Dune restoration, community outreach, and capacity-building project at hanapepe salt pond, kauai, hawaii the national oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA) is providing $458,821 in federal…

Dune restoration, community outreach, and capacity-building project at hanapepe salt pond, kauai, hawaii the national oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA) is providing $458,821 in federal funding to the county of kauai, planning department through the FY2023 bipartisan infrastructure law coastal zone management habitat restoration and conservation competition. This funding will increase climate resilience of coastal communities within coastal counties through habitat restoration planning, engineering and design projects, habitat restoration implementation projects, and land conservation projects. Specifically, the county of kauai will use these funds to plan and implement a dune restoration program at hanapp salt pond to create an essential buffer against storm surge and sea level rise, and will protect the natural resources integral for the traditional and customary native hawaiian practice of saltmaking. Intended benefits include providing improved habitat for native flora and fauna due to an restored elevated dune system, a marine flooding buffer, and improved public access and beach health.