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From DNA-sampling robots and invasive species maps to genetic libraries and mosquito birth control, USGS scientists are hard at work building up ecological infrastructure for the nation.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests about $5.5 billion in lands and resources entrusted to the Forest Service, including many of the landscapes and watersheds we manage together with our federal, tribal, state, private and other partners. The new funding will let us build new and increased capacity for working with partners to improve wildland fire management and repair infrastructure, both nature-based and constructed, across the national forests and grasslands.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a transformational opportunity to make an impact against the climate crisis across the country through multiple funding opportunities. It provides nearly $3 billion for NOAA to take action over 5 years in the areas of habitat restoration, coastal resilience, and weather forecasting infrastructure. NOAA will address climate risks and key impact areas, including floods, fire, drought, and extreme heat, and will build resilience in marine and coastal regions. These targeted investments will be scalable and responsive to societal needs for climate information and support and leverage partnerships. A significant portion of the funds will be issued through competitive grants to organizations to do on-the-ground work around the country.

Signed into law in November 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), also known as Public Law 117-58 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), provides ~$1.2 trillion in funding to federal agencies for work related to transportation, energy, water, internet, and natural-resources related infrastructure. This includes resources for the Departments of Agriculture (USDA), the Interior (DOI), and Commerce (DOC) that are directly or indirectly tied to invasive species management.

Provides information about South Research Station projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law This collection of project pages highlights SRS-led research - including science supporting the Wildfire Crisis Strategy - and features project goals, collaborators, and more.

President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) is a major investment in the conservation and stewardship of America’s public lands that will lead to better outdoor spaces and habitats for people and wildlife for generations to come. The law’s $1.4 billion for Ecosystem Restoration and Resilience is a significant down payment in protecting our shared natural heritage. With these resources, the Department of the Interior is collaborating with states, Tribes and local communities to invest millions of dollars annually to restore habitat connectivity for aquatic species around the country and advance habitat restoration, invasive species control, conservation of at-risk and listed species and benefits to several significant ecosystems.

Across the country, ecosystem restoration projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will advance healthy forests, detect and eradicate invasive species, invest in National Seed Strategy collection and production, restore recreation sites and National Parks and mitigate hazards on Mined Lands.
See also: DOI's BIL Project Map, which is a new interactive map to track funding invested so far from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in thousands of projects nationwide.

Aquatic invasive species cause tremendous harm to our environment, our economy, and our health. They can drive out and eat native plants and wildlife, spread diseases, and damage infrastructure. The U.S. spends billions of dollars every year to manage and control these aquatic invaders and protect the nation's waters. Although prevention is the most effective approach to eliminate or reduce the threat of aquatic invasive species,  Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR)  serves as a failsafe when prevention measures are ineffective or unavailable.

Recognizing the need for action, the U.S. Department of the Interior identified advancing a National EDRR Framework for invasive species as a priority for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding and took steps to invest in supporting components of such a framework. One such critical component was the establishment of a pilot Rapid Response Fund for Aquatic Invasive Species that can be used to assess and support response actions for quick containment or eradication of newly detected species.

Recognizing the importance of eradication outcomes in invasive species management, the Department of the Interior has announced the availability of up to $3 million in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for projects that seek to eradicate invasive species.  While control and suppression of invasive species are important in many cases, the emphasis of this funding opportunity is on eradicating them from a defined area where it is a feasible and achievable management goal.  This funding provides an opportunity for us to invest in protecting our lands and waters by removing an entire population of invasive species and supporting a balanced ecosystem.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is a historic, federal government-wide investment that furthers NOAA’s efforts to build a Climate-Ready Nation. It provides $3.3 billion for NOAA to build on its commitment to help Americans – including tribes and vulnerable populations – prepare, adapt, and build resilience to weather and climate events; improve supercomputing capacity and research on weather, oceans, and climate; strengthen NOAA’s hurricane hunter aircraft and fleet; and replace aging NOAA facilities.

Within NOAA's IRA funding, $575 million was put towards standing up the NOAA Climate Resilience Regional Challenge. The funds are available as competitive grants.

Delivering results from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. $480 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding has been announced and is headed to states, Tribes, territories and local governments. This is represented in over 60,000 projects that have been awarded funding. These projects range from repaving roads and water system upgrades funded through formula grants to states to competitive funding for massive bridge and transit projects.
See related resource: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Overview for projects related to invasive species management

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is an opportunity for the Forest Service to demonstrate we can deliver on investments and provide significant benefits to the American public. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 provides the Forest Service funding and the authority to tackle the most pressing issues. The Forest Service can make critical investments to reduce wildfire risk, restore healthy, productive forests, and improve environmental, recreation and economic infrastructure. 
See also: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Research Projects - Invasives and Invasive Species Grants: Funded Projects

Building a structure for interagency coordination to support early detection surveillance and rapid response to invasive species. Scientists and resource managers agree that preventing invasive species establishment is the most cost-effective approach to avoiding many of the long-term economic, environmental, and societal costs associated with invasive species.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) was passed in 2021, a portion of which was directed to funding invasive species detection, prevention, eradication, including research.

See also: Geonarratives for all USGS geonarrative / story map resources

Using appropriations to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58, also referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), in collaboration with other U.S. Department of the Interior bureaus, is providing grants to support implementation of measures that prevent the introduction or spread of invasive species. Proposals are requested that advance strategic, ecologically-based, landscape-level prevention measures. Landscape-level approaches are those that bring together multiple geographies, sectors, and stakeholders to protect and conserve natural resources on a larger scale.

Total funding available is $1,852,550. The USFWS anticipates funding one to four projects, ranging between $200,000 and $1,852,550. Proposals were due June 22, 2022. The anticipated award date was August 2022. Grant Opportunity - F22AS00320.

See related resource: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Overview for funding for the Departments of Agriculture (USDA), the Interior (DOI), and Commerce (DOC) that are directly or indirectly tied to invasive species management.

The National Early Detection Rapid Response (EDRR) Information System is an emerging online resource for invasive species information sharing and collaboration that serves as the information hub of the National EDRR Framework. This centralized network will improve access to existing and emerging information resources and expand collaboration to facilitate early detection and rapid response to biological threats across the nation. 
See also: SIREN: National Early Detection Rapid Response (EDRR) Information System (News Release, Apr 19, 2024)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service is awarding $16 million in strategic investment in more than 100 projects in 37 states and two territories to combat the spread of invasive species threatening ecosystems. Thanks to the Forest Health provision of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Forest Service has invested $56 million to combat invasive species since 2022.