Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced that Hawaiʻi will receive $5,298,701 in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Regional Conservation Partnership Program’s (RCPP) Alternative Funding Arrangements (AFA) to the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Federal funding will be leveraged with public and private resources from multiple partners to allow DLNR to provide competitive grants to private landowners to address climate change, while improving water quality and habitat for endangered species. Locations with the highest carbon sequestration potential will be selected to plant 210,000 native trees. Additionally, invasive plants, many of which fuel wildfires, will be removed from 1,650 acres.

This funding is in addition to $2,028,572 provided by the USDA RCPP traditional grant program to the South Kona Soil and Water District, announced in April 2021 which seeks to sequester carbon while removing invasive species and improving forest health for endangered species.