The project purpose is for the vermont department of environmental conservation to support efforts in the lake champlain basin region to reduce the threats of aquatic nuisance species (ANS) found…

This federal Project Grant award, valued at $126,698, was provided by the Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 5 under the Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance (CFDA 15.608) program. The grant supports the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VT DEC) in its efforts to reduce the threats of aquatic nuisance species (ANS) found within and outside the Lake Champlain Basin region through science-based and ecologically accepted management practices.

Key activities to be performed under this grant include conducting early detection and spread prevention activities, such as training, education outreach, monitoring, surveying, and harvesting of ANS by state agents and contracted staff. Funding will also be used to acquire supplies, publications, and signage to support these efforts. Additional activities include training and support for watercraft inspections, researching and analyzing management activities for existing waterbodies with ANS, and prioritizing at-risk waterbodies and new potential threats. Expected outcomes include a reduction in ANS threats to non-infested waterbodies, maintaining healthy and sustainable native aquatic species populations, and broader public understanding of ANS threats.

The project purpose is for the vermont department of environmental conservation to support efforts in the lake champlain basin region to reduce the threats of aquatic nuisance species (ANS) found within and outside of the basin through science-based and ecologically accepted management practices. Activities to be performed include conducting early detection and spread prevention activities that included training and education outreach activities for a wide variety of audiences monitoring, surveying and harvesting ANS by state agents and trained contracted staff and acquisition and development of supplies, publications, and signage, etc. To assist those individuals who directly interact with or are responsible these activities. Additional activities include training and support for watercraft inspections, researching and analyzing management activities within existing waterbodies with ANS, and prioritizing at-risk waterbodies and new potential threats not yet found in the basin. Expected outcomes include a reduction in ANS threats to non-infested waterbodies, maintaining healthy and sustainable native aquatic species populations within all waterbodies and wildlife management areas, and a broader capacity of understanding of ANS threats by the general public. There are no sub-recipient activities.