In June, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland was a keynote speaker at the Hawaiʻi Conservation Conference in Honolulu. With partners from the Office of Insular Affairs and the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations, the Pacific Islands CASC helped support Secretary Haaland’s visit around the island of Oahu and Hawaiʻi.  

In Oahu, PI-CASC and partners guided Secretary Haaland to Paepae and Kākoʻo ‘Ōiwi on the windward (eastern) side of the island where she learned about ongoing community restoration efforts and co-management projects. Then, in Hilo on the island of Hawaiʻi, the secretary visited the site of a new USGS Integrated Research Center that will be built at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and will also house the USGS’s Pacific Islands Ecosystem Research Center. By building it on a campus, the hope is that students will have more opportunities to interact with ongoing scientific research and conservation activities.  

During her trip, Secretary Haaland emphasized her commitment to helping climate change adaptation efforts, elevating the voices of Native Hawaiians, and supporting community-led conservation activities.