USDA-Forest Service: High-Priority Regional Invasive Species Grant for Non-Federal Lands

Region 9 consists of: IN, DE, IL, MN, WI, MA, MD, WV, NY, MO, DC, ME, IA, PA, RI, MI, VT, CT, OH, NJ, NH

As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s (BIL) broader ecosystem restoration objective, the non-federal lands portion of the invasive species provision enables the USDA-Forest Service, States, and other agencies to strategically sustain the health of forest ecosystems or tree species with high ecological value by taking stronger action in the early phases ofthe invasion curve at regional or sub-regional scales and at points of entry. Specifically, we aim towork collaboratively to scale-up the implementation of management actions in the field for the prevention of introductions or spread, prevention of damage, early detection of introductions, rapid response and eradication of invasive forest insects, worms, pathogens, and plants. It is expected that new projects will be complementary to existing cooperative and federal forest health protection programs and will sustain high value forest ecosystems or tree species (see, e.g., multi-state priority areas identified in State Forest Action Plans (SFAPs) or Northeast-Midwest State Foresters Alliance, Forest Health Committee (NMSFA FHC) 2021 priority needs document).