The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service awarded $16 million in funding towards 100 projects across 37 states and two territories to combat the spread of invasive species that are posing a threat to ecosystems.

 

After the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, $56 million has been invested to this cause since 2022. Non-native forest pests are estimated to cost between $4.2 billion and $14.4 billion annually. Over the last fifty years, the global economic cost is estimated at $1.28 trillion.

"Invasive species pose a major threat to our national forests," said Forest Service Chief Randy Moore. "Destructive invasive species can increase wildfire risk to communities, destroy habitat, degrade water quality, and displace native species. These Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investments are critical to efforts to stem the spread across public and private lands and address the harm invasive species are causing to landscapes across the country."

The Bipartisan Infrastructure law invests $5.5 billion in resources for the Forest Service with $3 billion invested to reduce the risk of wildland fire and to restore ecosystems.