AMERICAN SAMOA, Pago Pago Village, Tutuila Island - June 2008
Phase 3: Eradicate the dense stands of the destructive invasive tree (Falcataria moluccana), adjacent to the National Park areas of American Samoa (NPSA)
Click photo to enlarge
A major eradication effort is underway to eliminate the highly invasive tree species, Falcataria moluccana, from American Samoa. About 35 percent of the forested land of Tutuila (the main island of American Samoa) has been invaded by F. moluccana, but on-going efforts led by NPS staff have killed every large seed tree across more than 1,000 acres of the infested areas. With the support from Seacology in January 2006 and January 2007, more than 1,700 large Falcataria seed trees have been killed, and over 500 acres of native rainforest have been reclaimed in Fagasa Village and the National Park. This project would kill another 1,000 trees, reclaiming an additional 120 acres of forest. *
UPDATE January 2009 - The project began in September 2008. Seacology received photos of workers girdling trees in November 2008. The project is anticipated to be complete by early 2009.
UPDATE December 2009 - As of December 2009 project contact and NPSA staff Tavita Togia reports that the Pago Pago village crew has removed more than 1,700 mature tamaligi trees saving about 150 acres of native Samoan forest. Tavita conducted two radio interviews to inform the public about this project, one on a local radio station and one with radio New Zealand International. Because of the success of this project and the other two previous Seacology funded tamaligi control projects in 2006 and 2007, both the US Fish and Wildlife and the American Samoa's Governor Coral Reef Task Force are providing additional financial support to initiate increased tamaligi control in the area.
*Support for asterisked projects is provided fully or in part by: 
