Nearly $16 million in federal funding will go toward an initiative to protect Native Hawaiian birds. The money comes from President Biden’s Funding America Agenda.
Four endemic forest birds across Kauaʻi and Maui are in danger of going extinct within the next 2 years.
Habitat loss, invasive species, climate change and disease are urgent challenges impacting Hawaiʻi's native birds.
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced the funding at the Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference on Tuesday.
"These iconic birds play an integral ecological role across the Hawaiian islands," she said.
"As key components of the forest, their health reflects the overall health of the islands and the countless species that call these stunning landscapes home."
The Keystone Initiative aims to control avian malaria-carrying mosquitos, increase captive care facilities, and integrate Native Hawaiian knowledge to prevent the imminent extinction of the native birds.
“Importantly, they are critical cultural pillars to the Native Hawaiian community, appearing in Indigenous stories, history and traditional practices," Haaland said.
"These birds aren't just animals. To the Native Hawaiian community, they are ʻohana, family members, an ancestor that must be revered and protected."
This interview aired on The Conversation on June 28, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
