The Hawaii Native Species Conservation and Recovery Act of 2025 establishes a grant program to fund projects aimed at protecting and restoring native Hawaiian species and their habitats.
Ed Case
Representative
HI-1
The Hawaii Native Species Conservation and Recovery Act of 2025 establishes a grant program to fund projects aimed at conserving and recovering native Hawaiian species. This program will provide financial assistance to eligible entities for initiatives focused on combating invasive species, addressing climate change impacts, restoring habitats, and enhancing scientific capacity. The Act prioritizes collaboration among federal and state agencies, Native Hawaiian organizations, and other stakeholders to ensure effective conservation efforts. It also requires annual reporting to Congress on the program's implementation and authorizes \$30,000,000 in appropriations for the program for each of the first 10 fiscal years after enactment.
Hawaii Gets $30M a Year to Protect Native Plants and Animals: New Grant Program Focuses on Local Solutions
The "Hawaii Native Species Conservation and Recovery Act of 2025" is all about protecting Hawaii's unique environment. Basically, it's setting up a big pot of money – $30 million a year for the next 10 years – to fund projects that help save native plants and animals across the islands.
Cash for Conservation
The core of the bill is the Hawaii Native Species Conservation and Recovery Grant Program. Think of it as a yearly competition where local groups – from the state government and nonprofits to businesses and universities – can apply for funding to do conservation work. The money's meant to tackle the big problems: invasive species, the impacts of climate change (like coral bleaching or changing rainfall patterns), habitat loss, and helping endangered species recover.
Real-World Rescue
This isn't just about writing reports. It's about action. For example:
- A local nonprofit could get a grant to remove invasive plants from a critical watershed, helping native forests thrive (Section 3).
- A University of Hawaii research team could get funding to study how climate change is affecting native birds and figure out how to help them adapt (Section 3).
- A Native Hawaiian organization could receive support to restore traditional fishponds, boosting both cultural practices and native fish populations (Section 3).
It is important to remember that the federal government is picking up most of the tab, but not all. Generally, they cover 75% of a project, but they can go up to 100%. For smaller grants ($50,000 or less) and projects by Native Hawaiian organizations, they are especially likely to cover the full cost (Section 3). That means local groups don't need a ton of their own cash to make a big difference.
Keeping It Local—and Accountable
At least 5% of the annual funding is specifically set aside for projects run by Native Hawaiian organizations, those that get young people involved in conservation jobs, or those smaller projects needing $50,000 or less (Section 3). The feds are also required to consult with Native Hawaiian organizations on any project that might impact their community (Section 3).
To make sure the money's being spent wisely, the Secretary of the Interior (the person in charge of this program at the federal level) has to report to Congress every year. They'll detail which projects got funded, how they're going, and what they've achieved (Section 4). That keeps things transparent. The Secretary of Interior cannot spend more than 5% of the funds on administrative costs (Section 5).
The bill also makes it clear that this new money is extra support. It can't be used to replace existing funding for conservation in Hawaii (Section 3).