On Monday, April 26, 2021, Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced that the Kona Soil and Water Conservation District and seven partners have been awarded $2,028,572 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to boost biodiversity and support wildlife habitat for a variety of Hawaiian forest birds, including the akiapolaau, Hawaiʻi akepa, and Hawaiʻi creeper. The forest restoration efforts resulting from this project, titled

“Kona is home to some of the most spectacular wildlife in our state. Investments like this one from USDA build strong public-private partnerships that help keep our environment healthy and will make restoration efforts lasting, so that our keiki can enjoy Hawaii’s unique biodiversity well into the future,” Senator Hirono said in a press release.

The Kona project is one of 85 new projects announced today by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service as part of the agency’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), and will add to the currently active 366 RCPP projects across the country.