As hawaiis ecosystems are continually battered by the onslaught of invasive species, their fragility increases and biodiversity decreases

Habitat restoration, both before and after wildfires, is essential to recovering our watersheds to support healthy populations of both ESA-listed and non-listed species. Currently there is no native plant materials supply chain in hawaii. Wild-collected seed, the first step in the chain, is needed to provide momentum to develop a market and supply chain. Funding for this project will help support a position to oversee collections of seeds from native plants throughout hawaii on state, federal, and private lands. This position would oversee the implementation of the burned area rehabilitation (bar) protecting hawaiis flora from wildfire project as its project coordinator, as well as support the development of a native plant materials supply chain and market in hawaii and draft and implement a hawaii seed strategy for rehabilitation and restoration. Implementation of the bar protecting hawaiis flora from wildfire project is conducted by the national park service, U.S. Fish and wildlife service, and watershed partnerships supported by the state of hawaii s department of land and natural resources division of forestry and wildlife watershed planner. The primary activity in this project is to recruit and hire a project coordinator for the bar protecting hawaiis flora from wildfire project. The coordinator will draft with the long-term goal of implementation of a seed strategy for restoration tailored to the needs of hawaii and supportive of thegeneral goals of the national seed strategy for rehabilitation and restoration.