AMERICAN SAMOA, Fagasa Village, Tutuila Island - January 2007
Second phase to eradicate the remaining dense stands of the destructive invasive tree (Falcataria moluccana) in the National Park of American Samoa (NPSA)
Fagasa covers approximately 500 acres and encompasses one of the largest fruit bat (flying fox) colonies on Tutuila Island. A major eradication effort is underway to eliminate the highly invasive tree species, Falcataria moluccana, from Fagasa Village and the National Park of American Samoa (NPSA). With a 2006 grant from Seacology, Fagasa Village worked with an interagency group girdling 800 large trees, which has now created a buffer zone around NPSA that is free of Falcataria seed trees. Seacology is providing funds to eliminate the remaining dense stands of Falcataria (approximately 500 trees) on Fagasa lands adjacent to the park, creating a buffer zone of about a half mile outside the park, with a goal of reducing Falcataria to a level that can be maintained by villagers and NPSA staff. *
UPDATE June 2007 - The project began in April 2007 with the hiring of five villagers to help the American Samoa National Park remove invasive trees surrounding Fagasa Village. Work is scheduled to be completed by the end of June 2007.
*Support for asterisked projects is provided fully or in part by: 
