The state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is continuing to hold statewide public hearings this week and next for Hawaii Administrative Rule (HAR) amendments to update Chapters 13-122 and 123, hunting rules for game birds and game mammals.
Public information meetings will start at 6 p.m., followed by public hearings at 7 p.m. not to exceed two hours.
The Big Island sessions will be Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 16-17.
In regard to hunting rules for game birds and mammals, DLNR will hold statewide public hearings, starting November 8, on amendments to update hunting rules for game birds and game mammals.
A public information meeting will be held at the Mitchell Pauole Center on Monday, Nov. 8 at 6 p.m., followed by public hearing at 7 p.m.
The proposed changes relate mainly to re-establishing the stamp, tag and application hunting fees in place before 2008, providing for permits for disabled hunters, and updating descriptions and maps of public hunting areas. This includes removal of some Natural Area Reserves from public hunting, and adding public hunting areas such as the Pu`u Mali Mitigation Area on Hawaii Island and agricultural lands on Kauai.
The full text of the proposed rules with amendments can be found at http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/rules or at DOFAW district and administrative offices.
LIHU‘E — Nobody should have been in Kalalau Valley except those people working on the rock-mitigation work and state resources-enforcement officers, but there is no guarantee some people did not elude enforcement officers and slip further up the valley.
That is the word from Francis “Bully” Mission, Kaua‘i branch chief of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement.
Mission, a former Kaua‘i Police Department officer, said despite DOCARE overnight camping and stepped-up enforcement efforts to rid Kalalau Valley of un-permitted campers, “it is unknown if one or two illegal campers ran in the deeper portion of the valley and don’t want to be found.”
In an exclusive interview, Mission talked about the daunting task of sweeping the valley even when it was technically closed to all campers while the maintenance work happened, from Sept. 7 to Oct. 31.
“The sweeps have definitely removed a majority of the illegal or un-permitted campers from within the valley. The land mass that we (DOCARE) deal with, in my perspective, from the air (helicopter), Kalalau Valley seems not too big, but once you get on the ground it’s huge.
“The officers need to travel through thick brush and mountainous areas to get to some of the campsites and illegal campers,” said Mission.
“Prior to the closure and during the closure, DOCARE conducted enforcement sweeps to remove illegal campers, and had done periodic campouts to conduct enforcement within the valley. During this period persons were contacted by DOCARE officers, checked for valid permits and issued citations if they could not produce a valid permit,” he said.
Determination
Findings, and Reasons Supporting Determination
EA Preparation information
Determination
Build Phase I and Phase 2 Fences as Proposed
As outlined in Section 11-200-12 of the Hawaii Environmental Impact Statement Rules, no significant neptive impacts to the environment are expected to result from the implementation of the proposed activities.
Findings, and Reasons Supporting Determination
In the long term, all activities are expected to be beneficial, or to have no negative effect. The proposed fences are expected to benefit native species (including rare and endangered plants and animals), native natural communities, and important watershed on windward East Maui. By reducing browsing and ocher types 0f ungulate damage (including the spread 0f certain weeds), the proposed fences, and the control measures that will follow fence construction, will help promote a more stable water regime, and protect native plants and animals within the project area. These actions are also expected to allow passive restoration of native areas previousLy damaged by feral pigs.
The risk of significant negative impact is low. Through a rigorous cleaning and monitoring program, the introduction or spread of new weed species by humans is expected to be minimal. Management-related impacts on historical resources in the area will be avoided
Preparation information
This Environmental Assessment was prepared on behalf of the East Maui Watershed Partnership by:
Wendy Fulks, Project Manager
The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii
1116 Smith Street, Suite 201
Honolulu, Hawaii 96817
(808) 5374508