Maui County declared disaster area as drought gets worse

Gov. David Ige declared Maui County a disaster area as worsening drought conditions impact ranchers and farmers and lead to increasing deaths among axis deer.

The emergency proclamation issued by Ige on Wednesday enables the state to provide relief from disaster damages, losses, and suffering caused by the disaster, as well as to protect the health, safety and welfare of the people, according to a news release from the Governor’s Office.

Under drought conditions that have persisted since March 2019, ranches and farms operating in Maui County have suffered significant economic loss, the news release said. In addition, large numbers of axis dear have migrated into agricultural and developed areas seeking food and water, devastating farms and contributing to crop loss. Hundreds of deer have died, and decomposing carcasses threaten to contaminate streams and the ocean.

“The drought has hit Maui County hard, and I am declaring it a disaster area so we can take immediate measures to reduce and control the axis deer populations and to remove and dispose of the carcasses quickly,” Ige said.

Kevin Kodama, a senior service hydrologist for the National Weather Service in Honolulu, said last year that Maui County ended up with “the worst drought conditions across the state” by the end of September following a drier wet season than other counties. West Maui and Upcountry residents were even asked to conserve water over the summer.

On Jan. 12, the weather service warned that drought was worsening over leeward areas over the state due to higher-than-average trade winds and a lack of rain-producing low pressure systems. Maui County was hit particularly hard. Extreme drought expanded to the lower Kahikinui and Kaupo regions and continued in southeast Lanai and the west half of Molokai, while an area of severe drought on the western third of Kahoolawe worsened to extreme drought.

“Maui County’s farmers and ranchers are very grateful to Governor Ige for signing the emergency drought proclamation,” Mayor Michael Victorino said in the news release. “Since this drought started nearly two years ago, our agricultural sector has sustained substantial pasture and crop damage from axis deer in search of food. Molokai has especially been impacted by starvation and death in its deer population. This proclamation helps us to overcome regulatory barriers and it can unlock state and federal funding to mitigate some of their financial losses.”

Both residents and lawmakers have been expressing concerns in recent months over the deaths of deer on Molokai.

“Given the severity of this issue, Rep. DeCoite and I have been working hard to get the deer situation on Molokai and in other areas of Maui County under control,” said Sen. J. Kalani English, whose district covers East Maui, Molokai and Lanai.

Rep. Lynn DeCoite, who represents the same area, called the deer crisis on Molokai “dire.”

“This proclamation will give all state and county departments and agencies the resources and flexibility they need to get this unhealthy and unsafe situation under control,” DeCoite said.

The emergency proclamation will be in effect through March 28.