(BIVN) – The imperiled United States Forest Service Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry in Hilo was celebrated on Wednesday by elected officials in Washington hoping to save the federal research facility from shutdown.
A bicameral resolution recognizing the 70th anniversary of IPIF was introduced by the Hawaiʻi Senators and Representatives, as well as a Delegate from the Northern Mariana Islands.
The resolution comes as the Trump administration considers closing the IPIF as part of a broader effort to close the majority of U.S. Forest Service research facilities. Senator Mazie Hirono (D, Hawaiʻi) pressed U.S Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz on the issue last week.
Hirono has joined fellow U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D, Hawaiʻi), as well as U.S. Representatives Jill Tokuda (D, Hawaiʻi) and Ed Case (D, Hawaiʻi), and U.S. Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds (R-MP) in backing the resolution.
The IPIF has been serving the Pacific region since 1956, and “is uniquely equipped to study and monitor forests in real time, which promotes conservation, helps to lower costs, and prepares communities for natural disasters,” a news release stated. The research facility not only covers Hawaiʻi, but also the U.S. territories of Guam and American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and through the Compact of Free Association, the nation-states of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.
From the news release by the office of Senator Hirono:
“The State of Hawaii and the U.S. islands across the Pacific Ocean are home to forests with hundreds of native species found nowhere else in our country. For 70 years, The Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry has conducted research and developed solutions to address some of our native forests’ most pressing threats, such as Rapid Ohia Death,” said Senator Hirono. “As this regime continues to attack scientific research at every turn, I will continue fighting for facilities including IPIF that work every single day to ensure that our native forests have a future.”
“There’s no substitute for the research and expertise that Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry has cultivated over 70 years, working to tackle some of the trickiest challenges in Hawaii’s environment, including Rapid Ohia Death. As a warming planet threatens our forests and ecosystems, now is the time to deepen our investments in IPIF, not retreat from it,” said Senator Schatz.
“The Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry is more than a research hub; it is where scientific innovation meets our deep-rooted commitment to stewardship of our aina,” said Representative Tokuda. “For seven decades, the IPIF team has worked to protect the native species that make our islands unique, ensuring our forests and watersheds remain resilient for future generations. Having this hub on Hawaii Island is essential to connecting federal support to the pacific island forest researchers and communities who need it.”
“Native Hawaiians teach that our forests are essential to all life and embrace a deep sense of responsibility to sustain and protect all that is the wao nahele,” said Representative Case. “The IPF has fulfilled its kuleana for our own special and unique forests with deep commitment and true love for seven full decades. I join with my delegation colleagues in recognizing and appreciating its dedication to preserving and protecting our forests and their critical role in lessening climate change, providing an ecosystem for plants and wildlife, and securing a supply of fresh water vital to sustaining life.”
As an illustration of the IPIF’s importance beyond Hawaiʻi, the news release included a statement from the Republican U.S. Delegate representing the Northern Mariana Islands, Kimberlyn King-Hinds.
“IPIF’s 70-year legacy underscores the importance of sustained investment in Pacific research institutions that serve not only Hawaii and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, but also the other Pacific territories and the Freely Associated States,” said Rep. King-Hinds. “For thousands of years, Pacific peoples have maintained an ancient and enduring connection to these islands and their natural environment. This work helps carry that stewardship forward by strengthening resilience across our island communities, improving disaster preparedness, and protecting the natural resources that sustain our way of life.”
