Currently there is no public hunting allowed in the approximately 5,500-acre Kanaio Forestry and Wildlife Area that is being proposed, though unmanaged and unregulated poaching has been taking place, according to a draft environmental assessment that was published Nov. 8 in “The Environmental Notice.”

Creating a regulating hunting program and managed area could allow for the use of archery for game mammals and shotguns for game bird species, the state said in the draft report. Animals that could be hunted would include goats, axis deer, feral pig, feral goats and game birds.

The 5,522-acre mauka portion of the proposed Kanaio Forestry and Wildlife Area extends from roughly 200 feet in elevation up to Piilani Highway, which is approximately 1,800 feet in elevation. The area, which would include a state-owned parcel and land from a potential cooperating landowner, would be managed with emphasis on game management and would be considered a forest reserve.

A 1,939-acre makai section of the forest reserve, which extends from roughly 200 feet in elevation down to the coast, is designated as a separate makai coastal area. The coastal area includes the Hoapili Trail, also known as the King’s Trail.

An area of Kanaio that the state Department of Land and Natural Resources is considering for the creation of the Kanaio Forestry and Wildlife Area is shown. SWCA Environmental Consultants image

The Kanaio region is one of the last remaining stretches of lowland dry forest left in the state, according to the draft environmental assessment. The area contains six known endangered species; several species of of concern and culturally important resources including burial grounds and cultural practice areas such as heiau and caves.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry and Wildlife said the establishment of the forest reserve could reduce negative impacts to sensitive biological and cultural resources associated with ungulates such as deer trampling and grazing in the area, along with illegal off-road vehicle traffic and human disturbance. Staff would also be monitoring the Kanaio Forestry and Wildlife Area.

The establishment of the area could also provide a means to manage an overpopulation of game animals and provide the public with hunting opportunities, along with ensuring access to public lands and coastline, the draft report said.

Under the proposal, the 1,939-acre coastal area would be enclosed and new fencing would be installed in the Kanaio Forestry and Wildlife Area. Ungulates also would be removed from the coastal area.

The plan also calls for six game bird watering stations (no more than 10 feet in radius) to be constructed in the Kanaio Forestry and Wildlife Area and seven nonhunting safety buffer areas around private land and around houses in the area.

There would also be one hunter check-in station and related signage.

Another benefit to creating and managing the forest reserve could include reducing the impacts of wildfires along the wide-open mountain slopes. The DLNR said in the report that altered vegetation in the area and the “global climb in annual temperatures has increased the fire potential of the area in the last decade.”

Actions that could be taken to manage fire risk in the area could include installing a road that would allow for access for firefighters and machinery, conducting reduction and monitoring of fuels such as brush that could spread a fire, developing a wildfire response plan and identifying water sources, as the area “does not hold surface water and water would have to be hauled in for fire suppression efforts,” the report said.

To view the full draft environmental assessment on the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development’s website, visit planning.hawaii.gov/erp/environmental-notice/ and click on the Nov. 8 edition of “The Environmental Notice.”

A 30-day public review and comment period has started and ends on Dec. 8. Comments may be sent to huntinghawaii@hawaii.gov.

* Staff Writer Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.