Testimonies received from BFED Committee.

From: Lisa Maria <lisa.on.lanai@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Apr 2, 2024 at 12:39 PM
Subject: Please Support $285,000 for Lanai Feral Animal Control in the FY25 Budget
To: <Alice.Lee@mauicounty.us>, <Yukilei.Sugimura@mauicounty.us>, <Tasha.Kama@mauicounty.us>, <Thomas.Cook@mauicounty.us>, Gabe Johnson <Gabe.Johnson@mauicounty.us>, <Tamara.Paltin@mauicounty.us>, <Keani.Rawlins@mauicounty.us>, <Shane.Sinenci@mauicounty.us>, <Nohe.Uu-Hodgins@mauicounty.us>

Aloha e council members,

I have lived on Lana'i and volunteered at the Lana'i Cat Sanctuary (LAC) since its inception, bringing the students I teach and all visitors to see the cats.

Those I bring learn so much about how to humanely and effectively control the feral cats on this island, and its impact on our native birds. But I don't think they see the huge cultural and economic effect the LAC has had here, for years drawing so many tourists to one of the positive sites our tiny island has to offer.

I know visitors to the LAC are far fewer now, after the Lahaina disaster, and the drastically reduced ferry crossings. Now I fear, without your help, the years of hard work so many have put into the sanctuary, will be for nothing. Can the LAC survive and deliver entirely on its own now?

Please look over the Feral Animal Control grants you are generously giving Molokai and Maui, and find a way not to forget Lana'i. While it may seem minor in the grand scope of the Mayor's budget, supporting the LAC with these funds are a big deal over here.

I thank you for your consideration and time.

Lisa Galloway, PhD
PO Box 631754,
Lanai City, HI 96763

From: Bruce Howard <b_s_howard@hotmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2024 6:02 AM
To: BFED Committee <BFED.Committee@mauicounty.us>
Subject: Fiscal Year 2025 Funding for Lanai Cat Sanctuary

Hello,

I am writing to the BFED Committee to urge it to appropriate funding for the Lanai Cat Sanctuary. I understand that there is huge pressure to allocate funding to the areas on Maui that were destroyed by the fire last year. However, there is great pressure on the wildlife on Lanai. Predatory feral cats on Lanai cause great harm to small animals and birds. The cat sanctuary helps to control this by the spay/neutering program for stray cats on the island. This is essential in controlling the population of feral cats.

As a side note, the cat sanctuary is also a tourist attraction, of which there are few on Lanai. I have visited the cat sanctuary, twice on the same day, as it was such a fantastic experience. The cat sanctuary has also rescued many cats that became “strays” after the fire that destroyed much of Lahaina. These cats would have become feral and impacted the wildlife on Maui if not rescued.

I urge the BFED Committee to appropriate funding for the Lanai Cat Sanctuary.

Thank You,
Bruce Howard
425-802-3826

From: susie floyd <susiefloyd1607@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2024 4:44 AM
To: BFED Committee <BFED.Committee@mauicounty.us>
Subject: Lanai Cat Sanctuary

My name is Susie Floyd. I am writing to request that you add $285,000 to the Lāna'i Feral Animal Control line item in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget and award it to the Lanai Cat Sanctuary so they can continue to provide feral cat services on the island.

The Lanai Cat Sanctuary has not only reduced the feral cat population on Lāna'i, but they are a leader in the industry for their progressive approach to saving endangered birds by providing humane solutions for cats predating in protected areas.

Unsterilized female cats in Hawaii that are 6 months or older can have up to 3 litters a year, with 3-5 kittens per litter. Without the Lanai Cat Sanctuary, feral cats would overrun the island of Lāna'i.

If the Lanai Cat Sanctuary does not receive the funding needed to continue accepting all feral and unwanted cats, it will severely impact the progress the island of Lāna'i has made in controlling the feral cat population and protecting the native and endangered birds on the island.

Thank you,
Susie Floyd

From: Roz Ewalt <rozhewalt@cs.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2024 7:36 PM
To: BFED Committee <BFED.Committee@mauicounty.us>
Subject: Supporter testimony for continued county funding for Lanai Cat Sanctuary

Dear Councilmembers,

My name is Rosalind Ewalt. I am writing to request that you add $285,000 to the Lāna'i Feral Animal Control line item in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget and award it to the Lanai Cat Sanctuary so they can continue to provide feral cat services on the island.

The Lanai Cat Sanctuary has not only reduced the feral cat population on Lāna'i, but they are a leader in the industry for their progressive approach to saving endangered birds by providing humane solutions for cats predating in protected areas.

Unsterilized female cats in Hawaii that are 6 months or older can have up to 3 litters a year, with 3-5 kittens per litter. Without the Lanai Cat Sanctuary, feral cats would overrun the island of Lāna'i.

If the Lanai Cat Sanctuary does not receive the funding needed to continue accepting all feral and unwanted cats, it will severely impact the progress the island of Lāna'i has made in controlling the feral cat population and protecting the native and endangered birds on the island.

Thank you,
Rosalind Ewalt

Dear BFED Committee,

My name is Deana Ganer-Eskaran, and I am requesting ongoing funding for the E Malama I Na Keiki O Lanai Preschool in the upcoming Fiscal Year 2025 budget. This preschool has served families and children on the island for over 40 years. With the generous support from the County of Maui, we have been able to ease financial burdens for many families seeking accessible and high-quality early childhood education. I am advocating for these families and all the children of Lanai who require financial aid, urging the County of Maui to continue supporting our youngest community members – our preschoolers. This support will enable them to participate in programs like ours and contribute to a brighter future.

Mahalo,
Deana Ganer-Eskaran

Dear BFED Committee,

Aloha, my name is Dana Dolan. I am writing to request that you add $285,000 to the Lāna’i Feral Animal Control line item in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget and award it to the Lanai Cat Sanctuary so they can continue to provide feral cat services on the island.

On a more personal note, I have visited the Sanctuary 6 times from Colorado. I have a personal connection of the island of Lana’i as my great grandmother was the Postmistress on the island working for George Munro in the early 1900s. My grandmother grew up on the island in the 1920s. I love what the Sanctuary does for cats and birds, and also employs several residents on the island. Visiting there has given me the happiest days of my life. Please continue to support this wonderful place, and protect this precious island.

The Lanai Cat Sanctuary has not only reduced the feral cat population on Lāna'i, but they are a leader in the industry for their progressive approach to saving endangered birds by providing humane solutions for cats predating in protected areas.

Unsterilized female cats in Hawaii that are 6 months or older can have up to 3 litters a year, with 3-5 kittens per litter. Without the Lanai Cat Sanctuary, feral cats would overrun the island of Lāna'i.

If the Lanai Cat Sanctuary does not receive the funding needed to continue accepting all feral and unwanted cats, it will severely impact the progress the island of Lāna'i has made in controlling the feral cat population and protecting the native and endangered birds on the island.

Mahalo,
Dana Dolan

Subject: Please add $285,000 to Lanai Feral animal control line item for 2025

Dear Councilmembers,

My name is Kerri Glickstein. I am writing to request that you add $285,000 to the Lāna'i Feral Animal Control line item in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget and award it to the Lāna'i Cat Sanctuary so they can continue to provide feral cat services on the island.

Our young family supports the Lāna'i Cat Sanctuary through visits, sponsorship, and through adoption of five family cats over the past 15 years. We have seen the Lāna'i Cat Sanctuary grow in that time into the organization it is today.

The Lanai Cat Sanctuary has not only reduced the feral cat population on Lāna'i, but they are a leader in the industry for their progressive approach to saving endangered birds by providing humane solutions for cats predating in protected areas. Unsterilized female cats in Hawaii that are 6 months or older can have up to 3 litters a year, with 3-5 kittens per litter. Without the Lāna'i Cat Sanctuary, feral cats would overrun the island of Lāna'i. If the Lāna'i Cat Sanctuary does not receive the funding needed to continue accepting all feral and unwanted cats, it will severely impact the progress the island of Lāna'i has made in controlling the feral cat population and protecting the native and endangered birds on the island.

Thank you,
Kerri Glickstein
Lāna'i
kerriglickstein@gmail.com

From: Tracy Goodpaster <tgoodpas@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 9, 2024 10:23:07 AM (UTC-10:00) Hawaii
To: BFED Committee <BFED.Committee@mauicounty.us>
Subject: Please add $285,000 to Lanai Feral animal control line item for 2025

Dear Councilmembers,

My name is Tracy Goodpaster. I am writing to request that you add $285,000 to the Lāna'i Feral Animal Control line item in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget and award it to the Lanai Cat Sanctuary so they can continue to provide feral cat services on the island.

The Lanai Cat Sanctuary has not only reduced the feral cat population on Lāna'i, but they are a leader in the industry for their progressive approach to saving endangered birds by providing humane solutions for cats predating in protected areas.

Unsterilized female cats in Hawaii that are 6 months or older can have up to 3 litters a year, with 3-5 kittens per litter. Without the Lanai Cat Sanctuary, feral cats would overrun the island of Lāna'i.

If the Lanai Cat Sanctuary does not receive the funding needed to continue accepting all feral and unwanted cats, it will severely impact the progress the island of Lāna'i has made in controlling the feral cat population and protecting the native and endangered birds on the island.

Thank you,
Tracy Goodpaster

Dear Chair Sugimura, Vice-Chair Kama, and Members of the Budget, Finance, and Economic Development,

I am writing to request that you add $285,000 to the Lāna'i Feral Animal Control line item in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget and award it to the Lanai Cat Sanctuary so they can continue to provide feral cat services on the island.

The Lanai Cat Sanctuary has not only reduced the feral cat population on Lāna'i, but they are a leader in the industry for their progressive approach to saving endangered birds by providing humane solutions for cats predating in protected areas.

Unsterilized female cats in Hawaii that are 6 months or older can have up to 3 litters a year, with 3-5 kittens per litter. Without the Lanai Cat Sanctuary, feral cats would overrun the island of Lāna'i.

If the Lanai Cat Sanctuary does not receive the funding needed to continue accepting all feral and unwanted cats, it will severely impact the progress the island of Lāna'i has made in controlling the feral cat population and protecting the native and endangered birds on the island.

Thank you,
Lindsay Orman

Dear BFED Committee.

I've been told that the funding for Fiscal Year 2025 does NOT include funding again for Lanai Feral Animal Control. This funding is greatly needed, and would be most efficiently used by the Lanai Cat Sanctuary.

LCS met and exceeded the grant goals established last year. They do not waste a penny of taxpayer money and provide extremely valuable services both in removing and caring for feral cats, and in supporting the pet related needs of the small Lanai community.

The fires in Lahaina last year and the subsequent loss of visitors previously coming to Lanai on Expeditions ferry has caused severe economic distress to Lanai businesses and to the Lanai Cat Sanctuary.

Please do not pull the funding this year.

Thank you

Eileen Ripperger

Dear BFED Committee,

I request that you add $285,000 to the Lāna'i Feral Animal Control line item in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget and award it to the Lanai Cat Sanctuary so they can continue to provide feral cat services on the island.

The Lanai Cat Sanctuary has not only reduced the feral cat population on Lāna'i, but they are a leader in the industry for their progressive approach to saving endangered birds by providing humane solutions for cats predating in protected areas.

Unsterilized female cats in Hawaii that are 6 months or older can have up to 3 litters a year, with 3-5 kittens per litter. Without the Lanai Cat Sanctuary, feral cats would overrun the island of Lāna'i.

If the Lanai Cat Sanctuary does not receive the funding needed to continue accepting all feral and unwanted cats, it will severely impact the progress the island of Lāna'i has made in controlling the feral cat population and protecting the native and endangered birds on the island.

Thank you,
Alexis

Dear BFED Committee,

I would like to submit testimony relating to the operating budget for the County of Maui for the fiscal year July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024, for the Lanai Cat Sanctuary to receive a $285,000 grant under budget line item ‘Feral Animal Control Lanai’ for FY25 for the Lanai Feral Cat Management Program. The Lanai Cat Sanctuary (LCS) received funding from this line item in the past, and we are disappointed that the Lanai Feral Animal Control line item for FY25 is $0, when both Maui and Molokai are slated to receive $285,000 for Feral Animal Control (p. 587 of the budget). We humbly request your support in getting this funding back into the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

LCS has significantly impacted the feral cat population, which in turn protects the native and endangered birds on Lanai. Over the past decade, we have developed the most humane and comprehensive approach that has remarkably reduced the number of free-roaming cats on the island. Other islands and even states are working towards duplicating our model. Conservationists have not seen any cat-related bird deaths on Lanai in the past four years, and due to a focus on trapping feral cats in Lanai City 10 years ago, the only cats you will see are the occasional owned sterilized cats in someone’s yard.

LCS currently has an operating budget of $1.7mm per year, and aside from this one county grant, we are fully funded by visitors and off-island donations. As a secondary impact from the Lahaina Fires, our visitors (and therefore donors) are down by 40%, and we have taken on additional expenses due to taking in 220 traditionally unadoptable cats from Lahaina that survived the fires and were forced to fend for themselves in the toxic burn zone. The grant funding is now more crucial than ever for us to continue controlling the feral cat population on Lanai.

The need for feral cat management on Lanai is evident from the alarming statistics that in Hawaii, an unsterilized female cat that is six months or older can produce three litters a year with 3-5 kittens per litter. Without interference, cats will continue to reproduce at an alarming rate and pose a significant threat to Lanai’s native and endangered birds.

Lanai is the only island that does not have a humane society or any county-funded animal care and control contracts, aside from a part-time dog warden that only handles dog-related calls. LCS is the only animal nonprofit on Lanai, and an open-admission shelter, accepting all cats, including feral, stray, and any owned but unwanted cats from the community, 365 days a year without a surrender fee. The mission of LCS is to humanely control the feral cat population on Lanai by relocating unwanted and homeless cats to a large, four acre open-aired sanctuary with predator-proof fencing.

Due to an agreement between LCS, DLNR, and Pulama Lanai, Lanai is the only island where feral cats that are trapped in protected areas are not instantly euthanized by gunshot. Lanai conservationists trap cats in protected areas where native and endangered ground-nesting birds such as the ‘Ua’a, the Hawaiian Petrel, live. LCS has an agreement with these entities that every cat caught will be brought to LCS, where the cats will be sterilized, vaccinated, and kept at the sanctuary for the entirety of their lives or until they are adopted. Neither of these entities provide any funding for this agreement, and nowhere else (in Hawaii or nationwide to our knowledge) has this sort of humane approach to controlling cats in protected and sensitive areas.

The Lanai Feral Cat Management Program is a comprehensive program that ensures that cats at the sanctuary are given the medical care, food, and space they need to experience a good quality of life. It costs approximately $2,000 per cat per year to meet these needs. LCS has a medical system in place to ensure the health and well-being of each cat; a high-tech mobile veterinary clinic is used for on-site care and services, and since there are no veterinarians on the island, veterinary teams with experience in shelter medicine are flown in weekly from neighboring islands or the mainland if a specialist is needed.

As mentioned previously, we began rescuing 220 cats from the Lahaina burn zone in November of last year. At the time, we had approximately 660 cats already in our care. With our new population at almost 900 cats, we are in the process of expanding our facility by 12,000 square feet (about a quarter of an acre) to ensure there is enough space for the Lanai cats, as well as those from Lahaina.

LCS received this county grant in FY23 (though we received the funding in FY24), and we met and surpassed the grant program goals and objectives by the second quarter of the fiscal year. If we receive this funding again, the specific outcomes and goals for FY25 include continuing to sterilize and intake 100 feral cats per year, re-homing at least 100 cats through the successful socialization of feral cats within the sanctuary, and caring for and housing over 800 cats. With 100 new feral cats coming in and 100 friendly and adoptable cats going out, the net gain is zero cats. I genuinely believe LCS has a formula that is the most humane approach to controlling the free-roaming feral cat population.

LCS and the Feral Cat Management Program have the potential to make a lasting impact on the native habitat on the island of Lanai. Without this funding and given the impacts to the numbers of visitors and cats since the Lahaina fires, LCS may not be able to continue to accept new feral cats. This would be detrimental, forcing the Lanai community several steps backward in our attempts to control the feral cat population and conserve our native birds, and unfortunately undoing the impressive accomplishments LCS has achieved for the island of Lanai.

Thank you for your consideration.

Joe Adarna
Director of Operations at the Lanai Cat Sanctuary

Aloha BFED Committee,

I would like to submit these comments on the 2025 proposed budget;

1) There is a line item in Economic Development for $40,000 to the Haiku Community Association for water quality testing. Please support this item; this is important for the health of residents and visitors who recreate in our freshwater resources in the Haiku area.

2) There is a line item in Economic Development for $25,000 to Malama Hamakua Maui for maintenance and security of the Hamakualoa Preserve. Please support this item.It is constant work by Malama Hamakua Maui, along with the community, to keep the Hamakualoa Open Space Preserve in good shape.

3) The following is not budgeted, but I believe it should be: Three parcels of land in Haiku are currently for sale. They are TMK 227004050, 227004003, and 227004059, for a total of 133 acres. These three properties contain the Pauwela Lighthouse Road, which goes from Hana Hwy to the Pauwela Lighthouse. The latter is owned by the County of Maui. The Pauwela Lighthouse Road has long been used by the community to access the coast as well as the lighthouse property. The community is up in arms that more coast access is disappearing into private hands. The land also links the coastal path that goes from near Maliko Gulch to Kaupakalua Gulch and this would be blocked if sold. Please budget funds in the amount of $6.8M to add this land to the Maui County Preserve program.

Mahalo!

Scott Werden
Haiku
scott.werden@gmail.com
206.399.3616