A federal agriculture appropriations bill expected to become law contains $34 million largely devoted to Hawai�i 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 Hawai�i, though a few of the initiatives also include Alaska and other areas outside the state that would share in the spending.