Protect and restore native forests, biodiversity, and endangered species by controlling invasive species, predators, and pests that threaten native species that are integral to those ecosystems

The State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) was awarded a $1,000,000 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Recovery Implementation program (CFDA 15.657). The grant funding will be used to protect and restore native forests, biodiversity, and endangered species in Hawaii by controlling invasive species, predators, and pests that threaten native flora and fauna. Key activities include deploying threat control equipment to manage major predators and pests like rats, mongoose, feral cats, slugs, and predatory snails that have been documented as threats to island ecosystems. The grant will support the expansion of targeted conservation actions at priority sites to maximize benefits to the most critically endangered species found in Hawaii's natural environments.

The funding and support provided by this project will be used to expand implementation of conservation actions in priority sites that maximize benefits to the largest number of the most critically endangered species. Funding will support the deployment and establishment of threat control equipment to provide effective management of major predators and pests of native species. Rats and other predators have been well documented to be the most prolific destroyers of island ecosystems throughout oceania. In addition to rats, mongoose, feral cats, slugs, predatory snails, and associated threats will be addressed in strategic locales where limited and targeted control will have the most impact.