Department of Land and Natural Resources

 

 

ANIMAL CONTROL ACTIVITIES AND TEMPORARY CLOSURES INITIATED TO PROTECT CRITICALLY ENDANGERED HONEYCREEPER

Salvage opportunities announced for August and September

(Hilo) – In order to protect critical habitat for the palila, a forest bird found only on Hawai’i Island, the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) will conduct its required control activities for animals that may damage the endangered bird’s habitat. Dates have been announced in two previously released legal notices to take place in August and September 2020. These activities include trapping mouflon/feral sheep hybrids; staff hunting, and/or aerial shooting from helicopters for feral goats, feral sheep, mouflon and mouflon/feral sheep hybrids in the Mauna Kea Forest Reserve (Unit A), Mauna Kea Ice Age Natural Area Reserve (Unit K), Palila Mitigation Lands, and the Kaohe Game Management Area (Unit G) on Hawai‘i Island.  Aerial shooting is required for compliance with a federal court order mandating the removal of sheep and goats from palila critical habitats. Salvage opportunities are provided via permit to allow for the collection of meat from controlled sheep and goats.

Control is scheduled for August 18, 19, and 20, as well as September 9 and 10, 2020.  Public access to Mauna Kea Forest Reserve, Mauna Kea Ice Age Natural Area Reserve, Palila Mitigation Lands, the Kaohe Game Management Area and Mauna Kea Hunter Access Road will be restricted and allowed BY PERMIT ONLY for animal salvage purposes on the following dates. Carcasses taken during the shoot will be available to the permitted public for salvage at the following locations (4-wheel drive vehicle are required, and access permits will be issued). There is no guarantee that animals will be able to be salvaged. Salvage locations are subject to change:

• August 18, 2020 at Pu‘u Ahumoa. Permittees must meet at Kilohana check-in station at 7 a.m.
• August 19, 2020 at Pu‘u Mali. Permittees must meet across from the Waimea Veterinary office on Mana Road at 6 a.m.
• August 20, 2020 at Pu‘u Ahumoa. Permittees must meet at Kilohana check-in station at 7 a.m.
• September 9, 2020 at Pu‘u Ahumoa. Permittees must meet at Kilohana check-in station at 7 a.m.
• September 10, 2020 at Pu‘u Mali. Permittees must meet across from the Waimea Veterinary office on Mana Road at 6 a.m.

The Mauna Kea Observatory Road will remain open. The temporary closure is needed to minimize the dangers of incompatible uses in the forest area and safely conduct animal control activities. To implement the closure, both the Hale Pōhaku and Kilohana gated entrances to Unit A and G and the gate behind Mauna Kea State Recreation Area will be locked/reopened as follows: 

• Locked 7 p.m. August 17, 2020 and reopened 7 p.m. August 20, 2020
• Locked 7 p.m. September 8, 2020 and reopened 7 p.m. September 10, 2020

Copies of the map illustrating the area subject to aerial shooting on these dates are available for inspection at the DOFAW Office.

Due to high public participation, telephone call-ins to the DOFAW Kamuela Office for receiving salvage permits will be conducted as follows for the August and September salvage dates, respectively:

• from 9 a.m. August 11, 2020, to 10 a.m. August 17, 2020
• from 9 a.m. September 2, 2020, to 10 a.m. September 8, 2020.

One permit will be issued per call per vehicle for one day only. The August and September salvage dates are permitted separately, meaning that a single applicant may be eligible to receive a permit on both an August date and a September date.  Applicants can have their names added to a stand-by list for additional days, should all slots not be filled by other applicants. No standbys waiting at the gates will be allowed access. The driver, occupants, vehicle license plate, and make/model of vehicle are needed when calling in.  A maximum of 15 permitted vehicles will be allowed at the Pu‘u Ahumoa location and 15 permitted vehicles at the Pu‘u Mali location.

Additionally, information can be found by contacting DOFAW’s Hilo or Kamuela office. Legal notice is available on the DOFAW website.

 

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DOFAW Hilo – (808) 974-4221

 

DOFAW Kamuela Office – (808) 887-6063

 

https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/recreation/files/2020/07/MK_Closure.pdf

 

Media Contact:

Giovonni Parks

Communications Specialist

Phone: 587-0396

[email protected]