The psmfc aquatic nuisance program (ANS) duties will include education, outreach, coordination, and prevention activities associated with the 100TH meridian initiative, quagga-zebra mussel action…

This Project Grant award of $120,000.00 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was made to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) under the Fish and Aquatic Conservation - Aquatic Invasive Species (CFDA 15.608) grant program. The funds will support PSMFC's efforts to address aquatic invasive species management and prevention activities across the western United States, including the Columbia River Basin, Missouri River Basin, and Pacific Coast region. The award will enable PSMFC to conduct education and outreach, provide technical assistance and coordination, support watercraft inspection training and decontamination protocols, implement rapid response exercises, maintain regional monitoring databases and tools, and engage in other projects focused on preventing the spread of invasive species like zebra and quagga mussels. This work aligns with and supports the goals of key regional initiatives such as the 100th Meridian Initiative, Quagga-Zebra Mussel Action Plan, and Western Governors Association efforts. The grant period runs from June 24, 2024 through September 30, 2026.

The psmfc aquatic nuisance program (ANS) duties will include education, outreach, coordination, and prevention activities associated with the 100TH meridian initiative, quagga-zebra mussel action plan, western regional panel, safeguarding the west from invasive species initiative and western governors association. Funds will be used to help psmfc distribute information and provide technical assistance and coordination including: supporting watercraft inspection training (WIT) and educational resources, updating and sharing watercraft decontamination protocols and standards, coordinating dreissenid inter-jurisdictional management and prevention, developing, enhancing, and conducting education and outreach to diverse audiences including maintenance of the western AIS website, holding rapid response exercises implementing the columbia river basin interagency invasive species response plan: zebra mussels and other dreissenid species and in the missouri river basin, leading the columbia river basin (CRB) team monitoring forum, maintaining the dreissenid monitoring database and western regional watercraft viewer, undertaking a commercial boat haulers project (call before you haul), and supporting strategic placement of watercraft inspection stations. Many of the tasks in the work plan are common to both the pacific and mountain-prairie regions (regions 1 and 6) for the U.S. Fish and wildlife service, and benefit states in the southwest (region 2), the pacific southwest (region 8) and alaska (region 7).