MCT at Pacific Islands Forestry Committee Workshop

MCT's Deputy Director for Conservation and Climate Change Tamara Greenstone-Alefaio and MCT's Terrestrial Senior Grants Officer Drinnette James recently attended the annual Pacific Islands Forestry Committee Workshop (PIFC) in Hilo, Hawaii. This year’s workshop theme was: Collaboration & Cohesion for Professional Development. The 5-day meeting included Foresters, Terrestrial Resource Managers, State and National Government representatives and the United States Forest Service (USFS). MCT presented during the Capacity Panel about the recently awarded grant from the USFS Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) which includes funding for workforce development opportunities (scholarships, fellowships, internships and a knowledge management portal). The PIFC included a number of workshop sessions, presentations and field trips and was an opportunity for MCT to engage with our regional forestry and terrestrial partners.

The mission of the PIFC is to aid the Western Forestry Leadership Coalition (WFLC) and the Council of Western State Foresters in developing an informed and unified approach to meet the needs of tropical forest management in the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands. The PIFC advocates for natural resource issues and forestry managers’ needs as they relate to the management of their tropical forests. Additionally, the PIFC provides a forum for technology transfer, training, and cultural information exchange related to the unique forest management challenges of the region.