HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0386.025 2010-2012Murashige, Laura
131 LC. 1 121 COM'l . 3 5-c-
From: Becky Ostertag [ostertag @hawaii.edu]
Sent: Monday, October 03, 2011 11:23 AM
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: testimony about Axis Deer
Attachments: Testimony axis deer 2011.doc
Please see testimony below and attached.
Council of the County of Hawaii
Environmental Management Committee
October 3, 2011
Testimony of Rebecca Ostertag
Regarding Bill # 112
Aloha Mr. Chair and members of the committee:
Page 1 of 2
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My name is Rebecca Ostertag and I am a forest ecologist who has spent the last 15 years working
in native Hawaiian forests. I live, and vote, in Hilo, HI. I appreciate the opportunity to address
Bill 112. I am strongly in favor of restricting the transportation of Axis deer into the County of
Hawai`i.
The introduction of axis deer to the island of Hawai`i would cause significant impacts to various
agricultural sectors of the island, especially row crops and cattle, but also coffee and tree crops. These
negative effects have been witnessed by the residents of Maui, Moloka`i and Lana`i.
With the ability to jump over stock and conservation fences it could cost the conservation community
at least $20 million dollars to retrofit enclosures and other barriers. For the private landowners and
farmers to raise their fences, total island wide costs could be as high as $190 million.
As the origin of the deer remains in question we cannot dismiss the fact that any deer brought to the
Big Island could be reservoirs for bovine tuberculosis. The impact of this disease on the Hawaii Island
cattle industry would be devastating.
On neighboring islands that have deer problems incidence of vehicular strikes has been gradually
increasing — accidents which are certainly costly but also potentially fatal.
But more important to me personally is the health of our native forests. Hawai`i Island's numerous
large protected areas comprise over 1 million acres of conservation lands managed by federal, state,
local and private agencies. These include national parks, wildlife refuges, forest reserves, and private
land owners. Marine reserves include a series of marine life conservation districts, aquarium fish
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protection areas, commercial fishing restriction areas, and the largest marine protected area in the U.S.
The existing conservation fences are not tall enough for deer, and there is no way that the conservation
community could handle the cost of retrofitting fences. The consequence will be more damage to
native Hawaiian forests, through deer eating native plants, causing trampling and soil compaction, and
ultimately more erosion that can end up in our coral reefs. Extinction of rare species is also a real
possibility.
Testimony of Rebecca Ostertag
regarding Bill 112
Page 2 of 2
All reports indicate that axis deer and other wildlife continue to be brought to the Big Island from other
islands, and that populations are being illegally established across the island from Ka`u to Kohala.
An ordinance restricting transportation of living axis deer in the county of Hawaii would assist in
protecting Hawai`i Island's native forest, private property owners, the agriculture industries and the
general public from damages and adverse impacts that may be caused by Axis Deer.
Mahalo,
Rebecca Ostertag
10/3/2011