Animal Control Activities Prompt Closures on Maunakea

Lloyd Rubio is shown with a goat he shot hunting in the Saddle Road area. PC: US Army Garrison Pohakuloa.

The DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) will conduct animal control activities specifically for trapping mouflon/feral sheep hybrids, feral goats, feral sheep, mouflon and mouflon/feral sheep hybrids within in the Maunakea Forest Reserve (Unit A), Maunakea 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 critical habitat for palila, a bird endemic to Hawai‘i.

Staff hunting and/or aerial shooting from helicopters is scheduled for Oct. 25 and 26, 2018. Public access to Maunakea Forest Reserve, Maunakea Ice Age Natural Area Reserve, Palila Mitigation Lands, the Kaohe Game Management Area and Maunakea Hunter Access Road will be restricted and allowed by permit only for animal salvage purposes on the following dates:

• Oct. 25, 2018, at 7 a.m.
• Oct. 26, 2018, at 6 a.m.

The Maunakea 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 Pohaku and Kilohana gated entrances to Unit A and G and the gate behind Maunakea State Recreation Area will be locked/reopened as follows:

Locked at 7 p.m., Oct. 24 and reopens at 7 p.m., Oct. 26.

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

Due to high public participation, telephone call-ins to the DOFAW Kamuela Office at (808) 887-6063 for receiving salvage permits will be conducted on Oct. 17, 2018, from 9  to 10 a.m. the day before each shoot day. One permit will be issued per call per vehicle for one day only. Applicants can have their names added to a stand-by list for additional days, should all slots not be filled by other applicants. No one on the stand-by list who waits 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.

Carcasses taken during the shoot will be available to the permitted public for salvage at the following locations (4-wheel drive vehicle is required and access permits will be issued). There is no guarantee that animals will be able to be salvaged. Successful permittees will be advised of salvage locations.

For more information on meat salvage and access permits contact one of these DOFAW offices:

• Kamuela – (808) 887-6063
• Hilo – (808) 974-4221