Project objectives are focused on leveraging the resources necessary to expand capacity to prevent the introduction of aquatic invasive species (AIS) to the pyramid lake paiute reservation

The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe received a $199,337 Project Grant award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Tribal Wildlife Grants program (CFDA 15.639) on October 1, 2025, with performance through September 30, 2027. The award funds expansion of the tribe's Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) prevention capacity on the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation in Nevada. Key deliverables include increased daily operations of the watercraft inspection and decontamination station in Sutcliffe, Nevada; hiring of additional watercraft inspection technicians; development of a training curriculum tailored to the tribe's operations; expanded public outreach and education programming through social and multimedia channels; and interception of a greater number of watercraft for inspections prior to lake launch.

The project directly supports conservation of two federally protected species—the endangered cui-ui and threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout—while protecting the cultural, natural, and economic resources of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. By enhancing the tribe's capacity for consistent AIS prevention activities, the award aligns with the Tribal Wildlife Grants program's emphasis on building tribal wildlife management infrastructure and implementing conservation programs that benefit fish and wildlife resources of cultural and traditional importance.

Through this proposed project, the pyramid lake paiute tribes (plpt) AIS program will increase capacity for sustainability and effectively implement prevention activities through more consistent daily operation of the plpt watercraft inspection and decontamination station in sutcliffe, NV, and increase the number of hours providing public outreach and education. The proposed project would allow the plpt to hire additional watercraft inspection technicians, develop a training curriculum specific to the plpt utilizing umps, expand social- and multi-media avenues to achieve greater outreach success, and intercept a greater number of watercrafts for inspections prior to launching at pyramid lake. These efforts will help preserve the federally endangered CUI-UI and threatened lahontan cutthroat trout and the cultural, natural, and economic resources of the pyramid lake paiute tribe.