SR 77: urging the HAWAII Department of Agriculture and Department of Agriculture of the County of Maui to take further meaningful action to address the axis deer overpopulation.

SENATE RESOLUTION

urging the HAWAII Department of Agriculture and Department of Agriculture of the County of Maui to take further meaningful action to address the axis deer overpopulation.

     WHEREAS, eating locally-grown food and meats are known to provide a benefit to the local economy and to the citizens of the State; and

     WHEREAS, the people of the State deserve to have access to the many local foods, including locally-hunted meat, available on the islands; and

     WHEREAS, the overpopulation of axis deer has been a great detriment to Maui by overgrazing native plants that would otherwise aid in mitigating erosion and fire and flood effects; and

     WHEREAS, axis deer are a plentiful source of high-quality, delicious protein; and

     WHEREAS, other states have successfully implemented programs that process and distribute locally-hunted meat to their community, for example Pennsylvania's Hunters Sharing the Harvest Program, which yearly donates over one hundred thousand pounds of venison to over five thousand food banks; and

     WHEREAS, existing United States Department of Agriculture inspection and meat processing requirements severely limit the financial and practical feasibility of the State's local hunters to successfully maintain a reasonably low population of axis deer and to distribute venison to the community; and

     WHEREAS, an increase of in-state meat inspectors certified by the United States Department of Agriculture would lower the cost of inspections for local hunters, provide a benefit to the agricultural industry in the State, and make locally-hunted venison more available and safer for the community to consume; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Department of Agriculture of the County of Maui are urged to take further meaningful action to address the axis deer overpopulation, including:

     (1)  Implementing policies to make in-state inspectors  certified by the United States Department of Agriculture, certified inspections, and certified processing facilities more accessible, capable, and affordable for local hunters to utilize to sell or gift venison; and

     (2)  Implementing policies to increase the amount of in‑state certified United States Department of Agriculture meat inspectors for game mammals; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Department of Agriculture of the County of Maui are urged to convene a joint task force to oversee a County of Maui program that, in coordination with the United States Department of Agriculture certified processing facilities, would aim to investigate and develop plans to make affordable the processing of locally-hunted axis deer meat and the distribution of this venison to the community; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the joint task force is requested to submit a report of the program's accomplishments and barriers to the accomplishment of the program with its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than November 30, 2025; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the United States Secretary of Agriculture, Administrator of the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service, Deputy Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Governor, Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, Mayor of the County of Maui, each member of the Maui County Council, and Director of the Department of Agriculture of the County of Maui.

Report Title:

Department of Agriculture; Maui County; Axis Deer Overpopulation; Joint Task Force; Report

SENATE RESOLUTION

Maui axis deer control and venison initiative.

     WHEREAS, eating locally grown food and meats are known to provide a benefit to the local economy and to our citizens; and

     WHEREAS, the people of the State deserve to have access to the many local foods, including locally hunted meat, available on the islands; and

     WHEREAS, the overpopulation of axis deer has been a great detriment to Maui by overgrazing native plants that would otherwise aid in mitigating erosion and fire and flood effects; and

     WHEREAS, axis deer are a plentiful source of high-quality delicious protein; and

     WHEREAS, other states have successfully implemented programs that process and distribute locally hunted meat to their community, for example Pennsylvania's Hunters Sharing the Harvest Program, which yearly donates over one hundred thousand pounds of venison to over five thousand food banks; and

     WHEREAS, the existing United States Department of Agriculture requirements severely limit the financial and practical feasibility of the State's local hunters to successfully maintain a reasonably low population of axis deer and to distribute venison to the community; and

     WHEREAS, an increase of in-state United States Department of Agriculture certified meat inspectors would lower the cost of inspections for local hunters, provide a benefit to the agricultural industry in the State and make locally hunted venison more available and safer for the community to consume; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the State Department of Agriculture and the County of Maui Department of Agriculture are urged to take further meaningful action to address the axis deer overpopulation, including:

     (1)  Implementing policies to make United States Department of Agriculture-certified in-state inspectors, certified inspections, and certified processing facilities more accessible, capable, and affordable for local hunters to utilize in order to sell or gift venison; and

     (2)  Implementing policies to increase the amount of certified United States Department of Agriculture in-state meat inspectors for game mammals; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State Department of Agriculture and County of Maui Department of Agriculture are urged to convene a joint task force to oversee the County of Maui program that, in coordination with the United States Department of Agriculture certified processing facilities, would aim to investigate and develop plans to make affordable the processing of locally hunted axis deer meat and the distribution of this venison to the community; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the joint task force is requested to submit a report of the program's accomplishments and barriers to the accomplishment of the program with its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than November 30, 2025; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the United States Secretary of Agriculture, Administrator of the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service, Deputy Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Governor, Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, Mayor of the County of Maui, each member of the Maui County Council, and Director of the County of Maui Department of Agriculture.

Report Title:

Maui; Axis Deer

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1578

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 77

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.R. No. 77 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION MAUI AXIS DEER CONTROL AND VENISON INITIATIVE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Urge the Department of Agriculture and Department of Agriculture of the County of Maui to:

          (A)  Take further meaningful action to address the axis deer overpopulation; and

          (B)  Convene a joint task force to oversee the County of Maui program that would aim to investigate and develop plans to make affordable the processing of locally hunted axis deer meat and the distribution of this venison to the community; and

     (2)  Request the joint task force to submit a report to the Legislature before November 30, 2025.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; and two individuals.

            Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture.

     Your Committee finds that the axis deer overpopulation poses a threat to the State.  Your Committee recognizes the benefit that axis deer can provide as protein to under-resourced segments of the State's communities.  This measure aims to address axis deer overpopulation, in part, through convening a joint task force to oversee a Maui county program facilitating the processing and distribution of venison in the State.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Amending its title accordingly; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 77, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 77, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture and Environment,