Bal Balanc ance, e, Di Dialo alogue gue Respectfully - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Pon Pono, Bal Balanc ance, e, Di Dialo alogue gue

Respectfully submitted by-Tony Sylvester May 2012

Doing the right thing!

Pon Pono

Balance

Taking everything into consideration

Be Beauti autiful ful ai aina na

Hu Hunt nting ng opp pportun

• rtuniti

ities es

Hu Hunt nting ng opp pportun

• rtuniti

ities es

Fami Family ly bo bonding nding

Su Suste stenance nance

Our Our Cul Culture ture

Our Our en environment vironment

Fo Food

• d for

for Pa Pali lila la

Species survival

FACT FACT

Before the arrival of modern man to the Hawaiian Islands, large flightless birds foraged around the forest floor on native plants. They kept the underbrush maintained just as the pig, sheep and goats do today.

DI DIALO ALOGU GUE

Take part in a conversation

• r discussion to resolve a

problem.

THREATS HREATS TO THE O THE SUR URVIV VIVAL AL OF OF PA PALILA LILA

 40 percent of nest failures are due to predation

from cats and rats. Pueo also contribute.

 Wildlife biologists have been monitoring the Palila

population for years, and the level of cat predation inhibits efforts to restore the Palila population.

 Biologist found that 68% of cat scats collected near

Puu Laau contained bird remains.



Wild cat attacking palila nest

Wild cat eating palila nestlings

Predators

RE RELO LOCATIO CATION N EF EFFEC FECTS TS

Most palila birds that are relocated to

• ther sites return to their natal

territory or succumb to predation in their trans-located area.

WE WEAT ATHER HER EFF EFFEC ECTS TS

 Inclement weather, cold, wet conditions, high

winds cause egg and nestling failure.

 In the past, nests of the palila bird were found

lined with bits of wool and sheep hair and served to protect the eggs and young from the weather.

 Drought affects all wildlife in Hawaii. Drought

can have serious effects on palila population.

HA HABIT ITAT AT DE DEGRA RADAT DATION ION



The State of Hawaii has NEVER

IMPLEMENTED A GAME MANAGEMENT PLAN for the stewardship of our public lands.

 At a recent “talk story with Senator Malama Solomon” she was

surprised to find out that several management plans have been generated but never implemented.

 WE MUST ALL ASK OURSELVES, “WHY SOMETHING SO

FUNDAMENTAL TO EVERY OTHER STATE IN AMERICA, IS ABSENT HERE IN HAWAII?”

 To know the “CARRYING CAPACITY” of our unique eco-systems

here in Hawaii is a very important tool to manage game mammal populations.

 Habitat degradation happens when the following conditions occur,

unchecked populations in a given area, animals confined to a smaller range”fencing”or access to areas that are restricted.

FU FUND NDING ING FOR FOR GA GAME ME MA MANA NAGEME EMENT NT

$0

Funded programs

 Natural Area Reserve System (NARS)  Watershed Partnership Program  Forest Reserve Management Program  Hawaii Invasive Species Committee Program

$6,570,344 Federal funded. American recovery and

reinvestment act. 2 year.

$2,500,000 State funded. HB2012

HU HUNTE NTERS RS

There are 18,000 licensed in

Hawaii.

Each hunter spends on average

$2,000 a year on fees, food, travel expenses and gear.

Hawaii hunters spend $36 million per year on hunting activities.

UNBALANCED

NO GAME MANAGEMENT PLAN Endless slaughter of our game

mammals.

Degradation of our land. Conflict.

No funding for a Game management plan

Lots of money for other programs

How many of you know what is really going on in

• ur mountains?

Aerial shootings

THE SLAUGHTER

Invasive weeds

Wild cats

CRUELTY

AUWE!

DISGRACEFUL

CARNAGE

Trapped lambs

Fence funded by your tax dollars

Fence funded by Congress- woman Mazie Hirono

MASS GRAVES

END GAME !

Now DLNR wants to eradicate your pua’a! Our pigs, our sustenance,

• ur culture!

Hawaii Revised Statutes

 HRS-263-10 Hunting from aircraft;

• penalty. Any aeronaut or passenger

who, while in flight in, across or above the State, intentionally kills or attempts to kill any birds or animals shall be guilty

• f a misdemeanor and punished by a

fine of not more than $1,000, or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both. [L 1923, c 109, §13; RL 1925,

§3903; RL 1935, §6986; RL 1945, §4933; RL 1955, §16-10; HRS §263-10]

DLNR RESPONSE

 “State law has jurisdiction on this issue,” Aila said.

“The state statute allows aerial shooting, and we will continue to do aerial shooting where it’s proper and where it’s effective.”

 This was done by administrative rule.  Administrative Rules are regulations established by

the department through an extensive public review and hearing process.

 How many of you heard or had any input on this?

“THE TAKING”

 The Endangered Species Act prohibits the "taking" of

endangered fish or wildlife in the United States, and

can be enforced by any person.

 the Act defines "take" to mean "to harass, harm,

pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct."

16 U.S.C. § 1532(19) (2006). "Harass" had been defined

as "an intentional or negligent act or omission that significantly disrupts normal behavior patterns of the endangered animal."

REPORT TO CONGRESS REPORT ON EFFECTS OF AIRCRAFT OVERFLIGHTS ON THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM PREPARED PURSUANT TO PUBLIC LAW 100-91, THE NATIONAL PARKS OVERFLIGHTS ACT OF 1987 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

USFW

EFFECTS OF AIRCRAFT NOISE AND SONIC BOOMS ON FISH AND WILDLIFE RESULTS OF A SURVEY OF U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE ENDANGERED SPECIES AND ECOLOGICAL SERVICES FIELD OFFICES, REFUGES, HATCHERIES, AND RESEARCH CENTERS

5.4.2 Reproductive Losses

 For many species, it has been argued

that disturbance could cause reproductive losses by altering patterns of attendance to young. Disturbed birds have been noted to fly away from the aircraft, and leave eggs or young exposed. Birds that quickly flush from nests may accidentally break eggs or kick eggs

• r young from their nests.

5.4.4 Habitat Avoidance and Abandonment

 Many wildlife biologists are concerned that the

disturbance from over-flights could cause sensitive animals to abandon their habitats. This subject has drawn attention because the consequences of habitat abandonment can be serious, particularly for species whose high-quality habitat is already scarce.

 Observations suggest that some birds do abandon their

habitats in response to overflights.

 Observations by refuge biologists suggest that the

endangered Palila Bird in Hawaii underutilizes a sizable portion of its critical habitat because of low-altitude military aircraft over-flights (Gladwin et al. 1987).

Palila birds are abandoning their nest at an alarming rate.

Question for DLNR

 So DLNR chairman William Aila, the State

may have Jurisdiction over us on aerial eradication and you may continue to do aerial shooting where you think its proper and effective but I wonder if the Endangered species act thinks its proper and effective?

 Maybe proper and effective in pushing the

palila to extinction!

OVER-FLIGHTS

The manner which indirectly causes

the loss of endangered birds over time is so clearly a "taking."

Palila vs DLNR makes it clear that no

intent to cause harm to endangered species is needed.

Sierra Club, US Fish and Wildlife criticize proposed Army exercises

 The second draft of the Environmental Assessment

for the Army’s plan to conduct landings on Mauna Kea.

 The Sierra Club is concerned about the affects

• ver-flights will have to the palila critical

habitat.

 "We have to look at things in perspective,"

maintained Peshut, (PTA Biologist). "On Mauna Kea, there are thousands of [civilian] flights per year, uncontrolled and unregulated, over palila habitat.

WHO GETS A FREE PASS

 The Sierra Club is concerned about the

army flying 2000 feet over palila critical habitat.

 DLNR flies tree top over palila critical

habitat multiple days four times a year to flush ungulates out of the palila critical habitat as part of their eradication efforts.

 What impact is this having on the palila?

EXTINCTION

5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000 40000 45000 1980 1990 2000 2010 2013 sheep palila helicopter flights

The use of helicopters to eradicate ungulates from the palila critical habitat is scaring off adult palila from their nest causing direct harm to nestlings. The strong wind from propeller wash, helicopter noise and use of air horns to startle sheep out from under the mamane trees are causing the adult palila to abandon their nest. The young are left to die in the cold or fall to predation.

BALA BALANCE NCE

A HA HARM RMONI ONIOUS OUS ARR RRANG NGEME EMENT NT DO O NO NOT T EXP XPEDITE DITE TH THE ELI LIMIN MINATION ATION OF OF OU OUR R GAME MA MAMM MMALS ALS ON ON OU OUR AI R AINA. NA.

Need for Game Reserve

 There is a great need for a game reserve.  Creating a game reserve, would provide us with game hunting

• pportunities with out disrupting sensitive eco-systems.

 Examples would be, fencing in some unproductive ranch lands and

non palila occupied zones.

 Ungulates could be removed from more sensitive areas and relocated

to this game reserve. Culling activities would maintain species diversity and provide food, along with quality hunting opportunities for those that enjoy a trophy hunt.

 Management of game mammals includes but are not limited to,

• pen/close seasons, special ram tags depending on animal maturity to

improve species diversity, good genetics make for a much more desirable animal.

 Quality not quantity!

CO CONCLU NCLUSION SION

Not one minute or a penny has ever been spent

• n investigating the devastating effects that over-

flights have on this critically endangered bird. My recommendation to our Hawaii County Council and the State DLNR is an immediate seize and desist on all aerial eradication, until such time, that a full investigation and proper field studies may be conducted.

Hilo Bay-front looking at Mauna Kea 1942