The Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs awarded a $560,436 Project Grant under the Economic, Social, and Political Development of the Territories program (CFDA 15.875) to the Office of the Governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The grant will fund a one-year project to implement proactive measures for Little Fire Ant (LFA) detection and mitigation in the CNMI, thereby preventing severe biodiversity loss, crop damage, ecosystem degradation, and potential health risks. The project will be executed in five phases, including conducting a comprehensive erosion impact study, developing a nature-based architectural and engineering design for erosion mitigation, implementing native ecosystem restoration, and promoting long-term ecosystem sustainability through collaboration with CNMI Forestry to expand native seed resources. Key performance measures include establishing 75% survival of planted native vegetation, a 50% reduction in erosion rates, and stabilizing vulnerable shorelines using native vegetation and seabed structures.
Generated 3/4/25, 6:28 AM