Oahu gets EPA grant
to restore marsh
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the state a $75,000 grant to restore wetlands at the Hamakua Marsh on Oahu, officials said earlier this week.
The grant is part of $1.5 million being awarded to Hawaii, California, Arizona, Nevada and the Pacific islands for the protection of wetlands.
The state will use the funds for work at the Hamakua State Wildlife Sanctuary in Kailua to re-establish habitats for native Hawaiian water birds and migratory shorebirds.
The program will also get the local community involved in caring for the wetlands, develop monitoring techniques to understand the biological health of coastal Hawaiian wetlands and establish a native wetland ecosystem.
"It is important to EPA to restore wetlands such as Hamakua Marsh and thus provide habitat for native Hawaiian species," said Alexis Strauss, director for the EPA Pacific Southwest Region's Water Division. "The information gathered from monitoring the wetland will provide a better understanding of what components are needed to sustain this Hawaiian ecosystem."
