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Council approves new funding for animal sheltering, spay/neuter and feral-animal mitigation
Summary
The BFED committee approved a package of actions that increased humane-society and animal-control funding and created a new feral-animal mitigation grant program managed by Lokahi Pacific with caps per grantee.
The Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee approved multiple amendments on April 22 that expand county funding for animal sheltering, spay-and-neuter services, animal enforcement and feral-animal mitigation.
After several rounds of amendments and a formal reconsideration, the committee approved a $650,000 increase in the animal-management appropriation to support four categories: animal sheltering ($350,000), spay/neuter programs ($50,000), animal enforcement ($150,000) and a Molokai-specific humane allocation ($100,000). Committee members discussed capacity to administer grants and stressed the need to direct funds where nonprofits and the Maui Humane Society requested support.
Separately, members merged two proposals addressing deer mitigation and agreed to create a new, county-funded feral-animal mitigation grant program of $2.5 million to be administered by Lokahi Pacific. The program will support fencing and other mitigation measures aimed at reducing damage from feral deer and other species. Key conditions adopted by the committee include:
- Grants limited to properties of 500 acres or less; - Per-grantee cap of $100,000; - Lokahi Pacific will administer and disburse awards; and - County staff will work with the administrator on program rules, including a competitive process and documentation standards.
Members said the Molokai and Lanai communities raised distinct needs for on-island supports and asked staff to ensure the program design accommodates island-specific logistics and previous federal or NRCS funding. The committee also finalized a separate $200,000 spay-and-neuter appropriation tied to countywide animal health work and clarified that administrative fees for the grant administrator must be reasonable and will come from the appropriation total if not separately specified.
Committee members instructed staff to coordinate closely with Lokahi Pacific and the Maui Humane Society and to return with grant guidelines and reporting requirements for the committee's review.
