Sen. Schatz secures nearly $400M in new earmarks for Hawaiʻi nonprofits, projects

US Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, secured $394 million in new congressional directed spending, also known as earmarks, in the first half of this year’s government funding bill. Additional earmark funding for Hawai‘i is expected to be included the second half of the funding deal which is set to be announced on March 22.

“We are bringing home nearly $400 million in new earmark funding and expect more to come,” said Sen. Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “These earmarks will give local nonprofits and projects more resources to serve communities across Hawai‘i.”

As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Schatz said he worked with congressional leaders to ensure Hawai‘i received its fair share of federal earmark funding.

Earmarks secured in Maui County:

Maui Department of Transportation – $2.4 million: This funding will support the planning, design, and construction of a new transit bus yard. (Schatz and Tokuda joint request) 

Boy Scouts of America, Maui Nui District (Maui) – $1 million: The funding will be used to replace the condemned dining hall at Camp Maluhia, which is used by many community groups. 

Hawai‘i Land Trust (Maui) – $1.5 million: The funding will be used to make improvements to the Education and Cultural Learning Center at the Waihe‘e Refuge, which will include classrooms and public restrooms. (Schatz and Tokuda joint request)

The Nature Conservancy Hawai‘i (Maui, O‘ahu, and Hawai‘i Island) – $1 million: Support community and coastal resilience through ecosystem monitoring and conservation, fisheries management, and volunteer-based outreach in collaboration with community-led organizations. (Schatz and Hirono joint request)

Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife (Maui, Kaua‘i) – $2.5 million: This funding would support mosquito suppression through the Birds, Not Mosquitos project including production and release of mosquitoes on Maui and Kaua‘i. 

‘Āina Momona (Maui, Moloka‘i) – $1 million: This funding would support conservation and restoration work in the Auwahi Forest and the Keawanui upland area to reduce erosion. 

Mā‘alaea Village Association (Maui) – $1 million: This funding would support engineering and design to replace aging injection wells with a wastewater reclamation system that will improve wastewater treatment capacity and facilitate reuse of tertiary wastewater for local irrigation.

County of Maui Department of Water Supply – $1.5 million: The funding will be used for the installation of a new 250,000-gallon stainless steel water tank to replace an aging Haiku-Kauhikoa tank and reduce water losses to leakage. (Schatz and Tokuda joint request)

Sustainable Moloka‘i – $1.3 million: This project would fund the acquisition of land to support the development of a permanent food hub on Moloka‘i. (Schatz and Tokuda joint request) 

Other earmarks:

Hui Mālama O Ke Kai Foundation – $785,000: This project will support the construction of a community facility in Waimanalo. (Schatz and Hirono joint request) 

Polynesian Voyaging Society – $500,000: The funding will support collaboration with indigenous communities to share ecological knowledge, and dissemination of shared knowledge during the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s Moananuiākea Voyage via the digital Wa‘a Honua platform.

MA‘O Organic Farms – $567,000: The funding will be used to construct an Agroforestry Training Baseyard as proper infrastructure to support this new offshoot of the youth workforce development program. (Schatz and Hirono joint request)

‘Aha Pūnana Leo (Hawai‘i Island) – $1 million: The funding will be used to complete infrastructure improvements to Hawaiian language immersion school. (Schatz, Hirono, and Tokuda joint request)

Hui o Hau‘ula – $5.4 million: Funding will support construction of a community center and shelter in Hau‘ula. (Schatz, Hirono, and Tokuda joint request) 

Island of Hawai‘i YMCA – $625,000: This project would help purchase land to expand the YMCA Community Center’s programming in Hilo. (Schatz, Hirono, and Tokuda joint request) 

Gregory House – $900,000: This funding will support renovations on supportive housing facility for people experiencing homelessness. 

Feeding Hawai‘i Together – $1.3 million: This funding will be used to purchase new equipment and make repairs to the Pantry Food Bank’s facility. (Schatz and Case joint request)

Hina Mauka – $3,000,000: Funding will support a permanent supportive housing facility for people experiencing homelessness who have substance abuse challenges. 

Māla‘ai – $676,000: This project will construct an outdoor education facility to provide STEAM (science, tech, engineering, ʻāina, and mathematics) education to middle school students. (Schatz, Hirono, and Tokuda joint request)

YWCA of Hawai‘i Island – $1.5 million: Funding will support construction of a new early childhood education center. (Schatz and Hirono joint request) 

YWCA O‘ahu – $1 million: This funding will support renovations to a transitional housing facility for women experiencing homelessness. 

Hawai‘i Island Home for Recovery – $1 million: This project will renovate facilities providing permanent supportive housing and services to people experiencing homelessness. 

Child and Family Service (Hawai‘i Island) – $2 million: This project would contribute to the construction of a walk-in service and resources center for vulnerable families in Hilo. (Schatz, Hirono, and Tokuda joint request) 

Child and Family Service – $1 million: This project will construct a residential housing and mental health service facility for youth experiencing mental or behavioral health crises. (Schatz and Hirono joint request)

County of Hawai‘i – $3.6 million: This funding will support the renovation of Old Hilo Memorial Hospital to continue providing services and housing to homeless individuals. 

County of Kaua‘i – $3.3 million: This project supports the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall. (Schatz and Hirono joint request) 

State of Hawai‘i (Kaua‘i)– $900,000: This project will construct an educational center at the Kawai‘ele State Waterbird Sanctuary. (Schatz, Hirono, and Tokuda joint request) 

Kaua‘i County Housing Agency – $1.6 million: Funding will support engineering and design of infrastructure to enable Kīlauea Affordable Housing Subdivision. (Schatz and Hirono joint request) 

Kaua‘i County Housing Agency – $1.4 million: The funding will support engineering and construction documents for the Waimea 400 affordable housing subdivision. (Schatz and Hirono joint request) 

Kaua‘i County Housing Agency – $1.8 million: The funding will support engineering and construction documents for a new wastewater treatment plant. (Schatz and Hirono joint request) 

Residential Youth Services and Empowerment – $3 million: This funding will support the construction of a residential facility for at-risk youth experiencing homelessness. (Schatz, Hirono, and Tokuda joint request)

Special Olympics Hawai‘i – $940,600: This project would fund construction and equipment costs for an outdoor play facility. (Schatz and Case joint request) 

State of Hawai‘i – $8.7 million: This funding will support design and construction of pedestrian walkways in Wai‘anae, Waipahu, Kalihi, and Urban Honolulu. (Schatz and Case joint request) 

State of Hawai‘i (Kaua‘i) – $3.2 million: This funding will support design and construction of a roadway, sidewalks, and bike lanes for Kukui Street and Olohena Road. (Schatz, Hirono, and Tokuda joint request) 

State of Hawai‘i – $5 million: Funding will support construction and inspection of a bike path on the North Shore of O‘ahu.

County of Hawai‘i Mass Transit Agency – $9.5 million: This funding will support construction of a transit baseyard and maintenance facility in West Hawai‘i. 

Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawai‘i – $1.5 million: This funding will support the purchase and renovation of a new headquarters for Big Brothers Big Sisters to run its youth programming and mentoring services. (Schatz, Hirono, and Case joint request)

Catholic Charities Hawai‘i – 1.9 million: The funding will support the renovation of an affordable housing facility for survivors of domestic abuse. (Schatz and Case joint request) 

KUA O Kanaueue (Hawai‘i Island) – $488,000: Complete construction of a kitchen facility will enable farmers in the Kaʻū district and the South and North Kona districts to convert their agricultural products into higher-value food products.

Hawai‘i Land Trust (Hawai‘i Island) – $1.1 million: The funding will be used to construct fencing to prevent damage from feral pigs at Kukuau Forest. (Schatz and Hirono joint request) 

Hoa ‘Āina O Mākaha – $96,000: The funding will be used to make renovations to the youth learning center to support agriculture workshops for students. (Schatz and Hirono joint request) 

Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources (Hawai‘i Island) – $750,000: The funding will be used at Waiākea Pond and Pelekane Bay for invasive species removal and native species plantings along pathways will support habitat restoration. (Schatz and Hirono joint request)

Ho‘ōla Nā Pua — $1 million: The funding will provide education and awareness trainings to decrease the demand of sex buying and combat commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) in Hawai‘i. 

Honolulu Police Department – $500,000: The earmark will help HPD acquire a cybercrime unit vehicle outfitted with forensic equipment and software allowing Honolulu Police Department to respond to incidents and begin investigations immediately.

Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources – $700,000: The funding will be used to establish and maintain a diverse set of limu stocks for distribution to community-based limu growers. (Schatz, Case, and Hirono joint request) 

Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources – $300,000: The funding will support research on the potential for using native aquatic plants to sequester carbon in Hawai‘i’s freshwater and estuarine ecosystems. (Schatz and Hirono joint request)

University of Hawai‘i (Hawai‘i Island) – $2.2 million : The funding will support the research and management of Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death through improved remote sensing and data analysis to support the quick detection and removal of infected ‘ōhi‘a trees. (Schatz and Hirono joint request)

Hawai‘i County Department of Water Supply – $1 million: The funding will support the development of watershed-scale restoration efforts in Kohala, Kona, and Kaʻū on Hawai‘i Island to improve surface water quality and promote aquifer recharge. (Schatz and Hirono joint request)

Establish – $700,000: The funding will be used to provide targeted foster resource caregiver training to increase stable homes for trafficked foster children and to provide long-term support and connection for child victims of trafficking. (Schatz and Hirono joint request)

The Marine Mammal Center (Hawai‘i Island) – $880,000: This funding would support education and outreach efforts to raise awareness about monk seal and coastal ecosystem conservation. (Schatz and Hirono joint request) 

University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa – $963,000: The funding will be used to build a platform to integrate security camera feeds and alarm/emergency notifications from surrounding areas and community partners. (Schatz and Case joint request)

Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative – $1.3 million: This funding would support refurbishment of a steam turbine generator into a low-energy synchronous condenser to facilitate grid integration of renewable energy, improve system safety, and reduce overall energy costs.

US Army Corps of Engineers (Kaua‘i) – $500,000: Support modifications to the Waimea levee structure that would strengthen it to withstand increasing risks from extreme weather. (Schatz and Hirono joint request)

US Army Corps of Engineers – $500,000: This funding would support an Ecosystem Restoration and Coastal Storm Risk Management Study for the Waikīkī Beach Improvement and Ecosystem Restoration project. (Schatz, Case, and Hirono joint request)

Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife – $1.4 million: This funding would upgrade the Olinda Rare Plant Propagation Facility housing the Plant Extinction Prevention Program and the Hawai‘i Invertebrate Program. 

National Tropical Botanical Garden (Kaua‘i) – $344,000: This funding would support the fern propagation lab to collect, grow, and outplant endangered ferns, and allow for facility improvements. 

Hawai‘i County Department of Environmental Management – $1 million: This funding would upgrade the Wailoa Pump Station control system to incorporate more energy-efficient variable frequency drive pumps and ensure continued flow capacity. (Schatz and Hirono joint request)

City and County of Honolulu Department of Environmental Services – $800,000: The funding for Patsy Mink Central O‘ahu Regional Park would facilitate engineering, design, and budget development for a wastewater recycling facility to improve community access and offset reductions in water availability. (Schatz and Hirono joint request.)

Hawai‘i County Department of Environmental Management (Hawai‘i Island) – $2 million: This funding would facilitate force main, pump room, and emergency generator housing renovations to improve capacity, update aging infrastructure, and reduce hazards to employees. (Schatz and Hirono joint request)

Hawai‘i Commission on Water Resource Management – $2.4 million : This funding would support efforts to protect drinking water aquifers by sealing off derelict wells to prevent external contamination. (Schatz and Hirono joint request) 

Hawai‘i Commission on Water Resource Management – $959,757 : The funding will be used for upgrades and improvements to water systems based on results from Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Commission on Water Resource Management’s (CWRM) annual water audit. (Schatz, Case, Hirono, and Tokuda joint request)

Hawai‘i Commission on Water Resource Management – $959,757 : The earmark will fund the planning, design, and construction of two deep monitoring wells to expand water quality and availability monitoring for Hawai‘i’s drinking water aquifers. New deep monitoring wells would be located in Wai‘alae East and Wai‘anae on O‘ahu. (Schatz, Case, and Hirono joint request)

Honolulu Board of Water Supply – $959,757 : The funding will be used to to replace 3,900 linear feet of 6″ and 8″ water mains in the ‘Aiea neighborhood of Honolulu. (Schatz and Case joint request) 

Fort Shafter – $23 million: The funding will allow for the construction of a tank where fresh water is stored and allows for Fort Shafter to keep up with rising demand for water – the existing tanks run into a consistent shortfall during peak hours of water usage. (Schatz, Hirono, Case joint request)

Schofield Barracks – $21 million: The funding will be used to upgrade the water storage system, allowing for a new water storage tank to be elevated requiring less energy and pumping to maintain high water pressure. (Schatz and Hirono joint request)

Schofield Barracks – $16 million: The funding will help build out elevated water storage tanks and distribution lines that will help to increase pressurization of the water needed to reliably fight fires. It also supports the growing demands for water at Schofield. (Schatz and Hirono joint request)

Helemano Milt Reservation – $33 million: The funding will allow HMR to build out wells, a pump station, and a storage tank that replaces the aged-out water infrastructure at HMR. Currently water storage for HMR is provided from Schofield – the pipes from Schofield run through difficult terrain. The long distances of moving water creates pressurization issues that impact the reliability to supply water to fight fires. (Schatz and Hirono joint request)

Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i – $109 million: The funding will help upgrade a water reclamation facility and the water treatment system to process wastewater. The upgraded facility will increase the volume of wastewater treated and reduce potable water demands at MCBH. (Schatz, Hirono, and Tokuda joint request)

Dry Dock 3 – $90 million: The funding will be used to help replace Dry Dock 3 (DD3) with Dry Dock 5 (DD5). Dry Dock 3 conducts crucial repairs, maintenance, and sustainment of submarines, but it cannot effectively conduct this work on larger Virginia-Class submarines. This funding will ensure that the Navy can remain on schedule to replace Dry Dock 3 with Dry Dock 5 and bring the facilities and infrastructure needed to keep Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard at the forefront of critical repairs and sustainment work of the US submarine fleet. Replacing Dry Dock 5 will enable new generations of shipyard workforce at Pearl Harbor.