Sponsors (2)
The bill delivers multi-year, targeted federal funding and improved access for Hawaiian conservation projects—boosting habitat restoration, community training, and transparency—but creates ongoing federal spending, new reporting and matching requirements, and program rules that may strain small groups and limit administrative flexibility.
Native Hawaiian organizations, state and local governments, nonprofits, businesses, and universities gain sustained, dedicated funding (via a $30M/year appropriation) and eligibility to receive grants for conserving Hawaii's native species, enabling ongoing conservation work and program stability.
Small-scale local projects, youth workforce-readiness efforts, and Native Hawaiian organizations can receive full federal funding (including grants under $50,000), reducing or eliminating local match barriers and increasing access for community-led and apprenticeship-style projects.
Program design features—annual evidence-based priority-setting, interagency coordination, and a 5% cap on administrative spending—should focus funding on effective conservation work and keep a larger share of each appropriation directed to grants and activities.
The bill creates a recurring federal obligation ($30 million per year for 10 years) that increases federal spending and could contribute to budget pressure over the decade.
Federal reporting and compliance requirements—including detailed annual project reporting and administration by the Department of the Interior—will increase administrative burdens and costs for grant recipients (nonprofits, state/local governments) and for the administering agency.
Default limits on federal share (federal funds generally covering at most 75% of project costs), the 'supplement, not supplant' rule, and a minimum 5% set-aside for small/youth/Native Hawaiian projects may force difficult local matches, complicate budgeting, and reduce funding available for larger multi-year conservation projects.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Introduced March 5, 2025 by Brian Emanuel Schatz · Last progress March 5, 2025
Creates a federal grant program to fund projects that protect, restore, and monitor native Hawaiian plants, fungi, and animals. The Interior Secretary (through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) must set up the program and award grants, microgrants, and cooperative agreements to eligible Hawaii entities, with federal cost-sharing, annual priorities, and reporting to Congress. Authorizes $30 million per year for ten years and limits administrative spending to 5% of each year’s funds. The program emphasizes invasive species control, habitat restoration, climate resilience, scientific monitoring, workforce readiness for youth, and consultation with Native Hawaiian organizations, while keeping most grants at a 75% federal share but allowing specific exceptions with 100% federal funding.