A partnership between U.S. Navy Pacific Missile Range Facility and Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife is getting federal support to expand ecosystem restoration, wildfire resilience and watershed protection efforts on Kaua‘i.
U.S. Department of Defense awarded the partnership $4,730,382 through its Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program in support of military readiness and to benefit surrounding West Kaua‘i landscapes.
Funding will be provided through a cooperative agreement between Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Pacific and the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife.
“This investment reflects the U.S. Navy’s continued commitment to protecting both our mission and the natural resources that make Kaua‘i unique,” said Pacific Missile Range Facility Commanding Officer Capt. Robert Prince in a release. “By working alongside our conservation partners, we are improving the resilience of the landscape surrounding [Pacific Missile Range Facility] while ensuring the installation remains ready to support national defense for decades to come.”
The federal funds also compliment goals in the Navy facility’s Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan by protecting and restoring native forests to improve groundwater recharge, reduce flood potential, decrease soil erosion, lower wildfire risk and strengthen habitat for native plants and animals.
Pacific Missile Range Facility’s long-term ability to conduct its national defense mission while enhancing environmental resilience on the Garden Isle will also be supported.
Conservation projects including the Nā Pali-Kona Forest Reserve and Puʻu Ka Pele Forest Reserve as well as a base yard to stage wildfire fighting vehicles and supplies aimed at significantly reducing wildfire response times and purchase of firefighting equipment will benefit from the funding as well.
Planned work includes about 5 miles of strategic fuel breaks and 15 acres of forest thinning.
Funding will furthermore help conserve a total of about 33,125 acres of adjacent lands that protect critical watersheds, improve habitat and reduce environmental risks that could impact operations.
“The [Pacific Missile Range Facility Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration] grant is significantly advancing conservation on Kaua‘i — helping us fight wildfires, save our watershed forests and recover rare native birds,” said Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources Native Ecosystem Program Manager Emma Yuen in the release.
Funds will support several interconnected conservation initiatives:
- Community wildfire preparedness and emergency response improvements.
- Forest restoration and long-term forest conservation projects.
- Invasive species control to improve watershed function and reduce wildfire risk.
- Seabird monitoring, habitat restoration and predator management.
- Conservation actions benefiting the endangered nēnē (Hawaiian goose), including biological surveys and population assessments.
- Healthy native forests provide essential ecosystem services by capturing rainfall, reducing erosion, improving groundwater recharge and decreasing flood impacts, which also create safer conditions in West Kaua‘i by reducing wildfire hazards and protecting infrastructure critical to testing and training operations.
“The [Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration] Program demonstrates how partnerships can achieve results that benefit national security and conservation,” said Pacific Missile Range Facility Natural Resources Manager Brooke McFarland in the release. “Working with [Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources] allows us to implement a wider range of projects to improve and maintain Kaua‘i’s ecosystem health while supporting safe wildfire mitigation efforts for our community.”
