OIA Announces $1.4 Million in FY2023 Funds to Protect and Support Coral Reefs in the Insular Areas

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) has announced $1,432,994 in fiscal year 2023 Coral Reef and Natural Resources Program (CRNR) grant funding that will go towards supporting programs and projects related to coral reef and natural resources protection in the territories and the freely associated states.

“Coral reefs are important income generators for tourism and food industries in island economies; and while coral reefs protect and harbor fish and other coastal resources, they also provide islands with critical protection from erosion and wave action from storms.,” said Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs Carmen G. Cantor. “We are grateful to Congress for providing this funding and helping the Insular Areas protect these unique natural resources.”  

Projects and programs funded through the Coral Reef and Natural Resources program in fiscal year 2023 for the Insular Areas follow:   

U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) - $350,000

• Funds will support the USVI Department of Planning and Natural Resources in ongoing research to assess Coral Larval Growth and efforts to re-establish and support resilient coral colonies.

Guam - $325,000

• Funds will support the Guam Department of Agriculture’s Coral Reef Initiative for management, coordination, education, outreach, research, and regional coordination related to the protection of coral reef natural resources.

Republic of Palau - $299,994

• Funds will support Baseline Marine Habitat mapping for Palau conducted by the Coral Reef Research Foundation to understand introduced flora and fauna in Palau.

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) - $245,000

• $120,000 will support the CNMI Bureau of Environmental Control and Quality for management, coordination, education, outreach, research, and regional coordination related to the protection of coral reef natural resources.
• $125,000 will support the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance Tasi-Watch program.

All Territory Participation in the National Coral Reef Management Fellowship Program

• $213,000 has been awarded to support a new cohort of fellows for American Samoa, the CNMI, Guam, and the USVI in the National Coral Reef Management Fellowship program. The program also includes fellows for Florida, Hawai’i, and Puerto Rico who are funded through NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program. Managed by the Nova Southeastern University’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, the fellowship provides state and territorial coral reef management agencies with highly qualified individuals whose graduate-level education and work experience meet each jurisdiction’s specific needs, while providing the individual fellows with professional experience in coastal and coral reef resources management.  

The CRNR is a discretionary program, and only provides funding for needs and training related to coral reef resource management and combatting invasive species in the Insular Areas. Other similar discretionary programs funded by OIA are the recently announced Maintenance Assistance Program and the Technical Assistance Program, portions of which were announced by Secretary Haaland on her recent trip to the Pacific.

Funds under these discretionary programs are distributed through a competitive grant application process that is open for applications each year in October on grants.gov under CFDA 15.875. 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 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. 

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