OIA Press Releases (2020 to Present)

Interior Provides Palau $5.4 Million under Compact, Other Grants

07/25/2017

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 25, 2017) – Interior Acting Assistant Secretary Nikolao Pula made available $5,463,578 to the Republic of Palau, most of which is the balance of remaining Compact grant assistance for fiscal year 2017.  Approximately $400,000 is provided through the technical and maintenance assistance programs in the Office of Insular Affairs to help update land surveying and mapping capabilities at the Palau Bureau of Lands and Survey and maintenance training at the Palau Community College for the next three years.

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Interior Provides $1 Million in Grants for Natural and Cultural Resource Protection in the U.S. Island Areas

07/19/2017

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 19, 2017) – Interior Acting Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas Nikolao Pula has made available $1,003,787 for natural and cultural resource protection in the U.S. Insular Areas.  The funds will support a wide variety of initiatives which include watershed management, GIS skills development, radar monitoring and marine protected areas surveillance, youth education in conservation management, and environmental law-enforcement training.  These projects support sustainable use of natural and cultural resources in the U.S. territories and freely associated states.

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Interior Provides $4 Million to Help U.S. Island Territories Eradicate Invasive Species

07/17/2017

This week Interior Acting Assistant Secretary Nikolao Pula has made available approximately $4 million for several invasive species prevention and control initiatives in the U.S. Insular Areas.  Funding has been provided to continue support in controlling the brown tree snake; to combat infestations of the Lopa tree; to reduce impacts of invasive birds and restore wetland areas; and to combat infestations of the little fire ant.

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Interior Provides $250,000 in Technical Assistance Grant Funding to the U.S. Virgin Islands for New CPI

07/11/2017

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – (July 11, 2017) The Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs has awarded the U.S. Virgin Islands a $250,000 grant for the development and implementation of a 2017 Consumer Price Index (CPI).  U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke presented the grant award to Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands Kenneth E. Mapp during their meeting at Interior Headquarters on Monday. Secretary Zinke met previously with Governor Mapp during the USVI Centennial Commemoration in March.

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Interior Provides Nearly $ 1 Million in FY 2017 Grant Funding to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

07/06/2017

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 6, 2017) – This week Interior Acting Assistant Secretary Nikolao Pula has made available $994,711 to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) to improve water distribution, waste management, and hospital billing services. One grant was provided for a joint government/non-profit partnership to improve efforts in addressing and prosecuting sexual violence cases.

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