#Regional Conservation Partnership Program

The Kona Soil and Water Conservation District and seven partners were awarded $2,028,572 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to boost biodiversity and support wildlife habitat for a variety of Hawaiian forest birds, including the ʻakiapōlāʻau, Hawaiʻi ʻākepa and Hawaiʻi creeper. The forest restoration efforts resulting from this project, titled “Innovation in Kona’s Upland Forests,” are estimated to sequester 30,000 tons of carbon over 20 years.