International Programs & Trade, Invasive Species Program
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Limiting Language
Only one application per organization will be considered.
Required Cost Share
Applicants must contribute matching funds equal to at least 20% of the Forest Service requested funds. For example, if the requested Federal amount is $100,000, the applicant match must be at least $20,000 or more. Applications that do not include this match will be deemed ineligible.
Executive Summary
The Forest Service’s International Programs and Trade (IPT) Invasive Species program protects U.S. forests, grasslands, and agricultural lands by supporting projects that improve prevention and management of invasive species impacting U.S. lands. The goal of the program is to improve management of invasive pests and to prevent or minimize new infestations in the U.S. Addressing invasive species requires international cooperation, and most projects the program supports include international collaborators, such as from the native range of invasive species currently impacting the U.S., from countries also trying to manage the same invasive pests we have in the U.S., and/or countries with whom we can share information on emerging pests and prevention strategies.
Invasive pests introduced through trade cost the United States $26 billion annually, threatening ecosystem health, biodiversity, and economic stability. Maintaining healthy, resilient forests across the U.S. is essential for the Forest Service to deliver on the President’s Executive Order (EO) 14225 “Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production” and on USDA Secretary’s Memo (SM) 1078-006 “Increasing Timber Production and Designating an Emergency Situation on National Forest System Lands”. This work also supports the Forest Service’s efforts to deliver on EO 14223 “Addressing the Threat to National Security from Imports of Timber” by limiting the spread of invasive species that might impact expanding timber harvests. It is also crucial to carrying out the President’s and USDA Secretary’s National Farm Security Action Plan, specifically to minimize biosecurity threats, safeguard plant health, and improve the resilience of America’s agriculture. USDA Secretary Brook Rollins is also prioritizing invasive species research, naming “Protecting the Integrity of American Agriculture from Invasive Species” as one of the agency’s top research priorities for 2026.
Through this NOFO, IPT’s Invasive Species program aims to support projects that advance tangible improvements in invasive species prevention by utilizing existing research knowledge on invasive species risks and pathways to produce actionable outcomes that protect American agriculture from invasive species. For example, past and current research has built important pre-invasion knowledge of problematic pests, such as through horizon scanning and monitoring ex-patria sentinel trees. We invite proposals that build upon and directly link this type of invasive species scientific knowledge to make improvements in regulatory frameworks, policies, and actions that will decrease new arrivals and establishment of invasive pests. Projects should bridge the gap between current research knowledge and concrete actions that will improve how the U.S. prevents the introduction and establishment of new invasive species.