HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	192
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE 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 House of Representatives 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.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Maui; Axis Deer