Gov. David Ige (D-Hawaii ) revealed that $14 million in federal funding was awarded to the state to aid in saving the Hawaiian honeycreeper population.
The funding will help address the extinction crisis facing at least four species of native Hawaiian birds, according to a news release from the governor’s office. As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this funding for Hawaii ecosystem restoration will serve to aid as a major investment in the conservation and stewardship of America’s public lands.
“Several species of native Hawaiian forest birds are on the verge of extinction, possibly within the next two years,” Ige said in the news release. “This federal funding could not come at a better time and will add significantly to projects and efforts already underway to try and save species like ’akikiki and kiwikiu from vanishing forever.”
The funding comes at a crucial time, following results released in April from a biocultural study conducted by federal and state conservation officials. The study describes the near-future extinction plight facing four Hawaiian honeycreeper species, the news release said. The report described a sharp decrease in the population of these birds when compared to the last two decades and the last few years. Their available range was significantly reduced, forcing the species to move higher into the mountains to escape mosquitoes.
“When faced with such bleak prospects for our beloved honeycreeper species, there are certainly no guarantees,” Suzanne Case, Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) chairperson, said in the news release. “However, the federal infrastructure aid targeted at preventing the extinction of these forest birds is a clear demonstration that the federal administration and lawmakers recognize the urgency with which we must use every tool available now and in the future to ensure the natural and cultural resiliency of our forest birds.”
In addition to the incoming funding, the DLNR is receiving $6.5 million from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). This money will be used to develop novel mosquito management and create additional captive propagation facilities at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s Maui Bird Conservation Center, the news release noted.