A $2.8 million partnership between the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the U.S. Forest Service will help Pacific landowners protect forests and prepare for wildfire, drought and severe storms.
The Pacific Forest Resilience Program will fund five new junior extension agents through UH Mānoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience, a news release said.
New employees will serve American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau.
The program, funded by the forest service, will support implementation of each jurisdiction’s Forest Action Plan.
“Many Pacific Islands face shared challenges, from wildfires and drought to severe storms,” said Ashley McGuigan, university extension specialist and program lead. “A regional approach brings forestry programs, agencies and communities together to learn from one another, share knowledge and resources and support locally driven efforts to sustain forests and the communities that depend on them.”
Applications for the five positions are being accepted now with new hires expected to be on the job by May 2027.
An informational webinar about the program and positions will be Nov. 18 at 2 p.m. HST. Interested applicants can register here.
For more information, email McGuigan at aamcguig@hawaii.edu or Christian Colo at colo@hawaii.edu.
