OIA Announces $2.7 Million to Enhance Biosecurity, Restore Ecosystems, Assess and Mitigate Invasive Species in the U.S. Territories

WASHINGTON – The Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) today announced $2,681,134 in fiscal year 2024 funding from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda that will provide the U.S. territories of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) with vital biosecurity training opportunities and projects that improve island and coastal ecosystem resilience.

“Funding provided under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues to make impactful contributions to ecosystem restoration and strengthening biosecurity measures for the U.S. territories,” said Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs Cantor. “Strong coastal, coral, and island ecosystems in the territories are critical to overall well-being for these communities.”

Prioritized and identified by leadership in the territories, much of the funding support provided today places a strong emphasis on strengthening local capacity in biosecurity measures, promoting the protection and restoration of biologically rich and culturally significant island and coastal ecosystems, and enhancing community resilience against invasive species and environmental degradation.  

The current projects and programs awarded with fiscal year 2024 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds include projects to benefit American Samoa, Guam, the CNMI, and the USVI in the following areas:

Enhancing Biosecurity and Mitigating Invasive Species Impacts

• $406,673 to the USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources for their Biosecurity and Community Invasive Species Programs;
• $162,031 will be provided to the U.S. Geological Survey, through an interagency agreement, to Evaluate the Risk of Invasive Species on Ecosystems, Economics, and the Human Health of the U.S. Territories;
• $100,000 to the American Samoa Biodiversity Conservation Office to Launch American Samoa's Terrestrial Early Detection and Rapid Response Project on Tutuila Island; and
• $50,000 to the USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources for Comprehensive Biosecurity Training: Addressing Invasive Species.  

Revegetation of Mined Lands Initiatives

• $552,430 to the American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources for Mined Lands Revegetation; and
• $60,000 to the Caribbean Oceanic Restoration and Education (CORE) Foundation (a non-profit organization) for the CORE St. John Coral Nursery Operations and Research Program.

 National Revegetation Effort and National Seed Strategy

• $850,000 to the American Samoa Governor’s Resilience Office for Native Seed Strategy for Rehabilitation and Restoration; and
• $500,000 to the American Samoa Biodiversity Conservation Office for Restoring Wetlands and Mangrove Rainforests in Vatia Village and Aunu'u Coastal Areas.

For more information about previous fiscal year 2024 BIL funding, see the September 2024 BIL Announcement: OIA Awards $2.5 Million from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to Enhance Biosecurity and Ecosystem Restoration in the U.S. Territories. More information about these and other funding provided to the Insular Areas through OIA may be found at www.doi.gov/oia.

The Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs and the Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) carry out the Secretary of the Interior’s responsibilities for the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Additionally, OIA administers several discretionary grant funding programs to the Insular Areas and oversees federal assistance under the Compacts of Free Association to the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.

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