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Recent approval of the Alabama Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan opens avenues of federal funding for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR), Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division and Marine Resources Division to deal with aquatic invasive species in Alabama’s abundant waterways. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey submitted the aquatic invasive species plan to the Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force, an entity of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the recent approval means Alabama will be eligible for up to $100,000 annually to combat aquatic invasive species. Visit www.outdooralabama.com/research/aquatic-nuisance-species-management-plan for more information on the Alabama Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan.

The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee announced the release of its 2021 Asian Carp Action Plan, a comprehensive portfolio of projects focused on Great Lakes protection.

The Bureau of Land Management has released the final programmatic environmental impact statement for fuels reduction and rangeland restoration in the Great Basin. This programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) is intended to further efforts to conserve and restore sagebrush communities within a 223 million-acre area that includes portions of Idaho, Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada and Utah.

Sagebrush communities in the Great Basin are a vital part of Western working landscapes and are home to over 350 species of plants and wildlife. Intact sagebrush communities are disappearing within the Great Basin due to increased large and severe wildfires, the spread of invasive annual grasses, and the encroachment of pinyon-juniper. The Great Basin region is losing sagebrush communities faster than they can reestablish naturally. Fuels reduction and rangeland restoration treatments can reduce fire severity, increase sagebrush communities' resistance to invasive annual grasses and improve their ability to recover after wildfires.

The 2025-2030 Strategic Plan outlines a bold vision focused on science-based conservation, empowering land stewards, and advocating for strong public policies to stop the spread of invasive plants. Provides a plan summary overview, as well as the full report for a detailed breakdown of their proposed steps to achieve this vision.

Pursuant to the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (Public Law 116-9), the Department of the Interior (Interior) has released the final Interior-wide invasive species strategic plan. The Act became law on March 12, 2019. Title VII Section 7001 of the Act directs relevant Secretaries to take actions concerning invasive species. This includes the development of a strategic plan (Plan) in coordination with affected eligible States, political subdivisions of eligible States, in consultation with federally recognized Indian tribes, and in accordance with the priorities of Governors of eligible States.

The Plan sets out a vision for effectively managing invasive species through collaborative conservation to protect our nation’s environment and natural and cultural resources; economy and infrastructure; and public health. It both reflects ongoing work by Interior and its partners and leverages opportunities to respond to emerging issues.  This Plan will guide Interior’s work on invasive species in the next five years.

Pursuant to the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (Act), the Department of the Interior (Interior) is developing an Interior-wide invasive species strategic plan. The Act became law on March 12, 2019. Title VII Section 7001 of the Act directs relevant Secretaries to take actions concerning invasive species. This includes the development of a strategic plan (Plan) in coordination with affected eligible States, political subdivisions of eligible States, in consultation with federally recognized Indian tribes, and in accordance with the priorities of Governors of eligible States.

60-day Public Comment Period -- Written comments must be submitted online (via Regulations.gov) or by mail by 11:59 p.m. Eastern, October 9, 2020.

For more information, see the Federal Register notice -- Draft Invasive Species Strategic Plan; Tribal and Alaska Native Corporation Consultations, Public Listening Sessions and Request for Public Comments (8/13/20)

The Invasive Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ICRCC) announced the release of its 2022 Invasive Carp Action Plan, a comprehensive portfolio of 60 projects focused on Great Lakes protection. The Action Plan serves as a foundation for the work of the ICRCC partnership — a collaboration of 28 U.S. and Canadian federal, state, provincial, tribal, regional, and local agencies.

The Invasive Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ICRCC) is pleased to announce the release of its 2023 Invasive Carp Action Plan, a comprehensive portfolio of more than 50 projects focused on Great Lakes protection. The action plan serves as a foundation for the work of the Invasive Carp Regional Coordinating Committee partnership, a collaboration of 26 U.S. and Canadian federal, state, provincial, tribal, regional and local agencies.
See also: Action Plans and Report (see "Action Plan" section for 2023 Action Plan)

Produced by: Biological Resources Division (BRD), Invasive Plant Program (IPP) and Denver Service Center.
The NPS is working to manage invasive species on park lands through a suite of national and local programs including the NPS Invasive Plant Program (IPP). This strategic plan sets the course for the IPP by articulating a mission, vision, goals, and actions for the next ten years with near-term goals that will be reported on and revisited annually. The plan will guide annual work planning and major projects and identify and help prioritize program funding needs and initiatives.

The purpose of this toolkit is to assist local governments with navigating the regulatory framework associated with high-risk priority aquatic invasive species (AIS).
Note: In 2020, the National Sea Grant Law Center and project partner, Creative Resources Strategies, LLC, received funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct research on the role of municipalities in aquatic invasive species (AIS) prevention efforts. This project resulted in the development of an online toolkit to help local governments navigate the regulatory framework associated with high-risk priority AIS.

The National European Green Crab (EGC) Management and Control Plan was developed by a multi-agency European Green Crab Working Group for implementation by the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force following final approval.

The purpose of the 2023 EGC plan is to provide guidance for efforts to prevent future introductions, to rapidly detect and respond to new invasions of EGC before they become established and create ecological and economic damage, and to manage current populations that pose an undue threat to resources of importance for ecosystems and local cultures. The 2023 EGC plan proposes to update the 2002 plan by providing a more focused set of approaches for future management, based on significant changes in the distribution of EGC, new technologies available for identifying sources and mechanisms of spread, better information regarding the tradeoffs for different management efforts, and new methods for data management and sharing. The 2023 EGC plan also describes current strategies for coordinating the activities of scientists, resource agencies, Tribal and First Nation organizations, and other entities.

Public Comment Period -- Written comments must be submitted on or before February 9, 2024. For more information, see the Federal Register notice Draft Revised National European Green Crab Management and Control Plan (Dec 26, 2023)

Today, Environment Minister Dustin Duncan introduced the Government of Saskatchewan’s new Aquatic Invasive Species Strategy during an address to the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation’s (SWF) annual convention in Weyburn. The new framework is designed to help the province prevent, address and manage aquatic invasive species (AIS) threats. The ministry and the SWF are partners on the province’s AIS Task Force – which focuses on additional education and monitoring activities – along with other government agencies, conservation groups, non-government organizations and universities. "This strategy emphasizes the need for collaboration and co-ordination with provincial and federal government agencies, non-government organizations and neighbouring jurisdictions to prevent the introduction and spread of high-risk aquatic invasive species," Duncan said. 
See also: Aquatic Invasive Species Strategy for information about AIS and fishing

Scientists have published a series of recommendations to enable communities and managers to minimise the impact of lionfish in the Mediterranean Sea. The invasive species was first noticed off the coast of the Lebanon in 2012, with sightings since recorded as far west as Sicily, and north into the Adriatic Sea off Croatia. More entered in 2015 due to the enlargement and deepening of the Suez Canal, with their spread unimpeded due to a lack of common predators. Researchers in the UK and Cyprus have said increasing lionfish densities – combined with the species' generalist diet and consumption of ecologically and socio-economically important fish – has the potential to result in further disruption of an already stressed marine environment. They have now published a Guide to Lionfish Management in the Mediterranean [PDF, 8.0 MB], which features a series of recommendations through which they hope lionfish populations can be managed.

The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) is seeking comments on the draft "Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Strategic Plan." All individuals interested in AIS management in South Dakota have from now through December 31, 2022, to provide suggestions and comments on the revised plan in its current form. The draft AIS strategic plan can be found online at: https://gfp.sd.gov/management-plans/.

The Western Regional Panel prepared Quagga and Zebra Mussel Action Plan 2.0 to inform ongoing management and partnership efforts intended to minimize the spread and impacts from zebra and quagga mussels in the western United States. The original QZAP action items have guided prevention, containment, research, and management to address the ecological and economic impacts of invasive quagga and zebra mussels since 2009. The purpose of QZAP 2.0 is to provide a systematic and unified approach to prevent the spread of zebra and quagga mussels into and within the western United States in the future. The urgency and the need for such a coordinated approach remain as important today as ever before. Newly infested waters, increased boating pressure, and gained public and political awareness drove the need for the Western Regional Panel to acknowledge and learn from the past and set forth a new collective path towards the future. These recommendations are intended to inform decision-making to provide increased capacity and clear direction that empowers the further implementation of a collaborative and coordinated multi-jurisdictional regional strategy to prevent the spread of quagga and zebra mussels in the West. For more resources, see: Key Documents

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has released Fruit Fly Exclusion and Detection Program Fiscal Years 2024-2028 Strategy [PDF, 1.2 MB]. APHIS worked with members of the National Plant Board to develop a unified roadmap for USDA and its partners to protect American agriculture from the threat of invasive fruit flies and measure our progress along the way.
See also: Exotic Fruit Flies for more information

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Spotted Lanternfly Strategic Planning Working Group has released the Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) Five-Year Strategy for fiscal years 2024-2028 [PDF, 4.47 MB]. APHIS brought together the working group in August 2022 with representatives from APHIS, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) and the National Plant Board (NPB). The working group developed a unified approach to reduce the spotted lanternfly’s spread and impacts through the effective use of available State and Federal resources.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the National Public Health Strategy to Prevent and Control Vector-Borne Diseases in People (VBD National Strategy). As directed by the 2019 Kay Hagan Tick Act—named after the U.S. Senator who died due to complications from a tickborne illness—HHS led a four-year process with civilian agencies and defense departments to deliver this strategy. Co-led by the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the strategy identifies and describes federal priorities to detect, prevent, respond to, and control diseases and conditions caused by vectors in the United States. This VBD National Strategy represents the largest formal federal coordination effort focused on vector-borne disease prevention and control with contributions by over 50 representatives across 17 federal agencies.
See also: U.S. Health and Human Services Press Release on VBD National Strategy (Feb 6, 2024)

The Washington Invasive Species Council approved an updated statewide strategy to prevent invading plants and animals from taking hold in the state’s forests, waters and farms.

The strategy calls for a broad range of actions focusing on preventing new species from establishing here, educating the public and rapidly deploying when species are found to prevent their spread. The 5-year strategy (2020-2025) is available at Washington Invasive Species Council - Reports.