NEW - Combined Request Letters - Hawaii Agricultural Disaster Survey

Matthew Loke,
Hawaii Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Development Division

From:
To:

Cc:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:

[email protected]
Keough, Gary - REE-NASS; Phomsouvanh, Andrew; Kono, Joy - FPAC-FSA, HI; [email protected];
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; Branco, Chelsea - MRP-APHIS; Villarroel, Aurora;
Low, Todd E; [email protected]; [email protected]; Adams, Douglass; Fisher, Julie - FPAC-NRCS, HI;
Martin, JB - FPAC-NRCS, HI
Clark, Shawn - REE-NASS; Stephens, John - REE-NASS; Hidano, Regina - REE-NASS
RE: Hawaii Disaster Survey Emergency Clearance from the Office of Management and Budget
Thursday, September 7, 2023 3:18:59 PM
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Good Morning Gary,
The HDOA respectfully requests a USDA-NASS agricultural disaster survey asap to establish credible
loss estimates of crops/livestock, loss of commodity/product sales, damaged equipment, farm
structures, other infrastructure, inventory of seeds, fertilizer, etc., and ag sector employment arising
from the wildfires in Maui and Hawaii Counties.  This survey is critical to support affected
farmers/ranchers/producers to file for insurance claims and to recover from the disaster quickly. 
The survey results will also benefit/support agency planners, decision makers, and lawmakers to
plan, pursue grant opportunities, and to provide additional resources for the affected agricultural
producers.  Many local agriculture associations have expressed a similar sentiment.  We deeply
appreciate your assistance on this request.
Thank you & Aloha,
Matt
From: Keough, Gary - REE-NASS
Sent: Wednesday, September 6, 2023 3:00 AM
To: Phomsouvanh, Andrew ; Kono, Joy - FPAC-FSA, HI
; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected]; Branco, Chelsea - MRP-APHIS ; Villarroel, Aurora
; Low, Todd E ; Maeda, Isaac M
; Loke, Matthew K ; [email protected];
Adams, Douglass ; Fisher, Julie - FPAC-NRCS, HI
; Martin, JB - FPAC-NRCS, HI
Cc: Clark, Shawn - REE-NASS ; Stephens, John - REE-NASS
; Hidano, Regina - REE-NASS
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Hawaii Disaster Survey Emergency Clearance from the Office of Management
and Budget
I’m asking for your assistance in writing the justification for the Hawaii Disaster Survey that will be
used for requesting emergency clearance from the Office of Management and Budget. To justify an
emergency clearance, we need to address:
1. why the survey results are needed as soon as possible,
2. how the survey results will be used.

I would appreciate it if you could comment on how your organization would use the results of the
survey. Please include the names of specific programs if possible. Please respond by COB
September 7.

Below is a list of items that could be included in the results that you can use in your comments.

Estimates of
Crop acres damaged and production losses (both for fire and wind)
Pasture acres damaged
Livestock
Animals killed due to fire or wind
Animals that will need to be culled due to pastures damaged
Property damages
Barns
Tractors and implements
trucks
Fences (we are considering asking how many feet of fences were damaged)
Livestock water tanks
Irrigation equipment
Water tanks
Pumps
Lines and sprinklers
Other property damages
lost sales due to disruption in marketing channels and agri-tourism
lost worker wages
Other items (please specify)

Thanks,

gary r keough signature

Gary R. Keough, Regional Director
U.S. Department of Agriculture | National Agricultural Statistics Service
Field Operations | Pacific Regional Office
650 Capitol Mall, Suite 6-100
Sacramento, CA 95814
T: 916-738-6601 | F:  855-270-2722 | M:  603-568-6535
[email protected] | www.nass.usda.gov

Serving California, Hawaii and Nevada

Stay Connected to USDA:

This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the
intended recipients.  Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or
disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator
to civil or criminal penalties.  If you believe you have received this message in error,
please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.

Isaac Maeda, DVM
Administrator/State Veterinarian
Animal Industry Division
Hawaii Department of Agriculture

From:
To:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:

[email protected]
Keough, Gary - REE-NASS
RE: Hawaii Disaster Survey Emergency Clearance from the Office of Management and Budget
Wednesday, September 6, 2023 10:06:32 PM
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Gary:

From the livestock side it’s necessary to anticipate what continued assistance will be needed, time to
recover and also plan for secondary effects. For example loss of market may affect processing
facilities, slaughter etc.

Mahalo,

Isaac Maeda, DVM
Administrator/State Veterinarian
Animal Industry Division
Hawaii Department of Agriculture
Phone: (808) 483-7111
Fax: (808) 483-7110
Confidentiality Notice:  This e-mail message,including any attachments, is for the sole use of
the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and/or  privileged information.  Any
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the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the
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From: Keough, Gary - REE-NASS
Sent: Wednesday, September 6, 2023 3:00 AM
To: Phomsouvanh, Andrew ; Kono, Joy - FPAC-FSA, HI
; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected]; Branco, Chelsea - MRP-APHIS ; Villarroel, Aurora
; Low, Todd E ; Maeda, Isaac M
; Loke, Matthew K ; [email protected];
Adams, Douglass ; Fisher, Julie - FPAC-NRCS, HI
; Martin, JB - FPAC-NRCS, HI
Cc: Clark, Shawn - REE-NASS ; Stephens, John - REE-NASS
; Hidano, Regina - REE-NASS
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Hawaii Disaster Survey Emergency Clearance from the Office of Management
and Budget

I’m asking for your assistance in writing the justification for the Hawaii Disaster Survey that will be
used for requesting emergency clearance from the Office of Management and Budget. To justify an
emergency clearance, we need to address:
1. why the survey results are needed as soon as possible,
2. how the survey results will be used. 

I would appreciate it if you could comment on how your organization would use the results of the
survey. Please include the names of specific programs if possible. Please respond by COB
September 7.

Below is a list of items that could be included in the results that you can use in your comments.

Estimates of
Crop acres damaged and production losses (both for fire and wind)
Pasture acres damaged
Livestock
Animals killed due to fire or wind
Animals that will need to be culled due to pastures damaged
Property damages
Barns
Tractors and implements
trucks
Fences (we are considering asking how many feet of fences were damaged)
Livestock water tanks
Irrigation equipment
Water tanks
Pumps
Lines and sprinklers
Other property damages
lost sales due to disruption in marketing channels and agri-tourism
lost worker wages
Other items (please specify)

Thanks,

gary r keough signature

Gary R. Keough, Regional Director
U.S. Department of Agriculture | National Agricultural Statistics Service
Field Operations | Pacific Regional Office
650 Capitol Mall, Suite 6-100
Sacramento, CA 95814

T: 916-738-6601 | F:  855-270-2722 | M:  603-568-6535
[email protected] | www.nass.usda.gov

Serving California, Hawaii and Nevada

Stay Connected to USDA:

This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the
intended recipients.  Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or
disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator
to civil or criminal penalties.  If you believe you have received this message in error,
please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.

R. Kali Arce, M. S.
Director of Agriculture
Maui County, Hawaii

From:
To:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:

Rogerene Arce
Keough, Gary - REE-NASS
Re: Hawaii Disaster Survey Emergency Clearance from the Office of Management and Budget
Saturday, September 9, 2023 2:39:18 PM
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Dear Gary,
I missed the boat on this one with the short notice you gave.  However, Maui County Dept. of Ag. is still
collecting information.  Some of it is through the Farmer/Rancher Impact Survey administered by the Hawaii
Farmers Union United through Hunter Heaivillin.  For the first time, I went out to do farm visits yesterday, a
month since the fire.   My Department would use the information to determine where there is potential to
rebuild loss food production, connect producers to programs or create support programs to assist recovering
from market loss and crop/animal loss.
Thank You,
R. Kali Arce, M. S.
Director of Agriculture
Maui County
Office phone (808) 270-8278
Cell (808) 495-5649
>>> "Keough, Gary - REE-NASS" 9/6/2023 2:59 AM >>>

I’m asking for your assistance in writing the justification for the Hawaii Disaster Survey that will be
used for requesting emergency clearance from the Office of Management and Budget. To justify an
emergency clearance, we need to address:
1. why the survey results are needed as soon as possible,
2. how the survey results will be used. 

I would appreciate it if you could comment on how your organization would use the results of the
survey. Please include the names of specific programs if possible. Please respond by COB
September 7.

Below is a list of items that could be included in the results that you can use in your comments.

Estimates of
Crop acres damaged and production losses (both for fire and wind)
Pasture acres damaged
Livestock
Animals killed due to fire or wind
Animals that will need to be culled due to pastures damaged
Property damages
Barns
Tractors and implements
trucks

Fences (we are considering asking how many feet of fences were damaged)
Livestock water tanks
Irrigation equipment
Water tanks
Pumps
Lines and sprinklers
Other property damages
lost sales due to disruption in marketing channels and agri-tourism
lost worker wages
Other items (please specify)

Thanks,

gary r keough signature

Gary R. Keough, Regional Director
U.S. Department of Agriculture | National Agricultural Statistics Service
Field Operations | Pacific Regional Office
650 Capitol Mall, Suite 6-100
Sacramento, CA 95814
T: 916-738-6601 | F:  855-270-2722 | M:  603-568-6535
[email protected] | www.nass.usda.gov

Serving California, Hawaii and Nevada

Stay Connected to USDA:

This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the
intended recipients.  Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or
disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator
to civil or criminal penalties.  If you believe you have received this message in error,
please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.

Joy Kono
State Executive Director
USDA Farm Service Agency
Hawaii and Pacific Basin

From:
To:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:

Kono, Joy - FPAC-FSA, HI
Keough, Gary - REE-NASS
RE: Hawaii Disaster Survey Emergency Clearance from the Office of Management and Budget
Sunday, September 10, 2023 2:35:24 AM
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Gary,,,
I apologize for not making your 9/7 deadline.
I was out in Lahaina with Kali Arce to examine the impacts of the fire and wind on Maui producers.
What we have learned will be hard to capture in a survey.

Here is my response regarding the importance of the survey:

The wildfires in Hawaii has far reaching impacts that have been difficult to document
because fires were in multiple locations on Maui County and Hawaii County.  The fires also
created access issues where producers could not get to their facilities to assess their
damage.  The Lahaina town devastation has also been in the forefront and agriculture
impacts have not been a focus..

The survey will allow consistent data to be collected that will help determine program gaps
so supports can be found either in federal government, state, county or from the private
sector. 
Initial discussions with producers note disruptions to farm operations that can have lasting
impacts to crops beyond fire or wind damage.  Current programs address initial recovery
efforts such as direct crop loss and clean up or replacement.  Recovery efforts are being
hampered by eligibility issues, seed testing, feral animal fencing, etc.   Delayed crop recovery
and land rehabilitation can lead to secondary impacts to the people of Hawaii such as
erosion, loss of top soil, etc.

Mahalo Nui Loa

Joy Kono
State Executive Director
USDA Farm Service Agency
Hawaii and Pacific Basin
PH:  808-600-2927
Cell:  808-265-6121

From: Keough, Gary - REE-NASS
Sent: Wednesday, September 6, 2023 3:00 AM

To: Phomsouvanh, Andrew ; Kono, Joy - FPAC-FSA, HI
; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected]; Branco, Chelsea - MRP-APHIS ; Villarroel, Aurora
; Low, Todd E ;
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; Adams, Douglass
; Fisher, Julie - FPAC-NRCS, HI ; Martin,
JB - FPAC-NRCS, HI
Cc: Clark, Shawn - REE-NASS ; Stephens, John - REE-NASS
; Hidano, Regina - REE-NASS
Subject: Hawaii Disaster Survey Emergency Clearance from the Office of Management and Budget

I’m asking for your assistance in writing the justification for the Hawaii Disaster Survey that will be
used for requesting emergency clearance from the Office of Management and Budget. To justify an
emergency clearance, we need to address:
1. why the survey results are needed as soon as possible,
2. how the survey results will be used. 

I would appreciate it if you could comment on how your organization would use the results of the
survey. Please include the names of specific programs if possible. Please respond by COB
September 7.

Below is a list of items that could be included in the results that you can use in your comments.

Estimates of
Crop acres damaged and production losses (both for fire and wind)
Pasture acres damaged
Livestock
Animals killed due to fire or wind
Animals that will need to be culled due to pastures damaged
Property damages
Barns
Tractors and implements
trucks
Fences (we are considering asking how many feet of fences were damaged)
Livestock water tanks
Irrigation equipment
Water tanks
Pumps
Lines and sprinklers
Other property damages
lost sales due to disruption in marketing channels and agri-tourism
lost worker wages
Other items (please specify)

Thanks,

gary r keough signature

Gary R. Keough, Regional Director
U.S. Department of Agriculture | National Agricultural Statistics Service
Field Operations | Pacific Regional Office
650 Capitol Mall, Suite 6-100
Sacramento, CA 95814
T: 916-738-6601 | F:  855-270-2722 | M:  603-568-6535
[email protected] | www.nass.usda.gov

Serving California, Hawaii and Nevada

Stay Connected to USDA:

This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the
intended recipients.  Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or
disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator
to civil or criminal penalties.  If you believe you have received this message in error,
please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.

Matthew Loke,
Hawaii Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Development Division

From:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Date:

k.hurd, sharon
Keough, Gary - REE-NASS
Joshua, Troy - REE-NASS; [email protected]
FW: REQUEST – Provide any federal assistance needs
Sunday, August 27, 2023 8:23:51 PM

Gary,
Matthew is ON IT!
Requesting an expedite on this request for a survey.  HDOA will cover the cost – and request funding
assistance/reimbursement at a later date – we are in the second month of our FY24 (July – June) and
know we will likely need to cut services that the $170K would have covered this FY24.
Looping in Troy Joshua as I will be reaching out to him for his thoughts.
Thank you,
Sharon
Sharon Hurd
Chairperson, Board of Agriculture
(808) 973-9550
https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/
From: Loke, Matthew K
Sent: Friday, August 25, 2023 6:06 PM
To: HIEMA, Planning Chief
Cc: Aweau, Donald S ; Hurd, Sharon K ;
Takenaka, Warren E
Subject: RE: REQUEST – Provide any federal assistance needs
The Planning Chief,
The HDOA respectfully requests funding for a USDA-NASS disaster survey – loss of crops/livestock,
loss of commodity/product sales, damaged equipment, farm structures, other infrastructure, seeds,
etc.  This is vital for affected farmers/ranchers/producers to file claims and to recover from the
disaster quickly.  Preliminary USDA-NASS estimates the Maui Survey to cost $100K and a
complementary survey for Hawaii County to cost $50K-$70K.  Therefore, overall cost of $150K$170K.   Agriculture associations such as the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Hawaii Farmers Union
United, Hawaii Cattlemen Association, the Maui Department of Agriculture ,and USDA-FSA are in full
support of this request.  Please LMK if you have any questions.  We deeply appreciate your
assistance on this request.
Thank you & Aloha,
Matt
EMO
(808) 973-9607

From: HIEMA, Planning Chief
Sent: Friday, August 25, 2023 12:42 PM
To: DOD HIEMA EMO List
Cc: Aweau, Donald S
Subject: REQUEST – Provide any federal assistance needs
Importance: High

Aloha EMOs:

I hope you’re well. As we continue the Maui wildfire response, HI-EMA is reaching out to all state
agencies to ask if federal resources or assistance have been identified as necessary for you or
required for you to complete your tasks and missions. This information should include both the
current RFA/RFIs in WebEOC and any anticipated future needs.

This information will be provided to the Office of the Governor on Sunday, August 27, 2023 to
support additional planning and decision making. Accordingly, we request your information by
close of business today. Or, if absolutely necessary, no later than 0800 Saturday, August 26, 2023
(tomorrow). If we do not have your information, it cannot be provided to the Governor’s Office.
Please connect with the appropriate person within your agency to confirm any current or projected
federal asks.

Mahalo,
HI-EMA Planning Section

State EOC Planning Section
Counties Brushfire Response
Hawaii Emergency Management Agency
808-441-5679
[email protected]