Hawaii is set to receive more than $3.8 million for projects on Kauai and Oahu that aim to improve climate resiliency, it was recently announced.
According to an April 23 announcement from U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, Kauai County will receive $449,484 "to plan and implement a dune restoration program at Hanapepe Salt Pond to create an essential buffer against storm surge and sea level rise as well as protect natural resources that are particularly important for Native Hawaiians."
“The Native Hawaiian practice of salt making at Hanapepe Salt Pond has been a treasured tradition for hundreds of years here on Kauai, where many have visited and observed even as keiki. We are grateful to U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] Office of Coastal Management, and to our partners with [University of Hawaii] Sea Grant and Hui Hana Paakai, for supporting this important endeavor for our island and people,” Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami said in a statement. “This project, led by our Kauai County Planning Department, is a huge first step towards protecting the pond resource in addition to supporting the hui and their ability to steward the land and ensure salt making traditions continue for generations.”
Meanwhile, on Oahu, Kakoo Oiwi will receive $3.4 million to restore 40 acres within the reserve "using Indigenous knowledge relating to wetland agroecology," the announcement noted.
“This new funding will help make our communities more resilient to climate change while also protecting essential natural resources and increasing food security,” Schatz said in a statement. “We’re going to continue fighting to bring federal resources to protect our environment in Hawaii and shore up our communities for years to come.”
