2023 State and Interstate Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan Grant Program | F23AS00259

Opportunity Information: Apply for F23AS00259

The 2023 State and Interstate Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan Grant Program is a discretionary grant opportunity run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), specifically through the Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program's Branch of Aquatic Invasive Species. Its purpose is to help states (and qualifying interstate partnerships) carry out approved Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Management Plans aimed at preventing, controlling, reducing, or eliminating invasive aquatic species that threaten ecosystems, infrastructure, and public health and safety. The program is grounded in federal law: Section 4724 of the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990, as amended (16 U.S.C. 4701-4741). That law authorizes states to develop comprehensive ANS management plans, have governors submit them to the Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force for review, and then, once approved, become eligible for federal cost-share funding to implement the actions laid out in those plans.

At the core of the opportunity are the ANS Management Plans themselves. These plans are meant to be practical and action-oriented, spelling out the technical work, enforcement approaches, and financial assistance activities needed to address aquatic invasive species. They emphasize feasible, cost-effective measures that can be implemented in an environmentally sound way. In other words, this funding is not designed for general conservation work or one-off projects that sit outside a broader strategy; it is intended to pay for implementation of an existing, Task Force-approved plan that already identifies priority risks, management actions, and coordination needs.

Eligibility is limited to state governments and certain interstate arrangements. Specifically, eligible applicants include any state, or a group of states and tribes involved in an interstate organization, as long as the applicant is tied to an approved ANS Management Plan. The notice indicates that a list of currently eligible applicants is provided in an attachment (with the caveat that eligibility could change if the entity hosting an approved plan experiences an unforeseen change). Because eligibility hinges on plan approval status and how an interstate plan is hosted or administered, applicants are directed to confirm details with the appropriate agency contact listed in the program's contacts attachment.

The application process is structured in two stages, which is a key operational detail for anyone planning to apply. Stage One is called the "Preliminary National Review" and is managed by the FWS Headquarters office. This initial step uses a pre-proposal process that occurs outside of the Grant Solutions system, consistent with how the program has been run previously. For 2023, the pre-proposals are due four weeks after the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is posted, meaning prospective applicants need to be ready to move quickly once the announcement goes live. Stage Two is called the "Regional Office Review and Grant Processing" and is handled by the relevant FWS Regional Offices. Regional contacts are provided under the program administration section of the NOFO, and those offices oversee the later-stage review and the mechanics of issuing and managing awards.

In terms of funding parameters, the opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number F23AS00259, CFDA (now often referenced as Assistance Listing) 15.608, and the activity category is Natural Resources. The instrument type is a grant, and it is categorized as discretionary funding. The posted award ceiling is $130,000. The original closing date shown is August 31, 2023 (though the program also emphasizes the earlier pre-proposal timing tied to the NOFO posting, which effectively creates an earlier internal deadline for Stage One). The opportunity was created on February 15, 2023. Overall, the grant is best understood as implementation support for jurisdictions that have already done the planning work and secured ANS Task Force approval, with FWS providing cost-share dollars to help translate those approved strategies into on-the-ground prevention and control actions.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2023 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 2023-02-15.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-08-31. (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 $130,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments.

Apply for F23AS00259

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