The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be awarding $5 million to the State of Hawaii Department of Land & Natural Resources (DLNR) to support forest management and restoration activities across the state. Specifically, the grant funding will assist landowners in the protection and restoration of Hawaii’s watersheds, forest resources, wildlife habitats, and endangered species.
This grant was made possible through investments from the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. The funding is part of nearly $335 million in grants that were awarded to incentivize private forest landowners to manage their forests sustainably and to permanently conserve private forests in partnership with states. Forest management techniques, such as thinning trees or removing invasive species, helps to reduce susceptibility to forests pests and disease and lowers the risks of catastrophic wildfires.