The arizona game and fish department (azgfd) is requesting funding from the U.S. Fish and wildlife service to maintain critical staffing and supplies to continue to implement the goals of the…

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded a $121,007 Project Grant under the Fish and Aquatic Conservation - Aquatic Invasive Species (CFDA 15.608) program to the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD). The funding will allow AZGFD to maintain critical staffing and supplies to continue implementing the goals of the Arizona Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan. Key activities include:

• Maintaining existing partnerships and building new relationships with government agencies, private industry, NGOs, and stakeholders to support AIS management efforts
• Providing oversight, training, and technical expertise to public and private partners implementing AIS programs at the local level
• Shifting some mussel fouled watercraft decontamination to private industry to allow AZGFD to focus on other AIS activities such as outreach, expanded monitoring, surveys, and removals The overall goal is to prevent new AIS introductions, limit the spread of established AIS populations, and abate harmful ecological, economic, social, and public health impacts from AIS infestations across Arizona's waters. The grant period runs from September 1, 2024 to September 30, 2026.

The arizona game and fish department (azgfd) is requesting funding from the U.S. Fish and wildlife service to maintain critical staffing and supplies to continue to implement the goals of the arizona AIS management plan (azaismp). This will allow azgfd to maintain existing partnerships and build new relationships with local and federal government agencies as well as private industry, non-governmental organizations and stakeholder groups. Funding from FWS state and interstate aquatic nuisance species management plan grant program provides for program personnel to remain the lead agency for AIS management and to continue to provide oversight, training and technical expertise for public and private partners implementing programs at local levels. As much of the mussel fouled watercraft decontaminations have shifted to private industry, this funding also allows azgfd personnel to focus on other AIS activities such as outreach, expand monitoring activities, surveys and removals. The goal of the azaismp is to prevent new, unintended introductions of AIS into all of our state waters, to limit the spread of established populations of AIS into uninfested waters of the state, and to abate harmful ecological, economic, social and public health impacts resulting from infestation of AIS.