Implementation of the Quagga and Zebra Mussel Action Plan (QZAP) in the Western United States | F20AS00078

Opportunity Information: Apply for F20AS00078

The "Implementation of the Quagga and Zebra Mussel Action Plan (QZAP) in the Western United States" grant opportunity is a discretionary funding program run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to slow and prevent the spread of quagga and zebra mussels across western waters. These mussels are highly damaging aquatic invasive species that have been expanding quickly in the West, with heavily used recreational reservoirs in and connected to the lower Colorado River described as a major source area. The core problem the program targets is the easy movement of mussels to new, uninfested waters through trailered boats, which can carry mussels or larvae between lakes and reservoirs if boats are not properly cleaned, drained, and dried. The overall goal is to fund practical, on-the-ground efforts that contain existing infestations and protect uninfested waters, while improving coordination and readiness across jurisdictions.

Projects must align with the top priorities in the Quagga/Zebra Mussel Action Plan for Western U.S. Waters (QZAP) and are limited geographically to U.S. states that fall within the Western Regional Panel boundary (explicitly excluding Canada and Mexico). Within that region, the funding is aimed at a limited number of projects, with a strong emphasis on containment actions in already infested areas (such as the lower Colorado River system and connected waters) to reduce the chances that boats transport mussels to other states, tribes, or local jurisdictions that remain dreissenid-free.

The grant solicitation highlights several principal work areas that proposals are expected to address. A major category is containment through watercraft inspection and decontamination, especially for boats moving from invaded waters to places that are not yet infested, paired with improved coordination between states and other jurisdictions so inspection and decontamination practices are consistent and effective. Another category is prevention at high-risk control points by supporting or establishing programs where traffic patterns and risk are highest (for example, popular launch sites, choke points on travel routes, or key reservoirs). The opportunity also supports projects designed to increase compliance with federal, state, local, and tribal laws related to aquatic invasive species, recognizing that rules only work when boaters understand them and follow them. In addition, the program encourages stronger outreach and education to improve prevention behaviors, investments that build capacity to detect new infestations early and respond quickly, and research that directly supports these prevention and containment goals. The research focus is not limited to biology; it explicitly includes social science work to test whether prevention messaging actually changes behavior, as well as studies on potential non-target impacts of mussel control treatments so management actions do not create new ecological problems.

For fiscal year 2020, the Service indicated it planned to allocate about $1.83 million total under this QZAP grant program to projects that reduce or minimize the threat of quagga and zebra mussels in Western U.S. waters. The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $600,000 per award, and it is framed as competitive funding for a limited set of strong proposals rather than broad distribution of small awards. The funding instrument is a grant, and the activity area is natural resources (CFDA/Assistance Listing 15.608). Eligible applicants are described as unrestricted in the source information, which typically signals that a wide range of applicant types may apply, though applicants still need to fit the program rules and demonstrate capacity to carry out the work.

The notice also ties the program to several Department of the Interior financial assistance priorities, which gives a sense of how applicants should frame their proposals. Under Priority 1, the program emphasizes science-based best practices for managing land and water resources and adapting to changing conditions, while also supporting continued public access to waters by preventing infestations that could otherwise force closures or restrictions. Under Priority 4, it stresses that invasive mussels cross boundaries and that progress requires cooperation among states, tribes, and other partners, so proposals that strengthen cross-jurisdictional coordination and shared objectives fit well. Under Priority 7, the program argues that preventing invasive species can reduce the likelihood of future regulatory burdens, including those that might arise under the Endangered Species Act if invasive species contribute to native species declines. Under Priority 9, the program positions QZAP as part of a longer-term effort (supported since 2011) to build a more coordinated, mission-focused approach to aquatic invasive species prevention and control across the West.

Key administrative details in the source listing include the funding opportunity number F20AS00078, a creation date of August 13, 2020, and an original closing date of October 18, 2020. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as targeted support for prevention, containment, and coordinated response actions that keep quagga and zebra mussels from hitchhiking to new waters, while strengthening the Wests long-term capacity to detect, manage, and communicate about this ongoing invasive species threat.

• The Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Implementation of the Quagga and Zebra Mussel Action Plan (QZAP) in the Western United States" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.608.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2020-08-13.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-10-18. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $600,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

Apply for F20AS00078

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