2021 State and Interstate Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan Grant Program | F21AS00436

Opportunity Information: Apply for F21AS00436

The 2021 State and Interstate Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Management Plan Grant Program (Funding Opportunity Number F21AS00436; CFDA 15.608) is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service discretionary grant program designed to help states and eligible interstate partnerships carry out actions identified in officially approved ANS Management Plans. The central purpose is to support practical, cost-effective work that prevents new aquatic invasive species introductions, reduces the spread of existing infestations, and lessens environmental impacts as well as public health and safety risks tied to aquatic nuisance species. The program is rooted in the idea that each state or interstate region faces different pathways of introduction and different priority species, so funding is aimed at implementing the specific mix of technical, enforcement, education/outreach, monitoring, rapid response, or other management activities that a plan lays out as feasible and environmentally sound.

A key feature of this opportunity is that it only funds implementation of management plans that have already been reviewed and approved by the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force (ANSTF). That requirement is not optional; it is a legal restriction under Section 1204 of the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990. In practice, that means applicants must represent one of the ANSTF-approved State or Interstate ANS Management Plans (noted in the notice as 44 approved plans at the time) and must coordinate directly with the Fish and Wildlife Service Aquatic Invasive Species Program. Eligible applicants include individual states or groups of states, as well as tribes when they are participating through an interstate organization tied to an approved interstate plan. If a state or interstate partnership does not have an ANSTF-approved plan, it cannot receive an award under this program, even if the proposed project itself is strong.

The grant supports cost-share funding, meaning federal dollars are intended to partner with state, tribal, or other non-federal resources to implement approved plan actions. While the notice excerpt does not spell out the match percentage, the emphasis on “cost-share grants” indicates applicants should be prepared to document how the project will be jointly supported and how the proposed activities connect directly back to the strategies, goals, and tasks in the approved ANS Management Plan. The overall expectation is that funded work will translate into real on-the-ground prevention and control outcomes, such as reducing introduction pathways, strengthening compliance and enforcement capacity, improving early detection networks, supporting coordinated response measures, and building public and stakeholder practices that reduce spread (for example, boating and equipment decontamination behaviors where relevant).

Administratively, the program uses a two-stage application process that applicants must follow. Stage One is a “Preliminary National Review” handled by the Service Headquarters office. For 2021, the pre-proposal process occurs outside of GrantSolutions, consistent with how it was handled previously. The deadline for pre-proposals is three weeks after the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is posted, so prospective applicants have a relatively short turnaround to assemble and submit an initial package for national-level screening and prioritization. Stage Two is the “Regional Office Review and Grant Processing,” managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Offices. After the applicant is advised of the final funding level (in other words, once the initial review and funding decisions clarify what may be available), the full grant application package is submitted through GrantSolutions for regional review, final processing, and award.

From the published source details, the opportunity was created on April 12, 2021, with an original closing date of July 2, 2021. The award ceiling listed is $120,000, indicating the maximum federal amount expected per award under this posting (with the understanding that final award amounts depend on appropriations, priorities, and review outcomes). The notice also flags that expected awards were not clearly specified in the excerpt provided, which typically means the number of awards can vary by year based on available funds and the volume and quality of eligible submissions.

In plain terms, this grant opportunity is best understood as implementation funding for states and interstate partnerships that have already done the planning work and secured ANSTF approval. It is not a planning grant to create a new ANS management plan; it is meant to pay for doing the work the plan calls for, with close coordination with the Fish and Wildlife Service Aquatic Invasive Species Program and a structured review process that starts nationally (pre-proposal) and ends regionally (full application and award).

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2021 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 2021-04-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-07-02. (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 $120,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for F21AS00436

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