Ige Proclaims Second Axis Deer Emergency Period For Maui
Gov. David Ige’s second emergency proclamation empowers the county and state to better address the problems facing the drought-stricken county.
Gov. David Ige has issued a second emergency proclamation to help Maui County address its increasingly dire deer problem.
Ige’s on Monday will last until July 22 and is in reaction to the tens of thousands of invasive axis deer eating crops and destroying important natural resources throughout Maui County.
The first emergency proclamation was announced in late March and lapsed on Friday.
The emergency relief period’s extension lifts several legal provisions to allow the county and state to continue investing in measures to control the deer population.
Deer have become an increasingly visible issue on Maui and Molokai, as has forced them to impinge into more agricultural and developed areas as they seek food and water.
Safety concerns were , after deer were found blocking the runway at the Maui airport.
As the animals are currently under the stress of thirst and hunger, concern has also been raised about the threat of the animals’ carcasses contaminating the ocean and streams.
Drought led to a mass die-off in western Molokai early last year, after thousands of the island’s deer starved to death.
The most common measures for controlling axis deer — introduced to Hawaii from South Asia in 1868 — are corralling and killing the deer, building or repairing fences and clearing vegetation from fence lines.
