A federal agriculture appropriations bill expected to become law contains $34 million largely devoted to Hawaiçi initiatives from crop research and pest control to watershed protection and flood prevention.

The bill recently approved by the Senate is expected to be signed by President Obama, according to a press release from U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The largest single appropriation is $5 million to complete construction of the Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center in Hilo, while another $5 million is to be spent improving four watersheds on Maui and the Big Island.
There are 24 appropriations in the bill related to Hawaiçi, though a few of the initiatives also include Alaska and other areas outside the state that would share in the spending.