The purpose of the forest health program is to protect forest resources from significant lossof economic, ecological or aesthetic value due to insects, diseases, other stressors and unknowncauses

Federal Grant Award Summary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Region 9 (Eastern Region), awarded $107,510 to the Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation Vermont on July 16, 2025, under the Forest Health Protection program (CFDA 10.680). The grant funds statewide detection surveys and responsive inquiries to evaluate invasive species locations and expansion throughout Vermont, with particular emphasis on delimiting the extent of elm zigzag sawfly populations and providing management recommendations to the public. The project will operate through September 1, 2029, supporting comprehensive forest health monitoring and invasive species management activities across Vermont's non-federal forest resources.

The funding enables the awardee to conduct surveillance activities and develop evidence-based mitigation strategies to prevent significant economic, ecological, and aesthetic losses to Vermont's forest resources. By combining detection survey methodologies with public outreach and management guidance, the project addresses the Forest Health Protection program's core objectives of monitoring forest health threats and implementing integrated pest management approaches on non-federal lands. These deliverables align with the program's emphasis on early detection and rapid response to invasive forest pests that pose ongoing threats to regional forest ecosystems.

Invasive species are a constant and continual threat to forest resources, and this funding will help ensure that we are poised to prevent, monitor and respond to this threat. The purpose of this award is to utilize detection surveys and respond to inquiries to evaluate invasive species locations and expansion within vermont. Of particular concern currently is the spread of ELM zigzag sawfly in the state. These funds will support statewide surveys to delimit theextent of ELM zigzag sawfly and provide management recommendations to the public.