Infrastructure investment and jobs act invasive species grant program supports on-the-ground response to the nation s significant invasive species problem by providing funding for integrated pest…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Region 1 (Northern Region), awarded $281,000 to the Montana Department of Agriculture under the Forest Health Protection program (CFDA 10.680) on September 10, 2025, to support integrated pest management (IPM) and invasive species management activities through August 31, 2030. The Montana Department of Agriculture will deliver on-the-ground response and active management actions addressing invasive species threats across three priority areas: non-federal land investments (state, private, and tribal forestry), federal land investments (National Forest System lands), and research and development initiatives.

The grant funds forest health protection deliverables designed to reduce wildfire risk by decreasing tree mortality, decline, and highly flammable invasive plant proliferation; increase timber production by maintaining forest health and sawlog quality; preserve forest aesthetics for recreation; and enhance public safety through hazard tree mitigation. As a multi-year project, the award acknowledges that comprehensive forest threat treatments cannot be completed within a single fiscal year due to treatment windows and staffing constraints. These efforts align with national active forest management priorities and leverage Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding to strengthen forest resilience and resource protection across Montana's diverse forestland ownership types.

Infrastructure investment and jobs act invasive species grant program supports on-the-ground response to the nation s significant invasive species problem by providing funding for integrated pest management on non-federal and federal land. This grant program supports active management actions across three deputy areas: state, private and tribal forestry (non-federal land investments); national forest system (federal land investments); and research and development. Deliverables from this grant program endeavors to address agency priorities to reduce wildfire by decreasing tree mortality/decline and highly flammable invasive plants, increase timber production by improving and maintaining forest health to maximize the quantity and quality of sawlogs, provide for recreation by minimizing decline in forest aesthetics, and increase safety by minimizing hazard trees. The program is consistent with the national active forest management priorities. This is a multi-year project as treatments can't all be accomplished in a single-year due to forest threat treatment windows and staffing limitations.