The goals of this project include maintaining a vital greenhouse essential for housing seedlings for communities in american samoa including the production of seedlings and educational tools;…

The Department of Agriculture Forest Service R5-Pacific Southwest Region awarded $361,500 to American Samoa Community College on August 17, 2026, under the Cooperative Forestry Assistance program (CFDA 10.664) to maintain a vital greenhouse for seedling production serving communities in American Samoa, conduct educational presentations on invasive species, urban forests, insects, and water quality, support agroforestry efforts and tree stand improvements with reforestation of landowner plots, maintain urban trees and improve stormwater management through education, and conduct surveys and assessments on invasive pests and plant species while training forestry staff.

The award runs through June 30, 2028, with place of performance in the United States. American Samoa Community College, a land-grant institution and the sole provider of postsecondary education in the territory, serves as the recipient. The College's forest stewardship portfolio includes a prior $750,000 USDA Forest Service Urban & Community Forestry Program grant (FY 2024–28) for forest resource planning and management across American Samoa, and it operates across multiple USDA-NIFA formula grant vehicles supporting agricultural research, extension programming, and community forestry initiatives.

The goals of this project include maintaining a vital greenhouse essential for housing seedlings for communities in american samoa including the production of seedlings and educational tools; conduct educational presentation on invasive species, urban forests, insects, and water quality; support agroforestry efforts, conduct tree stand improvements, and reforestation of landowner plots; maintain urban trees and improve storm water management through educational presentations; and conduct surveys and assessments on invasive pests and plant species, and training for forestry staff.