In accordance with the commonwealth plant and animal quarantine act and the animal health protection and disease control act of the northern mariana islands, the cnmi brown treesnake interdiction…

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Lands and Natural Resources received a $550,000 Project Grant from the Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs under the Economic, Social, and Political Development of the Territories program (CFDA 15.875), effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2027. The funding supports the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Brown Treesnake Interdiction Program (BTS Program), which prevents the entry and establishment of brown treesnakes in the territory through active cargo inspections and detection operations at high-risk areas across Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.

The BTS Program delivers invasive species prevention and control services through four primary operational components: canine and visual inspections of incoming vessels and cargo; deployment of snake traps at Commonwealth ports; early detection surveys to identify potential incursions; and rapid response search operations in response to confirmed or suspected snake sightings. These activities are conducted in compliance with the Commonwealth Plant and Animal Quarantine Act and the Animal Health Protection and Disease Control Act of the Northern Mariana Islands, with operations designed to protect native wildlife and ecosystem integrity across the three primary inhabited islands.

In accordance with the commonwealth plant and animal quarantine act and the animal health protection and disease control act of the northern mariana islands, the cnmi brown treesnake interdiction program (BTS program) is responsible for preventing the entry and establishment of brown treesnakes in the cnmi through a combination of active cargo inspections and use of brown treesnake (BTS) detection tools at high-risk areas. To prevent entry and establishment of snakes into the cnmi, the program conducts canine and visual inspections of incoming vessels and cargo, employs snake traps at cnmi ports, conducts early detection surveys, and organizes rapid response searches in the event of a snake sighting.