ChangeMakers Hawaiʻi in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) proudly announces its receipt of more than $1.3 million in funding from the NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) for the pioneering Hiʻiaka Function Project.
The Hiʻiaka Function Project sets out on an ambitious journey to combat climate change by fostering healthy soil that actively captures and stores carbon. This initiative harnesses the power of biochar to revitalize soil health while locking in carbon emissions on Hawaiʻi Island.
“We are excited to be partnered with the USDA, Blueprint for Change and Yummet in order to utilize biochar to create healthy soil on Hawaiʻi Island,” says ChangeMakers Hawaiʻi Founder Olani Lilly. “The Hiʻiaka Function Project is not only an investment in our land but also in the future resilience of our agricultural practices, ensuring a more sustainable and climate-resilient future for Hawaiʻi.”
The overarching aim of Hiʻiaka Function is threefold:
- Educational Empowerment: By the end of year one, the project aims to establish an educational program specifically tailored for Native Hawaiian organizations and farmers, emphasizing the benefits and utilization of biochar.
- Workforce Development: By the close of year two, Hiʻiaka Function endeavors to build a proficient workforce skilled in creating, distributing, and measuring the efficacy of biochar in the soil, directly aiding Native Hawaiian organizations and farmers.
- Impact Expansion: Over a five-year period, the project targets the distribution of biochar to 20 Native Hawaiian organizations and farmers suffering from degraded soil, facilitated through NRCS financial assistance contracts.
In 2023, NRCS, fueled by the Inflation Reduction Act and the Farm Bill, invested more than $1 billion in 81 RCPP projects to meet a growing demand from farmers, ranchers and stakeholders interested in implementing climate-smart agriculture and forestry. These funds drive partner-led solutions for conserving agricultural land, signaling a major leap in environmental stewardship efforts.
“Through RCPP projects like Hiʻiaka Function and our innovative partnership with ChangeMakers Hawaiʻi, we’re able to expand the footprint of conservation and climate-smart practices through public-private partnerships that cultivate collaboration and leverage collective resources,” said J.B. Martin, director of NRCS in the Pacific Islands Area. “And now more than ever, RCPP, is a game changer, providing more resources for climate-smart agriculture and forestry with increased funding from the Inflation Reduction Act which further empowers our partners to leverage their investments.”
Since inception, RCPP has made 717 awards involving over 4,000 partner organizations. NRCS will invest an unprecedented $1.5 billion in 2024 for RCCP projects. In total, the Inflation Reduction Act provides $19.5 billion over five years to support USDA’s oversubscribed conservation programs, including $4.95 billion for RCPP over five years. Visit the NRCS RCCP website here for more information.
ChangeMakers will work with Hawaiʻi Island farmers, particularly Native Hawaiian farmers to complete the RCPP application and gain access to the resources provided through the RCPP program. If interested, please complete the following “interest form” and ChangeMakers’ staff will schedule a time to talk with you about the program. Alternatively, interested land owners or operators can contact their local NRCS PIA Service Center for application information.
ChangeMakers and NRCS PIA will be accepting applications for the Hiʻiaka Function Project until September 27, 2024.
"We're thrilled to be part of the wave of innovative conservation efforts across the nation," commented Christian McAdams of ChangeMakers Hawaiʻi. "These improvements not only streamline processes but reflect a collective commitment to empowering local communities in their conservation endeavors."
Source : usda.gov