Invasive Species Eradication Funding Opportunity | F24AS00320

Opportunity Information: Apply for F24AS00320

The Invasive Species Eradication Funding Opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number F24AS00320) is a U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) grant program administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) that supports projects aimed at fully eliminating invasive species populations from clearly defined areas. It is framed around the idea that while long-term control is often the only realistic outcome once an invasive species spreads, there are still many situations where true eradication is feasible and delivers major ecological, economic, and cultural benefits. The program emphasizes that eradication is hardest and most expensive after an invasion becomes widespread, so it prioritizes strategic, well-planned efforts that have a strong likelihood of success and durable results.

A central feature of the opportunity is its focus on integrated pest management (IPM) and collaboration. IPM is described as a decision-driven approach that uses biological, cultural, physical, and chemical methods in combinations that reduce risks to people, the environment, and the economy. Applicants are expected to show that they are using the best available tools and making well-informed choices about methods, timing, monitoring, and long-term prevention. Because reinvasion is a major reason eradication attempts fail, the opportunity strongly points toward coordinated work with state, local, Tribal, territorial, federal, and private land and water managers, along with robust biosecurity, monitoring, and shared implementation where it makes sense.

This program is not limited to field operations. It also funds research and development that can make eradication more achievable in the near term, especially where practical tools do not yet exist or need improvement. Eligible research can include studies that advance genetic interventions and the development or refinement of physical, mechanical, chemical, or biological eradication tools. The underlying expectation is that science and technology should be leveraged to improve success rates and reduce the chance that an eradicated population simply returns.

The notice provides examples that illustrate the kinds of projects the program is trying to stimulate. One example is eradication of invasive Cenchrus annual grasses on Nihoa in Hawaii, where a small infestation rapidly expanded, triggering an eradication response combining physical removal, chemical treatments, intensive monitoring, and strict biosecurity to prevent reintroduction. Another example highlights research and field evaluation of YY male technology for invasive fish management, where stocking YY males in combination with mechanical or chemical suppression can skew reproduction and potentially drive a population to collapse, with some smaller systems nearing documented eradication. These examples are meant to show both ends of the spectrum the program supports: immediate on-the-ground eradication and research that strengthens eradication tools.

The funding is tied to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), specifically the Ecosystem Restoration provision in Section 40804, which directed DOI to invest in invasive species detection, prevention, eradication, and related research, including grants that can be used on both federal and non-federal lands. The opportunity also aligns with DOI policy on invasive species management (524 DM 1) and supports Goal 4 of DOI's Invasive Species Strategic Plan (2021-2025), which centers on cost-effective control or eradication to reduce impacts and restore ecosystems. Applicants are encouraged, where relevant, to connect their work to DOI "Keystone Initiatives" that target large-scale restoration priorities (including Gravel to Gravel, Grasslands, Hawaiian Forest Birds, Klamath Basin, Sagebrush Ecosystem, Saltmarsh, and Appalachia).

A key program requirement is how it defines "eradication" for eligibility and evaluation. Eradication is not simply reducing numbers or suppressing impacts; it is the removal or destruction of an entire invasive population within a geographically defined area. The area must be sufficiently isolated from other populations so it is not naturally connected through dispersal, and it must be bounded by natural or human-made barriers that are effective enough to prevent reinvasion. Projects are expected to verify outcomes through monitoring and inventories. The opportunity is open to eradication of newly introduced terrestrial species (founding populations) and eradication of established aquatic or terrestrial infestations where eradication is still realistically achievable, recognizing that late-stage eradication can work but typically requires targeted investment and a well-structured IPM strategy.

This opportunity is also explicitly distinguished from the Rapid Response Fund for Aquatic Invasive Species (separate notice F24AS00175). If the project is an early detection/rapid response effort for a newly detected aquatic invasive species, the rapid response program is the intended route. By contrast, this eradication opportunity can support terrestrial eradication even when newly detected, can support eradication of established aquatic or terrestrial populations when eradication is plausible, and can support research that improves eradication tools across both aquatic and terrestrial contexts.

From an applicant and community-impact standpoint, proposals should clearly explain how the work advances DOI's mission, especially by protecting vulnerable, high-priority, or protected species and places, and by enabling follow-on outcomes such as habitat restoration or recovery of threatened and endangered species once the invasive population is removed. The notice also encourages proposals that serve underserved or historically disadvantaged communities, stating that these benefits may be considered during review. Eligibility is described as unrestricted in the listing, but federal entities are specifically not eligible to receive funding under this opportunity.

The opportunity is a discretionary environmental grant (CFDA 15.608) offered by the Fish and Wildlife Service. The posted award ceiling is $1,000,000 per award. The original closing date listed is May 27, 2024, and the opportunity was created March 26, 2024. Overall, the program is designed to fund high-confidence eradication projects and practical, near-term tool development, with an emphasis on measurable eradication outcomes, strong partnerships, thoughtful compliance planning, and strategies that prevent reinvasion after the last individual is removed.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Invasive Species Eradication Funding Opportunity" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.608.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-03-26.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-05-27. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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