Five New Jobs Created in Pacific Islands for $2.8 Million Forest Initiative
University of Hawaiʻi and U.S. Forest Service partnership targets wildfire and drought resilience in five Pacific jurisdictions.
By Lorenzo Evans ·
Pacific Island landowners face mounting pressure from wildfires, drought, and severe storms. To address these threats, a new funding stream is set to deploy five dedicated forestry specialists across the region.
The Pacific Forest Resilience Program allocates $2.8 million to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service. The funds will support five junior extension agents employed through the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience. These agents will serve in 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 the five positions open on November 9, 2026. The selected agents are scheduled to begin their assignments by May 2027. An informational webinar regarding the roles and the program is scheduled for November 18 at 2 p.m. Hawaiʻi time.
The program aims to support the implementation of existing Forest Action Plans in the participating jurisdictions. Ashley McGuigan, the program lead and CTAHR extension specialist, stated that a regional approach allows agencies and communities to share knowledge and resources. She noted that this strategy supports locally driven efforts to sustain forests and the communities that rely on them.
The initiative will coordinate workshops, knowledge-sharing events, and educational resources. These efforts focus on practical land stewardship practices, including agroforestry, reforestation, and pest management. The program brings together the U.S. Forest Service, local agencies, and community members to share these tools.
