Building community resilience

The Pacific Coastal Research & Planning organization received a $4,026,332 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service's Inflation Reduction Act Urban & Community Forestry Program (CFDA 10.727) to support habitat restoration, community resilience, and marine debris removal efforts in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Palau from 2024 to 2028. Additionally, the organization has received two Cooperative Agreements totaling $9,332,848 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the Habitat Conservation Federal Grant Program to focus on restoring watersheds in Saipan and removing abandoned vessels and marine debris in the CNMI and Palau from 2023 to 2026. As a sub-grantee, Pacific Coastal Research & Planning has also worked on developing permit-ready engineering designs for shoreline stabilization, removing a derelict fishing vessel from the Saipan Lagoon coral reef, and creating a Shoreline Master Plan for a portion of Saipan's western coast. These projects demonstrate the organization's expertise in coastal management, environmental restoration, and enhancing community resilience in the Pacific region.