A nearly $2 million federal grant will be used to protect forested and wetland habitats from invasive species in the Kohala Mountains on Hawaiʻi Island.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources received the grant from the Bureau of Reclamation.
The federal dollars will also help with endangered plant and wildlife efforts, as well as ensure that streams are healthy and flowing.
The project is in collaboration with the Kohala Watershed Partnership. It’s a group of land managers and landowners who have worked to protect the forests since 2003.
State officials say only about 17% of native forests in the islands are protected from the biggest threats. They say the project will also help the state reach its goal to protect 30 percent of priority watershed forests by 2030.
