Almost $3 Million to Eradicate Invasive Species, as Part of Investing in America agenda

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced a $2.96 million investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) is a once-in-a-generation investment in the nation’s infrastructure and economic competitiveness. We were directly appropriated $455 million over five years in BIL funds for programs related to the President’s America the Beautiful initiative.

Learn more about Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for six projects that support eradication of newly introduced or established invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.

Learn more about invasive species in terrestrial or aquatic habitats throughout the United States, including U.S. territories.  The projects address a variety of invasive species including plants, rodents and other species that damage ecosystems in Alaska, California, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Washington and other areas nationwide.

“President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides an opportunity for us to invest in eradication efforts that protect our lands and waters,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams. “Completing this work is important because eradicating invasive species can result in substantial ecological and economic benefits to communities.”

The Department of the Interior is working with partners to identify, enhance and collaborate on invasive species eradication activities, build new tools and support coordinated processes to eradicate existing populations of invasive species that are harming our nation’s land, waters, and wildlife. 

These eradication activities are being implemented with Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds, and complement the Department’s National Early Detection and Rapid Response Framework, a strategy for identifying invasive species quickly and prioritizing funding decisions to address the threat before the populations take hold in a given area. 

The six projects were selected from 76 applications seeking more than $34 million in funding. They demonstrate on-the-ground efforts that eradicate an invasive species and advance research that increases the effectiveness and near-term availability of eradication tools. The projects are:

• Alaska: Advancing island ecosystem restoration – Research on Norway rat eradication on Great Sitkin Island, Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge– $448,237
• California: Argentine ant eradication to protect biodiversity and ecosystem function on Santa Cruz Island – $813,155
• Hawaiˋi: Eradication of two high-risk invasive plants from Hawaiˋi Island – $134,184
• U.S. Virgin Islands: Eradicating invasive black rats on an offshore island to benefit an endangered boa – $423,920
• Washington: American bullfrog eradication for the recovery of the federally listed Oregon spotted frog at Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge – $600,504
• Nationwide: Rapid response, early intervention and eradication of invasive fish using YY male technology – $540,000
   

Invasive species pose a significant threat to the ecological, economic and cultural integrity of America’s lands and waters and the communities they support. The geographic ranges of a number of invasive species are expanding due to climate change climate change
Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.

Learn more about climate change , and science shows invasive species are one of the biggest causes of biodiversity loss. Once established, invasive species can outcompete or even lead to the extinction of native species, reducing biodiversity and increasing vulnerability to disease and other environmental stresses. They can also lead to costly damage to infrastructure, such as roads, canals and levees. Invasive species can erode natural capital such as land, water, and forests; reducing the public’s access to ecosystem services such as water and air quality regulation, hazard mitigation, and recreation.

This announcement supports the Department of the Interior’s restoration and resilience framework to leverage historic investments in climate and conservation and promote landscape-level outcomes across the nation.

Through the President’s Investing in America agenda, the Department of the Interior is implementing a more than $2 billion investment to restore the nation’s lands and waters, which is helping meet the President’s conservation goals set through the America the Beautiful Initiative