Office of Insular Affairs Announces $555,765 in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Investments to Revegetate and Restore Man-Made Landscape Disturbances in the Territories

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) is pleased to announce that $555,765 has been made available under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law  for the territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to restore native vegetation and mitigate environmental hazards on mined land, both federal and non-federal.

“This Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investment for the territories provides a unique opportunity to restore any damage that has been done in dredged or mined areas in the territories, which qualify for this funding,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs Keone Nakoa. “We encourage the territories to take advantage of this opportunity to mitigate damages and restore natural landscapes, shorelines, or environments.”

Examples of man-made activities that have disturbed landscapes or shorelines could include but are not limited to sand/gravel/coral mining where such materials have been extracted or dredged from the land, beaches, inland dunes, the ocean, and riverbeds. Such activities are often used to support manufacturing, construction, and road development. Funding has been prioritized to mitigate these landscape disturbances utilizing native vegetation and local natural resources.

The Office of Insular Affairs encourages applications from the territories for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding. Applications must be submitted via www.grants.gov under CFDA# 15.875 for the Office of Insular Affairs and are due by August 1, 2022.

Look for future announcements related to Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for the territories that can be used to combat invasive species, propagate native vegetation, and restore recreational lands.

The Assistant Secretary of 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 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. OIA also administers a discretionary Technical Assistance Program for all the insular areas. Find information about OIA and its work on www.doi.gov/oia, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

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