A program to improve natural and cultural resources on Lanai will fund four more projects, which include remote imaging of reefs and documenting stories from residents about caring for the land.

Organizers of the Kuahiwi a Kai program awarded $471,000 to the four projects, which come with $547,000 in matching funds for a $1 million total impact.

The program, meaning “mountain to ocean,” was established in 2019 by the nonprofit National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in partnership with Pulama Lanai, a firm formed by billionaire Larry Ellison after he bought 98% of the island in 2012.

An initial round of grant awards was made last year as part of the five-year program.

To date, 12 projects have received roughly $1.5 million and come with $1.2 million in matching funds.

This year’s biggest grant was for $249,347 and went to Pono Pacific Land Management for installation of an initial segment of fencing to control invasive deer and sheep. Pono is providing $126,800 for the project, and received a $19,017 Kuahiwi a Kai grant last year to create a fencing plan.

Another funded project related to ungulates is a community-based hunting program to be developed by the Lanai Culture &Heritage Center, which received $95,720 from the program boosted by $173,100 in matching funds.

The two other projects funded this year are a video documentary to be made by local filmmaker Anthony Pacheco working with Lanai students to capture stories from residents about land conservation, and high-resolution reef imaging from the air by the University of Miami in partnership with NASA.

In between the first and second rounds of annual awards, the program awarded $91,000 to Maryland-based nonprofit Ridge to Reefs for reducing pollution runoff into the ocean, and a $450,002 grant to Pulama to protect more than 40% of known Hawaiian petrel burrows on the island in an 85-acre area with predator-proof fencing.

The pollution reduction project comes with $90,000 in matching funds, while the bird habitat fencing project comes with $634,000 in matching funds.

Kurt Matsumoto, Pulama president, said in a statement that the new round of award recipients strikes a good balance between technology-based research, on-the-ground work and community engagement that will encourage a greater sense of stewardship for Lanai lands.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation on this landmark restoration project that will help build a sustainable future for our island and people,” he said.