Pacific Islands - West Leadership

Lawrence T. (Larry) Yamamoto
Director, Pacific Islands

Phone: 808.541.2600 Ext. 107
Email:  lawrence.yamamoto@hi.usda.gov

Each day every Pacific Islands - West (PI-West) employee and NRCS partner have the opportunity to make important and lasting contributions to the sustainability of our island environments. We must all move forward with confidence and pride with the realization that the progressive technical leadership we provide in working with our partners, our farmers, our island families, does make a difference in the quality of life, the quality of our island environments and the quality of our legacy to the future. Our mission to provide for the wise use and protection of the special and unique resources is an important opportunity.  As we embrace our chance to make a difference, each of us will benefit exponentially.

John H. (Bart) Lawrence
Assistant Director Operations, PI-West

Phone: 671.472.7470
Email: john.lawrence@pb.usda.gov

After 15 years in the Pacific Islands, my career with the Natural Resources Conservation Service is both rewarding and challenging. The opportunities to support and engage our island partners in conservation activities is a special opportunity that each of us, be we field staff, technical specialist, or administrative staff, play an important part. Conservation and public service is my mission and my motivation. With the PI-West team and our conservation partners, I look forward to helping to inform and shape the future of resource conservation for our Pacific islands, for our families, for our future.

Jeffrey C. Wheaton, P.E.
State Engineer

Phone: 671.472.7105
Email: jeffrey.wheaton@pb.usda.gov

The PI-West Engineering staff provides leadership and technical support in engineering aspects of planning, design, and construction for engineering features necessary to resolve erosion, flooding, water supply & management, water quality, and nutrient management problems in the PI-West. The staff is responsible for providing the engineering technical tools, training, and for formulating and recommending state technical policies to ensure sound engineering solutions for land users.

Robert T. Gavenda, Ph.D.
State Soil Scientist

Phone: 671.472.7182
Email: bob.gavenda@pb.usda.gov

The Technical Soil Services section helps people understand soils and soil survey information. Assistance includes distribution and explanation of soil survey information and products; providing soils information to support the policies and programs of other federal, state, or local agencies or units of government; providing soils information and interpretations to NRCS field office employees, conservation district cooperators, and USDA program participants in the planning of resource conservation practices and resource management systems; and providing services that supports agricultural practices, or to test and evaluate agriculture research predictions.

Pacific Southwest MLRA Region Soil Survey Office

Phone: 671.472.7182
Email: bob.gavenda@pb.usda.gov

The Pacific Southwest MLRA Office (MO-2) is responsible for leadership in the planning and managing of the soil survey program and for quality assurance. The region covers all of the Pacific Islands, most of California, and portions of other western states.

United States Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service in collaboration with national, regional and international partners will provide for the development and application of resource conservation technology appropriate for USDA-NRCS  tropical regions. This effort shall support people throughout the American affiliated tropical regions to enhance and maintain the quality of their natural resources. This effort will be based on input of local experts, stakeholders and others with experience and knowledge of tropical issues and concerns. The vehicle for this effort will be the Tropical Resource Conservation Technology Consortium (TTC).

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