Eradication of Spartina densiflora on Humboldt Bay NWR

The summary for the Eradication of Spartina densiflora on Humboldt Bay NWR grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the Fish and Wildlife Service, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

Eradication of Spartina densiflora on Humboldt Bay NWR: This agreement is being implemented in order to carry out the Large Invasives allocation for eradication of extant Spartina densiflora in Humboldt Bay NWR. The Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District will act as the lead agency, in collaboration with the Refuge. This project will benefit the public by restoring ecosystem services in salt marshes that were previously invaded by Spartina. Salt marshes provide many ecosystem services, including erosion control, flood protection, wildlife habitat, water quality improvement, and are the basis for the estuarine intertidal food web. Invasion by Spartina alters sedimentation rates, alters estuarine productivity and reduces species diversity. Species diversity increases the resilience of the marsh and its ability to recover from catastrophic events such as storms, tsunamis, and tectonically caused sea level change, which is characteristic of the project area. Spartina is also beginning to colonize the mudflat, which causes loss of invertebrate habitat. These invertebrates provide a major food source for the migratory and resident shorebirds in our area. The mudflats are also vital to our local aquaculture industry.