American Samoa in line for NOAA and DOJ grants

Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is welcoming a grant of $591,594 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for coral reef preservation efforts, and congratulating the American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources.

On Wednesday, NOAA announced their nationwide Coral Reef Conservation funding for 2021, including this grant for American Samoa for the coral reef conservation cooperative agreement. 

 “Congratulations to the entire Department, Director Taotasi Archie Soliai, and everyone involved locally in this important planning and process,” said Congresswoman Amata. “Thank you for all your work focused on our beautiful island ecosystem. Thank you also to NOAA Administrator Dr. Richard Spinrad for this federal support, and for working with our local department to understand how to best achieve goals and collaborate with our island fishing traditions.” 

Just last month, Amata also co-sponsored a separate bipartisan bill that upon passage would lead to several million in funding for American Samoa’s wildlife preservation efforts and the American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources, the Recovering America's Wildlife Act (RAWA), H.R.2773.

On Wednesday, the overall NOAA nationwide announcement was over $21 million, including over $4 million among nine U.S. states and territories. Projects support management, monitoring, direct intervention strategies like coral reef restoration, and research. Reefs provide important flood protection, and are essential for some coastal and marine wildlife.

Additionally, two other grants among the nonprofits and nongovernment organizations include American Samoa in their focus, while several others generally focus on the broader Pacific region. These are through The Nature Conservancy (a nonprofit NGO), and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation as a public private partnership.

The NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program’s  mission is to protect, conserve, and restore coral reef resources by maintaining healthy ecosystem function

CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLANNING RECEIVES $400,000 DOJ GRANT

Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is welcoming a grant of $400,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Justice Programs to the American Samoa Criminal Justice Planning Agency.

“Congratulations to CJPA Director Mariana Timu-Faiai and her team, for their efforts in qualifying for these federal funds, especially as this was a discretionary and competitive grant,” Amata said. “I know this assistance will be put to good use, including supporting the employment of personnel.”

The grant program was initially authorized by Congress in the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, a legacy of long-serving, recently retired Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), and signed into law by President George W. Bush, followed by subsequent appropriations by Congress last year for the current Fiscal Year 2021, in support of the Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program.

American Samoa Criminal Justice Planning Agency will use these federal funds to retain three registry personnel who handle tracking and fingerprinting of sex offenders in its SOR program, in addition to use of these funds in other support, such as office supplies.