The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) continues to advance the protection of Papua New Guinea’s rich biodiversity with $466,983 in new grants. These funds will reduce threats to biodiversity, strengthen traditional landowners’ rights, and promote women’s economic empowerment. “Conserving PNG’s natural heritage comes at a critical time when biodiversity faces grave threats around the world, with critical species and habitats threatened at alarming rates,” said U.S. Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu Erin E. McKee at an event to announce these awards. Each grant recipient will receive resources and support under USAID’s Lukautim Graun biodiversity project. Activities will be implemented in the Bismarck Forest Corridor, which includes the provinces of Eastern Highlands, Jiwaka, Madang, Morobe and Simbu. Grant recipients include the Centre for Environmental Law and Community Rights Inc. (CELCOR), Outspan PNG Ltd, and three other organizations yet to be announced. In January 2020, the U.S. government launched the five-year, $22 million USAID Lukautim Graun project to reduce threats to Papua New Guinea’s rich biodiversity with a focus on customary lands and waters in exceptional biodiversity areas. The project is designed to equip and empower women entrepreneurs with the skills to run their own businesses, particularly in natural resource-based industries. These small grants to local and international civil society organizations will protect biodiversity, enable and empower women in natural resource management and entrepreneurship, and strengthen the ability of traditional landowners to manage the natural resources under their care. These grants will complement efforts in current project sites and additional geographic areas. In Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands, USAID partners with host country governments, development partners, the private sector, academia, civil society, and others to have a greater development and humanitarian impact. Today, USAID focuses on combating COVID-19, public health, climate change, biodiversity, good governance, economic growth, energy, infrastructure, disaster risk reduction, and digital connectivity. Please visit us at: https://www.usaid.gov/pacific-islands