, well, actually there were three – there was another bill that we had, which I’ll bring back and I’ll send that out to you, too, on the Wildlife Revolving Fund. Now that we have a Game Management Commission I think that some of that money should be distributed to certain things – as you all know – we have an Endangered Species Act in Hawaii and State money can be used like in Puuanahulu or Puuwaawaa for example. They could use State money without having to worry about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service section 7 and these definitions or harm – where they will not allow us to encourage game mammals at all in any area. They will not spend one dime of federal dollars on game mammals – but statewide we could. But the State isn’t doing that either and so, ah, we had a bill that we had in that went in with 1041 – I think it was, right, the Commission – went in with 1041 and Onishi asked us – said, look, these are gonna be two battles – pick one and toss the other one for now. So we tossed the Wildlife Revolving Fund and went after the Commission which – I want to thank Tony for his efforts in getting that started – but that’s what H.B. 104 is all about is basically to get our game animals to be recognized as something of value here and maybe we’ll get some management out of our game a little more, so... Any questions? Comments? ?: \[Not speaking in mic\] MH: Sorry, you have to come to the microphone cause they can’t hear you in Kona... TS: Yes, hi, this is Tony Sylvester – I have a couple of suggestions for the County Commission here. One, can you guys get someone from the State Commission to give a full report at the next meeting. It’s very important because today’s meeting – the State meeting – there’s some important events and we’re looking at putting in legislation for a particular thing that I’m not gonna talk about at this moment but if you can get someone from the state commission to give a report at our last meeting – it would be good. And second one to help improve participation at your guys meetings – maybe have like each commissioner every meeting bring one person – a friend or 31 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 whatever and then maybe have a different one each time and then that way at least, you know, if it’s from somebody from your community invite somebody, bring somebody over with you – whatever you have to do – I think that would be helpful in getting the word out on things. NP: Good suggestion. TL: Thank you. Wait, wait...And I believe you don’t want to talk about it here but you guys are turning in some legislation... TS: Yeah, it depends on what happened at the state meeting today. TL: OK. TS: And I don’t want to talk about it yet. TL: No, no, I understand. But, so we’re not treading the other toes maybe you can get together with me on that some time? TS: Yes. TL: OK. TS: Yeah, real soon. I’m waiting for Ryan to get back. TL: OK. I’ll see if I can get Ryan to talk to us at our next meeting or here or Jon Sabati maybe... In fact, I don’t even know if he went to the meeting today. TS: I think he’s out... TL: He’s gone... TS: Yeah. TL: OK. So that’s two we have – Jon Sabati and the guy from Maui never showed up for the meeting. TS: Yeah – they’re looking at correcting that... TL: Well, I’m... TS: For sure... TL: I’ve been hammering them on that too, so hopefully they brought that up at this meeting today. 32 Hawaii Game Management Advisory Commission Meeting Minutes – September 24, 2018 TS: Yeah, it was... TL: Yeah. TS: OK. Thank you. TL: OK. Thanks, Tony... Anybody want to move to... TN: I move to adjourn the meeting... TL: Any second? NP: Second. TL: All right. All in favor? \[The ayes have it\] OK... 33