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Big Isle fence vandals sought


HILO >> The state Department of Land and Natural Resources is asking for the public's help to learn who vandalized hundreds of feet of fence in a remote part of the Big Island's Kohala Mountains.

The vandalism was discovered in mid-January when department staff returned to finish fencing a 9.6-acre site in the Puu O Umi Natural Area Reserve. The reserve covers 10,182 acres from the 5,260-foot Puu O Umi summit to the cliff-faced seashore.

Department personnel found that vandals had carefully cut hogwire at every second post supporting the fencing, then rolled the fencing back and secured it by crimping.

The wire was cut at 142 different locations with a total of about 1,500 individual cuts in the wire. The effort would have taken a full day's work, the department said.

Unused fencing lying on the ground was also cut into 10-foot pieces.

In an area where the fence bordered a pasture, it was not damaged, the department said.

The rainy Puu O Umi reserve contains highland bogs that are used by the endangered native koloa duck. The enclosed area contains an endangered lobeliad plant species called oha wai. Additional endangered species were being planted there by the department.

Fencing of the area was 95 percent complete in September, the department said.

Access to the area is over private land belonging to Parker Ranch and Kahua Ranch. Both ranches allow access, provided people sign a liability waver. The principal people seeking access are hunters, who are encouraged by the state in order to reduce the number of pigs and the damage that they do.

Records of access have been provided to state investigators. Anyone with information is asked to call the department's North Hawaii enforcement office at 887-6196.

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