American Samoa awarded $422,000+ for Biosecurity Projects

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — American Samoa has been awarded a total of $422,162 through the Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for fiscal year 2024.

These funds will support two biosecurity projects aimed at enhancing the territory’s environmental resilience and safeguarding biodiversity.

A press release from the governor’s office detailed projects as follows:

• ●          $365,800 has been granted to the Biodiversity Division of the Governor's Office, and the American Samoa Biosecurity Leadership Team (ASBLT) for the Fumigation and Incineration Capacity to Fill Critical Biosecurity Gaps in the American Samoa Project. This project, detailed in the July 31, 2024 proposal, will address key biosecurity challenges to protect American Samoa’s natural heritage.
• ●          $56,362 has been allocated to the Biodiversity Division for the Development of American Samoa’s Biosecurity Resilience with the First On-Island Biosecurity Training. This initiative will focus on training and strengthening biosecurity measures in the territory, as outlined in the July 31, 2024 proposal.

Governor Lemanu P.S. Mauga expressed his gratitude for the continued support of the OIA, stating, “These projects are important to the protection and sustainability of our islands' rich biodiversity. The funding provided will ensure we have the necessary tools and expertise to respond effectively to biosecurity threats."

Assistant Secretary Carmen G. Cantor, in her letter to Governor Lemanu, emphasized the importance of these initiatives, noting that the OIA is committed to supporting American Samoa in the successful implementation of these projects.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) announced funding for the Investing in America agenda that will provide the U.S. territories of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) with vital biosecurity training opportunities and projects that improve island and coastal ecosystem resilience.