ASG provides details on Leone Village conservation projects

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Wetland and Mangrove Restoration project in Leone Village and the Agroforestry Plant Giveaway project, funded with more than $300,0000  through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) is in line with Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga’s executive order last year, creating the American Samoa Resilience Commission and the Governor’s Resilience Office, according to an ASG official and a document for the project proposal.

During her first official visit to the territory late last month, U.S. Interior Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs Carmen G. Cantor announced during a meeting with the governor and other ASG officials an additional $389,025 in grant funding through the BIL for this project, according to a news release last month by the Governor’s Office.

And the project funding was proposed by the Governor’s Office, titled, “Spearheading Conservation in American Samoa: Wetland and Mangrove Restoration in Leone Village and Agroforestry Plant Giveaway to build resilient communities in American Samoa,” according to a copy of the proposal received by Samoa News.

The project description, according to the proposal, states that the Governor’s Office seeks funds to help, cleanup the second largest wetland ecosystem in Leone village and replant more than 1,000 mangrove seedlings and riparian tree species to restore its degraded areas of the mangrove rainforests  — approximately 20.7 acres wetland & 8.9 acres mangrove rainforests to help rehabilitate damages resulting from the 2009 Tsunami.

And the project is a partnership with the ASG Department of Agriculture (ASDOA), the First Lady of American Samoa’s office (FLOAS) School Garden Initiative, the Office of Samoan Affairs (OSA) and the local Department of Education (ASDOE) to giveaway 20,000 agriculture crops and multi-purpose trees to schools and 54 local villages.

The document notes that ASDOA has provided a new greenhouse and farm area to propagate more than 20 species of agricultural food crops, soil erosion control species, medicinal plants, cultural shrubs, indigenous wildlife favorite plants and Samoan heritage trees which include Togo-mangrove species, Vetiver grass, Ulu-breadfruit, Taro, Moringa tree, U’a-paper mulberry, Lega-tumeric, Ifilele-Intsia bijuga, Koko-cocoa, Asi tree-Syszygium inophylloides, avocado, O’a-Bishofia javanica, lemon trees, papaya, etc.

Through the grant funds the Governor’s Office is to establish healthy wetland ecosystems in Leone by removing wastes and replanting disturbed mangrove areas with red and oriental mangrove seedlings and other useful tree species, increasing carbon sequestration and to significantly minimize the amount of sediment influx to the coral reefs, which will safeguard marine life and their critical habitats.

Additionally, it is to enhance community climate adaptation and resilience by giving away 20,000 agricultural crops, fruit trees and multi-purpose native seedlings that are salt resistance, that can withstand natural disasters to help increase our food bank and protect terrestrial and aquatic ecological habitats in American Samoa.

Furthermore, the funds support the governor’s creation of the Resilience Commission and the Governor’s Resilience Office to “ensure the protection, adaptive capacity, resilience, and well-being of the islands and residents of American Samoa” from the “impacts of global climate change.”

One of the requirements for USDOI grant applications is to include letters of support from community members demonstrating their interest in such conservation projects, according to an ASG official. Reps. Andra Tereise Samoa and Samuel Ioka Ale Meleisea submitted letters of support.

Writing on behalf of her Leone village and as a former coordinator for the Restoration of Leone Village Coastal Wetland Project (2012-2017), Rep. Samoa says she strongly supports this project to establish a healthy wetland ecosystem, and an agro-forestry nursery as well as promoting traditional trees and plants for the preservation of our culture, history and arts as well as food security, soil erosion control, species control, medicinal plants, indigenous wildlife favorite plants and Samoan heritage trees.

She points out that the Leone mangrove swamp contains “a rich and diverse flora and fauna and noteworthy socio-economic and cultural values. Leone consists of a shallow sea bay separated from the ocean by a fringing reef with extensive intertidal mudflats, the estuaries of three streams and an important area of mangrove forest.”

“Our world is becoming more interconnected with the adverse effect of climate change, global warming and acidification,” she said. “What happens in the Arctic and Antartica areas far away causes a change in our fragile infrastructure. Climate change knows no boundaries.”

“What occurs in the Eastern side of our island will be felt on the Western side with regards to air and ocean currents,” she pointed out. “I cannot stress how important it is for all of us to work together and as a passionate environmentalist, I urge your support of funding such a critical project.”

In his letter of support, Rep. Meleisea pointed out that climate change continues to be the most pressing issue for the Pacific islands in the 21st century and American Samoa is at the forefront of rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and an ever-changing climate landscape.

“The wetlands are the buffer zones between the sea and land. Ensuring the health and wellness of our local wetlands will protect our coasts, sea-life, native coastal forests, and the Samoan cultural traditions that tie it all together,” he said. “In order to keep those traditional ties between Samoan culture and our wetlands vibrantly alive, the plant giveaway seeks to pass on that legacy onto the next generation of Samoan stewards.”

Samoa News will report later in the week, the timeline outlined in the proposal and other pertinent information on the proposal.