The U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region awarded $781,835 to the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources on September 18, 2025, under the State & Private Forestry Hazardous Fuel Reduction Program (CFDA 10.697) to mitigate catastrophic wildfire risk in the Puuanahulu community in North Kona. The project, which runs through September 2030, addresses significant wildfire threats posed by steep terrain, limited defensible space, and invasive fountain grass accumulation on heavily used state lands proximate to one of Hawaii's largest 2021 wildfires located eight miles away.
The award funds multiple fuel reduction and hazard mitigation products and services, including: creation of a 5-acre fenced green break along the Puuanahulu Bluff using feral goats to reduce fuel loads; exploration of drone-based herbicide applications for invasive tree control; protection of 25 rare native plants through individual fencing; and community education and collaborative fuel reduction efforts to strengthen community resilience. The project builds on previous wildland-urban interface grants and aligns with the Administration's forest management and wildfire risk reduction priorities.