F22AS00373 - FY2022 Implementation of the Quagga and Zebra Mussel Action Plan (QZAP) in the Western United States | F22AS00373

Opportunity Information: Apply for F22AS00373

F22AS00373 is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service discretionary grant opportunity focused on slowing and preventing the spread of quagga and zebra mussels (dreissenid mussels) across Western U.S. waters by supporting projects that implement the highest priorities of the Quagga/Zebra Mussel Action Plan for Western U.S. Waters (QZAP). The program is motivated by the rapid expansion of these aquatic invasive species in the West and by the fact that heavily used recreational reservoirs, especially those on or connected to the lower Colorado River, are a major source for new introductions. Mussels can hitchhike on trailered watercraft and be moved into uninfested lakes and rivers, so the core thrust of the funding is containment at infested waters and prevention at high-risk pathways and launch locations.

Projects must be located within the U.S. states that fall under the Western Regional Panel boundaries (as defined by the Western Regional Panel map), and the opportunity explicitly excludes Canada and Mexico. Eligible applicants are listed as unrestricted, meaning a broad range of applicants may apply, depending on standard federal grant rules and the specifics in the full notice. The funding instrument is a grant, and the activity category is natural resources (CFDA 15.608). The opportunity was created May 20, 2022, with an original closing date of August 12, 2022. The agency anticipated multiple awards, with an award ceiling of $600,000 per project, and planned to allocate about $2.25 million total in FY2022 to efforts that reduce or minimize the threat of quagga and zebra mussels in Western waters.

The RFP prioritizes work that directly addresses on-the-ground prevention and containment needs, especially actions that reduce the chance that boats leaving infested water bodies transport mussels to jurisdictions that are still mussel-free. A major emphasis is inspection and decontamination of watercraft, including improving how jurisdictions coordinate inspection and decon practices across state or other boundaries so that prevention measures are consistent and effective along travel corridors. Another key priority is protecting Western ecosystems by supporting or establishing prevention programs at identified high-risk control points, such as major launch ramps, border checkpoints, or other strategic locations where boat traffic can be intercepted. The opportunity also seeks projects that increase compliance with federal, state, local, and tribal laws related to invasive species prevention, recognizing that rules only work if boaters understand and follow them and if agencies have the capacity to implement them.

Outreach and education are also a central pillar of the program. The Service is looking for proposals that improve the effectiveness of messaging and public engagement so that prevention behaviors become more routine for boaters and other water users. In parallel, the RFP supports building capacity for early detection and rapid response, meaning investments in monitoring, surveillance, sampling, laboratory capacity, interagency response planning, and other preparedness measures that help agencies find new infestations quickly and respond before mussels become widely established. Finally, the program allows for targeted research that benefits these priorities, including practical studies that strengthen prevention and control strategies. Examples specifically mentioned include social science research that measures whether prevention messaging is working and research that evaluates non-target impacts of mussel control treatments, which is important for ensuring that management actions do not unintentionally harm native species or ecosystems.

Overall, this grant opportunity is designed to fund a limited number of higher-impact projects that meaningfully reduce spread risk, particularly from already infested hubs like the lower Colorado River system, by combining coordinated watercraft inspection and decontamination, prevention programming at high-risk access points, improved compliance, better outreach, strengthened detection and response capability, and applied research that directly informs smarter, safer, and more effective invasive mussel management in the Western United States.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "F22AS00373 - FY2022 Implementation of the Quagga and Zebra Mussel Action Plan (QZAP) in the Western United States" 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 2022-05-20.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2022-08-12. (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 $600,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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