Invasive Species Control and Upland Restoration

The summary for the Invasive Species Control and Upland Restoration 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.

Invasive Species Control and Upland Restoration: Unique Qualifications - The applicant is uniquely qualified to perform the activity based upon the specific need in which the work is accomplished. Eligible applicant is limited to the American Conservation Experience. The American Conservation Experience (ACE) program provides the needed service by utilizing youth hand crews that are both efficient, economical, and "shovel ready". Invasive species pose a serious threat to the health and integrity of natural communities on all Refuges within Arizona. An integral part of the invasive species program is the use of hand crews. Hand crews can work in areas where it is not possible or practical to use heavy equipment or aerial spraying. Hand crews can be used to re-treat and maintain restoration sites, to treat new infestations, plant and restore native landscapes, to work in fragile habitat, and to reach areas not readily accessible to heavy equipment or aircraft. ACE crews provide an effective economical means to meet this need and they benefit by gaining valuable work experience. ACE crews have also been successfully used by the National Park Service on a variety of different projects. Project and Purpose - The principal purpose of this agreement is to restore native habitat within the historic floodplain of the Lower Colorado River, upland deserts, and other areas within the state of Arizona. A majority of the restoration efforts will occur on Refuges within the Southwest Arizona National Wildlife Refuge Complex (Cibola, Imperial, and Kofa), however, other smaller projects will take occur on Refuges across the state. Restored sites will mimic historic landscape conditions including upland desert sites, cottonwood-willow gallery forests, and riparian type habitat. ACE crews will work toward restoration that benefits the habitat needs of threatened and endangered species, and will help reduce invasive plant distribution within the state. An array of resident and migratory bird species, mammals, reptile, and amphibian species will benefit from the restored habitat conditions. In addition, restored sites will create wildlife corridors and facilitate recolonization of native fauna in previously restored sites. Further, establishment of native vegetation will increase aesthetic values and decrease soil erosion.