Attendees at the ceremony included U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Lori P. Dando, FSM Department of Foreign Affairs Deputy Secretary Jane Chigiyal, Department of Resources and Development representative Mark Kostka, Australian Ambassador Martin Quinn, Japanese Ambassador Ichiro Suzuki, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Weidong, Pohnpei State Agriculture Chief Adelino Lorens, members of the College of Micronesia-FSM Cooperative Research and Extension, College of Micronesia-FSM Department of Agriculture, and representatives of the non-government community and international organizations based in Pohnpei.
USDA-NRCS works with landowners, local conservation districts, government agencies and other environmental entities through conservation planning and assistance to benefit the soil, water, air, plants, and animal for productive lands and healthy ecosystems. In addition, the NRCS FSM Field Office has produced digitized soil surveys for the four FSM states, designed piggery waste management systems, assisted in the sakau “Grow Low” campaign, provided soils assessments to the outer islands, conducted soils and hydrology workshops, and promoted reforestation through seedling distribution.
In her remarks, DCM Dando noted that “I am proud that this unique and valuable organization is part of the U.S. Mission to the FSM and that its technical assistance and expertise is available, free of charge, to FSM residents through their national, state and local governmental agencies and organizations.” Speaking on behalf of Ambassador Prahar, Dando highlighted the “direct, positive impact NRCS has on the FSM community.” Whether through its youth gardening initiatives, technical assistance and computer donations to the COM-FSM Agriculture Department, or collaboration with its conservation partners, NRCS displays a “continued effort to promote a sustainable future in the FSM.”
On behalf of the NRCS FSM Field Office, Director Paul Lake noted that “over the course of about twenty years that NRCS has been in the FSM, [I and] my predecessors have worked to improve conditions by working with the national, state, and local partners, including all of you here today.” Highlighting NRCS’s previous and ongoing efforts to conserve soil, water, air, plants, and animals, Lake mentioned the FSM Field Office’s collaborative efforts with specific entities: Pohnpei State Environmental Protection Agency, Pohnpei State Department of Agriculture, Department of Forestry, Soil and Water Conservation District, and Invasive Species Taskforce of Pohnpei, COM-FSM Cooperative Extension Service, the International Organization for Migration, the World Health Organization, Island Food Community of Pohnpei, Pohnpei Farmers’ Association, The Nature Conservancy, and the Conservation Society of Pohnpei.
Following Lake’s remarks, appreciation was expressed by FSM National, Pohnpei State, and NGO Conservation Partners: R&D Representative Mark Kostka, Agriculture Chief Adelino Lorens, and CSP Executive Director Patterson Shed.
At the program’s conclusion, DCM Dando, Deputy Secretary Chigiyal, and Resource Conservationist Lake participated in a ribbon cutting officially opening the new facility.
