The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) National Coastal Resilience Fund recently announced that their Fall 2024 awardees will include six projects in the Hawaiian Islands totaling over $8 million, leveraged with matching partner funds totaling $1.7 million. Each project advances critical initiatives including restoring native vegetation and coral reefs, developing green infrastructure, building the capacity of the conservation workforce, and improving community resilience to flooding, erosion, and fire. This investment showcases the commitment of NFWF to supporting Hawaiian communities and creating a sustainable and resilient future.
Pacific Birds worked closely with partners at the Molokaʻi Land Trust and the Molokaʻi Wetland Partnership to secure one of these grants. The project, “Designing Wetland Restoration for Resilient Communities and Native Waterbirds in Molokaʻi”, will advance community-based planning for wetland restoration at two key sites on the island.
This project builds on previous wetland prioritization planning and community restoration visioning through locally based partners on Molokaʻi. It will develop the final, community-approved design for two prioritized sites, conduct environmental compliance assessments, apply for permits, engage landowners, and increase local capacity to restore and maintain wetlands.
This grant represents close to $1 million in conservation investments on Molokaʻi. Congratulations to the Molokaʻi Land Trust, the Molokaʻi Wetland Partnership, and all the partners involved in this accomplishment!