Hilo Bay (file photo)

(BIVN) – $2 million in federal funds will go towards the creation of a Watershed Management Plan for Hilo Bay.

On Thursday, Hilo councilmember Jenn Kagiwada announced the County of Hawaiʻi had secured the grant money from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with funds contributed by the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program through the National Costal Resilience Fund (NCRF).

A news release says the grants “support design and implementation of projects to enhance the resilience of coastal communities and improve habitat for fish and wildlife across the U.S.”

“We’re deeply grateful for the NCRF’s support for our proposal to create this Watershed Management Plan for Hilo Bay,” said Council Member Jenn Kagiwada. “This work is crucial to address systemic pollution issues our community has been facing for decades, as well as taking proper steps to create a workable plan with all stakeholders to ensure future emergency preparedness and climate resiliency.” Kagiwada added, “Partnerships for this work have already begun as so many organizations contributed to and supported our grant application.”

From the County news release:

The award will be officially accepted by the Hawaiʻi County Department of Research and Development with the County providing matching funds of $464,300 for a total project budget of $2,464,300. These funds will support creating a community resilience and watershed management plan that utilizes nature-based solutions to enhance resilience along the Hilo Bay coastline and within the Hilo Bay Watershed, protecting the watershed’s unique ecosystem and critical habitats for endemic, endangered marine flora and fauna. $200,000 of the matching funds will be used to engage local partners to ensure a true community-based plan.

NFWF launched the NCRF in 2018 at Congress’s direction, in partnership with NOAA. The program supports on-the-ground projects to engage communities and reduce their vulnerability to growing risks from extreme weather, rising sea levels, flooding, and other coastal hazards through strengthening coastal ecosystems that benefit both people and wildlife.

Earlier on Thursday, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D, Hawaiʻi) announced Hawai‘i will receive $7.6 million in new grant funding from NOAA and the NFWF to support natural infrastructure projects across the state, of which the $2 million for the Hilo Bay project is a part.

Along with Hawaiʻi County, other projects receiving grants:

Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi – $3.6 million
The funding will be used to help restore 24 acres of wetland bird habitat, implement 20 acres of constructed wetlands/traditional agriculture integrated systems, protect and enhance 88 acres of traditional fishpond floodplain detainment basin and enhance 6 miles of coral reef shoreline.

Moloka‘i Land Trust – $255,300
The grant will help build on multi-partner wetland prioritization planning that identified suitable wetlands for restoration in Moloka‘i by advancing priority sites to 50 percent design, assessing resiliency potential and planning

Mālama Haleakalā Foundation – $354,000
The funding will be used to conduct site assessment and preliminary design for a detention basin along Kūlanihāko’i Stream to prevent flooding on the leeward slopes of Haleakalā and protecting aquatic and marine habitats for many species of plants, birds, coral reefs, and fish.

Hanalei Watershed Hui – $874,300
Complete final designs, specifications, construction cost estimates and permitting for a floodplain restoration plan and waterbird habitat enhancement in Hanalei, Hawaiʻi. The project will increase system resiliency by creating detention basins to attenuate floods and provide waterbird habitat.

Hawaiʻi Local2030 Hub – $498,600
Develop a mobile stormwater assessment app to prioritize Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) installations within disadvantaged communities of the Ala Wai watershed and analyze barriers and opportunities for incorporating decentralized GSI retrofit solutions on private properties. The project will provide resilience benefits to reduced flood risk, maintain adequate drinking water supply and mitigate land-based pollution to critical nearshore marine habitats.

“These projects across Hawai‘i will help restore or protect wetlands, watersheds, and coral reef and will help keep communities safe from flooding and coastal erosion,” said Senator Schatz.