$2.8M UH partnership helps protect Pacific forests

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A $2.8 million partnership between the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the U.S. Forest Service will help Pacific Island landowners protect forests and prepare for wildfire, drought, and severe storms.

The Pacific Forest Resilience Program will fund five new Forest Service-affiliated junior extension agents through UH Mānoa's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (CTAHR).

The positions will serve American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau. Applications for all five positions open November 9, 2026, with agents expected to begin working in their respective locations by May 2027.

An informational webinar about the program and the five positions will be held November 18, at 2 p.m. Hawaiʻi time. Register online.

Regional collaboration

Funded by the U.S. Forest Service and delivered through CTAHR, the program will support implementation of the participating jurisdictions' Forest Action Plans. The five positions were developed with the Forest Service to support that work.

"Many Pacific Islands face shared challenges, from wildfires and drought to severe storms," said Ashley McGuigan, program lead and CTAHR extension specialist. "A regional approach brings forestry programs, agencies and communities together to learn from one another, share knowledge and resources, and support locally driven efforts to sustain forests and the communities that depend on them."

Practical support

The program will bring together the U.S. Forest Service, local forestry agencies, extension personnel, and communities to develop workshops, knowledge-sharing events, and educational resources supporting land stewardship practices such as agroforestry, reforestation, and pest management.

For more information, contact Ashley McGuigan at [email protected] or Christian Colo at [email protected].