The agreement was signed on August 5, 2025, between the U.S. Navy and the Friends of Kaua’i Wildlife Refuges, as part of a Navy-funded partnership under the Department of War (DoW), Office of the Secretary of War Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) program.
The collaborative effort blends mission readiness and environmental protection and the work is well underway. The REPI funding will: • Expand PMRF’s mōlī (Laysan albatross) egg swap program to improve fledgling survival and reduce nesting in unsafe locations. • Implement enhanced control of invasive predators to protect endangered seabirds. • Strengthen biosecurity protocols to keep invasive species out of nesting sites. • Reduce bird aircraft strike hazards on the Mana airfield at PMRF • Remove invasive plants and restore native vegetation to create higher-quality nesting habitat. • Monitor and repair fence lines at the Kaua‘i National Wildlife Refuge Complex to help protect native birds.
“Friends of Kauaʻi Wildlife Refuges is honored to serve as fiscal sponsor for this grant, which will directly serve the wildlife management programs of the Kauaʻi National Wildlife Refuge Complex,” shared Thomas Daubert, Friends of Kauaʻi Wildlife Refuge’s Executive Director. “This partnership with the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program is providing support at a key moment in the history of the Kauaʻi National Wildlife Refuge Complex.”
At Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, funding provided by the REPI grant will support the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service team in their work to manage crucial bird habitat within the new predator exclusion fence and develop operational processes that will support this work into the future.
“Together, we will be enhancing, supporting and managing key habitats for seabirds that need our kōkua (help), including the mōlī (Laysan albatross) and nēnē (Hawaiian goose),” added Mr. Daubert. At Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge, funding will also support work to manage native Hawaiian water birds, species whose overall population numbers are on the decline. Together, PMRF and Friends of Kauaʻi Wildlife Refuges are advancing conservation through science-based management, stronger community partnerships and continued dedication to balancing environmental protection with mission success.
“This partnership demonstrates one of the many efforts integrated at PMRF to protect mission readiness while restoring critical habitats and supporting Kaua‘i’s unique biodiversity,” said PMRF Commanding Officer, Captain Robert Prince. “Environmental stewardship is not separate from our mission – it’s essential to sustaining the training and operations that keep our nation secure.”
By combining habitat restoration, species management, and infrastructure improvements, the project will help ensure that federally listed and protected seabirds and water birds can successfully breed and fledge in secure, predator-free environments—while reducing risks to pilots and aircraft operating from PMRF.