F24AS00256 2024 State and Interstate Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan Grant Program | F24AS00256

Opportunity Information: Apply for F24AS00256

F24AS00256, the 2024 State and Interstate Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan Grant Program, is a discretionary grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) under the Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program, Branch of Aquatic Invasive Species. The program supports on-the-ground implementation of approved Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) management plans at the state level and for certain interstate partnerships. Its core purpose is to help states and eligible interstate entities prevent new aquatic invasive species introductions, respond to and reduce existing infestations, and limit the environmental, public health, and public safety impacts associated with nonindigenous aquatic nuisance species. The funding authority comes from Section 4724 of the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 4701-4741), as amended, which also sets the overall framework for how plans are created, reviewed, and funded.

A key requirement behind this grant program is the existence of an ANS management plan that has been reviewed and approved by the Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force. Under the Act, state governors submit statewide ANS management plans to the Task Force for approval. Those plans are meant to be comprehensive and practical, laying out the technical assistance, enforcement actions, and financial assistance activities needed to prevent, eliminate, or reduce risks posed by aquatic nuisance species. The emphasis is on feasible, cost-effective measures that can be carried out in an environmentally sound way. Once a plan is approved, the Act authorizes FWS to provide cost-share grants to support implementation of that approved plan, meaning applicants should expect to share costs rather than rely on 100 percent federal funding.

The program uses a two-stage application process. Stage One is the "Preliminary National Review," managed by the FWS Headquarters office. This first step is a pre-proposal process that occurs outside of the Grant Solutions system, consistent with how the program has been handled in prior years. For the 2024 cycle, pre-proposals are due five weeks after the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is posted, so timing is important even before a full application is prepared. Stage Two is the "Regional Office Review and Grant Processing," managed by the FWS Regional Offices. Only applicants that move beyond the preliminary national review proceed to this stage, where the regional offices handle the detailed review and the actual award processing.

Eligibility is limited to state governments, and specifically to states (or groups of states and tribes involved in an interstate organization) that have an approved ANS management plan. The NOFO notes that eligibility questions should be directed to the appropriate agency contact listed in Section G of the announcement. It also provides a list of the entities currently expected to be eligible, assuming the hosting entity for each approved plan has not changed unexpectedly. Examples include many state natural resource, environmental protection, fish and wildlife, or agriculture agencies (such as Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Arizona Game and Fish Department, and similar counterparts across most states), along with certain interstate or multi-jurisdictional plans such as the Lake Champlain Basin (hosted by Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation), the Lake Tahoe Region (hosted by Nevada Department of Wildlife), and the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway effort (hosted by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources). The presence of these interstate examples signals that the program is designed not only for single-state implementation, but also for coordinated management where waters and invasive species risks cross borders.

In terms of basic funding details provided in the source data, the opportunity is listed under CFDA (now commonly referenced as Assistance Listing) 15.608, with a natural resources funding activity category, and uses a grant as the funding instrument type. The award ceiling is listed as $150,000. The opportunity was created on February 7, 2024, and the original closing date is June 24, 2024. The listing also indicates "Expected Awards:" but the number is not provided in the supplied source text, so applicants would need to consult the full NOFO for how many awards FWS anticipates making and how funding may be distributed across regions or applicants.

Overall, this opportunity is best understood as implementation funding for already-approved invasive species management plans, rather than planning money for creating a new plan from scratch. It is structured to push applicants toward practical, cost-effective actions that align with their Task Force-approved ANS plan, with an early screening step at the national level followed by formal review and award processing through the relevant FWS regional office.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "F24AS00256 2024 State and Interstate Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan Grant Program" 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 2024-02-07.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-06-24. (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 $150,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments.

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