Estimated total costs associated with producing this report: $163,227 

United States Department of the Interior 

Invasive Species Strategic Plan 

2021 - 2025 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan

Invasive Species Cover Images 

Cheatgrass, Bromus tectorum (photo credit U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) 

Brazilian Elodea, Egeria densa (photo credit Barry Rice, sarracenia.com, Bugwood.org) 

Grass Carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella (photo credit U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) 

Nutria, Myocastor coypus (photo credit U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) 

Zebra Mussel, Dreissena polymorpha (photo credit U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) 

Brown Treesnake, Boiga irregularis (photo credit U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service-Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center) 

Suggested Citation 

U.S. Department of the Interior. 2021. U.S. Department of the Interior Invasive Species Strategic Plan, 

Fiscal Years 2021-2025. Washington, D.C., 54p. 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contents 

Key Terms ....................................................................................................................................... i 

Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... ii 

Invasive Species Strategic Framework at a Glance ........................................................................... iv 

I. Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1 

Economic Impact of Invasive Species ........................................................................................... 4 

Interior Involvement in Addressing Invasive Species ....................................................................... 7 

II. Plan Development, Implementation, and Reporting ...................................................................... 10 

III. Invasive Species Management Mission and Vision ....................................................................... 12 

IV. Crosscutting Principles .............................................................................................................. 13 

V. Goals, Objectives, and Strategies ............................................................................................... 14 

Goal 1: Collaborate across Interior and with others to optimize operations through leveraging 

partnerships, joint educational efforts, and shared funding ............................................................ 14 

Goal 2: Cost-effectively prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species into and 

within the United States .............................................................................................................. 17 

Goal 3: Implement early detection and rapid response efforts in coordination with other 

Federal agencies, States, Tribes, Territories, and other partners to reduce potential damage 

and costs from new infestations becoming established ................................................................. 19 

Goal 4: Cost-effectively control or eradicate established invasive species populations to 

reduce impacts and help restore ecosystems ............................................................................... 21 

Goal 5: Improve invasive species data management for decision-making at all levels of 

government ................................................................................................................................ 24 

VI. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 25 

Appendix A: Bureau and Offce Missions and Roles in Invasive Species Management ............................ 26 

Appendix B: Department of the Interior Regions .................................................................................. 33 

Appendix C: Examples of Invasive Species Plans, Agreements, and Federal Coordination ...................... 34 

Appendix D: Invasive Species Strategic Plan Metrics ........................................................................... 37 

Appendix E: Laws and Policies Guiding Invasive Species Management at the Department 

of the Interior ................................................................................................................................... 39 

Contributors .................................................................................................................................... 45 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan i 

Key Terms 

Invasive species: With regard to a particular ecosystem, a non-native organism whose introduction 

causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human, animal, or plant 

health. 

Invasive species management: Activities including, but not limited to, planning (identifcation and 

inventory, prioritization, establishing action thresholds), monitoring, prevention, early detection, rapid 

response, eradication, control, restoration, research, and regulatory approaches used to minimize 

the threat of invasive species. 

United States: The 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Territories of American Samoa, Guam, 

the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and 

U.S. insular possessions, including Midway Island, Wake Island, Palmyra Island, Howland Island, 

Johnston Island, Baker Island, Kingman Reef, Jarvis Island, and other U.S. islands, cays, and reefs 

that are not part of the 50 States. 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan ii 

Executive Summary 

Invasive species pose a signifcant threat to the 

ecological, economic, and cultural integrity of 

America’s lands and waters and the communities 

they support. Controlling them can be complex, 

expensive, and often continues indefnitely. In 

some cases, invasive species cause harm which is 

potentially irreversible. Strategic solutions advanced 

in collaboration with partners can often successfully 

resolve or forestall invasive species impacts. 

The Department of the Interior’s (Interior) Invasive 

Species Strategic Plan (Plan), developed pursuant to 

the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, 

and Recreation Act (Public Law 116-9), provides 

an overarching framework for the broad spectrum 

of activities that are performed by ten of Interior’s 

Bureaus and multiple offces. The Plan includes 

goals, objectives, strategies, and performance 

measures, as well as crosscutting principles that 

guide its implementation. The strategies refect 

both work that is ongoing and opportunities to focus 

on emerging priorities. While Bureaus often have 

their own invasive species management plans, this 

Plan, for the frst time, outlines a comprehensive 

approach across Interior that both builds upon 

existing plans and serves as an overarching 

strategy. This Plan provides higher level direction 

than Interior’s more tactically oriented Departmental 

Manual chapter on invasive species policy. It is 

narrower in scope than the Department of the 

Interior Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2018-2022, 

developed pursuant to the Government Performance 

and Results Modernization Act of 2010, which does 

touch on invasive species in the broader context of 

Interior’s multi-faceted mission. 

Interior identifed the following fve goals to advance 

invasive species management: 

1. Collaborate across Interior and with others 

to optimize operations through leveraging 

partnerships, joint educational efforts, and shared 

funding. 

2. Cost-effectively prevent the introduction and spread 

of invasive species into and within the United 

States. 

3. Implement early detection and rapid response 

efforts in coordination with other Federal agencies, 

States, Tribes, Territories, and other partners to 

reduce potential damage and costs from new 

infestations becoming established. 

4. Cost-effectively control or eradicate established 

invasive species populations to reduce impacts and 

help restore ecosystems. 

5. Improve invasive species data management for 

decision-making at all levels of government. 

Partnering is critical to success in managing invasive 

species; thus, collaborative conservation is central to 

the Plan and included as a crosscutting principle that 

applies to implementation of each of the Plan’s goals. 

When the Plan refers to collaborating “with others,” 

or “partners,” this includes working with State, Tribal, 

Territorial, and local governments, other Federal 

agencies, academia, industry, non-proft organizations, 

land managers, landowners, and the public. Due to 

the evolving nature of partnerships and the extensive 

and varying collaborations in which Interior is engaged 

across the Nation, specifc groups are rarely specifed 

in this Plan; however, the importance of partnerships 

in invasive species management, and the need for 

Interior’s active involvement in those partnerships, 

cannot be overstated. 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan iii 

Interior’s invasive species priorities will vary 

regionally based on the priorities of its 12 standard 

regions and State Governors, Tribal leaders, local 

governments, and other partners, so that Interior 

remains as adaptable as possible to address 

current and emerging needs. The Plan underscores 

the importance of integrating efforts across a 

diverse array of stakeholders at multiple scales. 

It emphasizes coordination, communication, 

partnering, science-based decision-making, planning, 

and strategic on-the-ground action to reduce the 

threat of invasive species. Implementation of the 

Plan will require effective and cost-effcient strategies 

to prevent the introduction and inhibit the spread of 

invasive species and help protect the Nation’s lands 

and waters, as well as the livelihoods that rely upon 

them. 

Preventing the introduction of invasive species helps protect sensitive ecosystems, such as those in the Haleakala Crater, which has endangered 

silversword plants, Haleakala National Park, HI. (NPS) 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan iv 

Invasive Species Strategic Framework at a Glance 

Improve invasive species

data management for 

decision-making at all levels

of goverment. 

Collaborate across Interior 

and with others to optimize 

operations through

leveraging partnerships,

joint educational efforts, and 

shared funding.

Increase engagement in

partnerships at multiple

scales and "do our share" 

to advance mutual 

priorities.

Crosscutting Principles: Promote and engage in collaborative conservation; Leverage science; Adaptively manage; Manage on a watershed or ecosystem scale, including 

islands and other isolated or contained geographies; Promote innovative solutions; Apply integrated pest management; Prioritize cost-effectiveness; Streamline regulatory 

and decision-making processes; and Demonstrate accountability. 

Increase understanding

about invasive species and 

motivate actions to address 

them. 

Increase information

exchange across Interior

and with others to share 

expertise on invasive 

species science and 

management.

Increase partner and 

internal awarness of Interior

funding opportunities

Increase coordination of

resources and investments 

across Interior and with 

others to support mutual 

priorities. 

Cost-effectively prevent the 

introduction and spread of

invasive species into and 

within the United States.

Increase the use of costeffective approaches to 

prevent the introduction of 

invasive species into the 

United States.

Prioritize prevention

practices to inhibit the 

secondary spread of invasive

species within the 

United States.

Leverage research and 

innovation to develop

cost-effective tools, 

technologies, and methods

to prevent invasive species 

introductions and secondary 

spread. 

Implement early detection

and rapid response efforts 

in coordination with other 

Federal agencies, States, 

Tribes, Territories, and other 

partners to reduce potential

damage and costs from 

new infestations becoming 

established.

Engage in coordinated, early 

detection biosurveillance

efforts that inform decisionmaking for rapid responses.

Engage in coordinated, 

rapid response efforts 

based on the outcome 

of early detection

biosurveillance. 

Promote user-friendly,

interoperable databases.

Increase invasive species 

data collection and its 

accuracy, consistency, level

of reporting, and utility 

across Interior. 

Cost-effectively control 

or eradicate established

invasive species populations 

to reduce impacts and help 

restore ecosystems.

Control or eradicate 

established invasive species 

on Interior-managed

lands and waters and 

across jurisdictions, where 

practicable.

Leverage research and 

innovation to develop safe 

and cost-effective tools, 

technologies, and methods

to control or eradicate 

invasive species, restore 

ecosystems, and adapt to 

environmental change. 

Reduce the role of invasive 

species in wildf re frequency, 

intensity, and extent.

Increase eff ciency of 

conducting environmental

compliance for control or 

eradication activities. 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan v 

Invasive Phragmites australis, Middle Ground Island, MI (USGS) 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 1 

 

I. Introduction

Invasive species are non-native organisms whose 

introduction to a particular ecosystem causes or is 

likely to cause economic or environmental harm, or 

harm to human, animal, or plant health (Executive 

Order 13751). They are a signifcant threat to the 

ecological, economic, and cultural integrity of 

America’s lands and waters and the communities 

they support. While the scale of the problem is 

daunting, opportunities exist for the Department of 

the Interior (Interior) to take a more coordinated and 

effective approach to managing invasive species. 

Interior’s Invasive Species Strategic Plan (hereafter 

referred to as the Plan) recognizes invasive species 

management as an important endeavor and critical 

factor in Bureau missions to protect and manage 

natural, cultural, historic, and Tribal resources. 

The Plan outlines activities that Interior is currently 

undertaking and those that it will pursue to 

strengthen invasive species management efforts. It 

calls for promoting partnerships to bolster mutual 

priorities, raising awareness to motivate action, 

strengthening prevention practices to avoid invasive 

species introductions and spread, improving 

the coordination of early detection and rapid 

response efforts across jurisdictions, leveraging 

opportunities for targeted control and eradication, 

and improving data collection and data management 

to facilitate more effective decision-making. 

It also calls for a more strategic, coordinated 

approach to leverage resources and ensure that 

programs and policies are aligned and applicable 

to all invasive species taxonomic groups including 

plants, animals, and pathogens across aquatic 

and terrestrial ecosystems. Importantly, the Plan 

promotes fexibility to be responsive to priorities 

of Governors, Tribal leaders, local governments, 

and other partners, as policy and program needs 

will vary across geographies. Those priorities are 

largely informed by the potential adverse impacts to 

human health, the economy, cultural heritage, and 

biodiversity, and the associated likelihood of invasive 

species establishment based on habitat suitability 

and pathways of introductions. 

Managing invasive species facilitates Interior’s 

ability to achieve its mission for the beneft of the 

American people and thereby advances a number 

of Interior’s broader Government Performance and 

Results Modernization Act strategic plan goals.1 

These goals include utilizing science in land, water, 

species, and habitat management to support 

decisions and activities; fostering partnerships to 

achieve balanced stewardship and use of our public 

lands; managing grazing resources; expanding 

hunting, fshing, and other recreation on Interiormanaged lands and waters; managing wildland 

fre to reduce risk and improve ecosystem and 

community resilience; and reducing administrative 

and regulatory burden. 

It is worth noting that not all non-native species 

are invasive. Many non-native species have been 

intentionally introduced for benefcial uses such 

as food production or landscape restoration. Most 

species are benign in their native range, yet when 

introduced into a different ecosystem, some may 

become problematic when habitat and biological 

interactions, such as competition, predation, and 

disease, are no longer present to regulate their 

populations. In some cases, a non-native species 

may be viewed as benefcial by one sector of 

society yet considered invasive by another sector 

in the same geography. For instance, striped bass, 

1 Interior’s strategic plans are available online at https://www.doi.gov/performance/strategic-planning. 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 2 

introduced from the East Coast in the 1800s by 

State and Federal fsh and wildlife agencies, are 

a popular sport fsh in the San Francisco BayDelta of California, yet their predation on the 

threatened Delta smelt and endangered and nonendangered salmonids marks them as invasive by 

California water managers and other interest groups. 

Conficting management objectives require careful 

consideration of legal mandates and balancing 

jurisdictional priorities in addition to effective 

communication among affected entities to establish 

and pursue mutually satisfactory outcomes. 

New invasive species continue to enter the United 

States, and some invasive species already present are 

expanding their ranges, increasing their populations, 

and in some cases hybridizing with native species. 

Management options for addressing invasive species 

can be thought of in terms of their relationship to 

the stages of the invasion process, with fewer and 

more costly management options available as an 

invasion progresses (Figs. 1, 2). Coordinated efforts 

are essential to protect natural and cultural resources. 

Many of Interior’s programs have made advances in 

invasive species management, and opportunities exist 

to expand this work to ensure the most effective and 

effcient use of available resources. 

Figure 1. Invasion Process and Policy and Management Options (Adapted from Lodge et al. 2016. Risk 

analysis and bioeconomics of invasive species to inform policy and management. Annual Review of 

Environment and Resources 41:453-488). Stages common to all invasions by non-native species (left 

column) and general policy and management options (right column) that are most relevant to each stage of 

invasion. Arrow width refects the declining number of species reaching each stage of invasion. 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 3 

Figure 2. Phases of the Invasion Curve (Adapted from Rodgers. 2010. Invasive Plants and Animals 

Policy Framework. State of Victoria, Department of Primary Industries). Preventing the introduction and 

spread of invasive species frst into and then within the United States is the most cost-effective defense 

against biological invasion. The second line of defense is eradication, where the approach is to eliminate 

founding populations of invasive species while doing so is feasible. Early detection and rapid response 

actions are generally necessary to achieve eradication. When eradication is infeasible with existing 

technologies, then containment or long-term control of an invasive species population is the remaining 

management option. These programs often require substantial, if not indefnite, fnancial investments. 

In some cases, eradication (such as in island ecosystems) or suppression of widespread established 

invasive species (such as by using integrated pest management) are possible and can be successful late 

in the invasion stages. 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 4 

Economic Impact of Invasive Species 

Invasive species impose substantial costs on 

society. For example, they can drive native species 

onto the Endangered Species list, resulting in 

associated regulatory costs; exacerbate the 

threat of wildland fre that destroys property and 

threatens lives; increase the cost of delivering 

water and power; damage infrastructure; and 

degrade recreation opportunities and discourage 

tourism. They also disrupt ecosystem functions 

including pollination, water fltration, pest control, 

and protection from erosion, wildfres, and other 

natural hazards. Invasive species can also deplete 

resources important to cultural heritage and 

subsistence living. They cause damages that 

impact the global economy, including an estimated 

$120 billion in environmental damages and losses 

annually in the United States.2 In Fiscal Year 2020, 

Interior invested an estimated $143 million to 

manage invasive species. 

Table 1 presents examples of economic impacts 

and management costs estimated for various highprofle invasive species. These estimates may not 

include certain losses resulting from the ecological 

degradation caused by invasive species. Ecological 

degradation includes losses that are diffcult 

to quantify but that can negatively impact and 

ultimately impose costs on economic activities as 

well as on human health and property.

3 

Table 1. Examples of estimated adverse economic impacts and management expenditures of selected invasive 

species. Estimates represent a wide range of regions, time periods, and types of adverse impacts and costs. 

Dollar values are presented in nominal terms and have not been adjusted to a constant dollar-year. For these 

reasons, it is not appropriate to sum these values. “Actual” estimates represent known or modeled adverse 

impacts or costs related to current infestations. “Projected” estimates represent anticipated adverse impacts 

or costs if an invasive species is unmanaged and spreads, or if an invasive species becomes established in an 

area where the species is not currently found. 

Invasive Species Impacted Sectors Estimated Adverse 

Economic Impacts 

Estimated Management 

Expenditures 

Asian Carps Fisheries, Projected: $2.4 billion over ten years Actual: $58 million in 2017 for Asian 

Recreation, 

Tourism 

(Great Lakes recreational fshery); 

$102 million over ten years (Great 

Lakes commercial fshery if grass carp 

carps (Ohio and Upper Mississippi 

River Basins)5 

become widespread)4 

Zebra, Quagga Mussels Agriculture, 

Electric Power, 

Fisheries, 

Recreation, 

Projected: $500 million per year 

(to the Pacifc Northwest region if 

invasive mussels become established)6 

Actual: More than $13.2 million per 

year (prevention eforts in the Pacifc 

Northwest region)7 

Tourism, 

Water Infrastructure 

Table continues... 

2 Pimentel, D. et. al, 2005. Update on the environmental and economic costs associated with alien-invasive species in the United States. Ecological 

Economics 52:273-288. 

3 For example, cheatgrass or downy brome, an invasive annual grass, can signifcantly increase fre hazards. Fires in cheatgrass areas are more 

intense and frequent than rangelands with native vegetation resulting in increased hazards to structures and human health. 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 5 

 

Invasive Species Impacted Sectors Estimated Adverse 

Economic Impacts 

Estimated Management 

Expenditures 

Elodea Fisheries, 

Recreation, 

Tourism 

Projected: $159 million per year 

(Alaskan commercial sockeye 

fsheries if elodea is unmanaged)8 

Actual: $1.3 million in 20209 

Brown Treesnake Electric Power, 

Recreation, 

Tourism, 

National Security 

Actual: $4.5 million per year 

(Guam)10 

Projected: $593 million to $2.1 

billion per year (to Hawaii if brown 

treesnakes become established)11 

Actual: $8.2 million in 2019 

(Guam)12 

Feral Swine Agriculture, 

Infrastructure, 

Livestock 

Actual: $190 million in 2014 (crop 

production losses across ten States);13 

$40 million in 2017 (livestock 

damages across 13 States)14 

Not available 

Nutria Agriculture, 

Recreation 

Projected: $2.9 million per year (to 

Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland if 

nutria are not removed and marshes 

are lost)15 

Not available 

Cheatgrass Agriculture, 

Energy, 

Infrastructure, 

Healthcare 

Actual: Smoke impact from 

wildfre; Regulatory impact from 

wildfre destruction of habitat for an 

Endangered Species Act-candidatespecies 

Actual: $18 million from 2015-2019 

(Interior-managed lands)16 

Emerald Ash Borer Agriculture, 

Electric Power, 

Forestry 

Actual: $60 million per year (timber 

losses, nationwide); $380 million 

per year (residential property value 

losses, nationwide),17 especially in 

Midwestern States 

Projected: $10.7 billion over ten 

years (nationwide, given a projected 

expansion of emerald ash borer from 

its distribution in 2009)18 

4 Includes estimated impacts of grass carp only as a result of reduced catches, reduced quality, diversity, and population size of native fsh species, 

increased operational costs from commercial harvesters needing to travel greater distances, and decreased demand for recreational fshing. 

5 Includes Federal and State agency expenditures related to prevention and control; research and development; monitoring, early detection and rapid 

response; interagency coordination; outreach; and law enforcement and regulatory actions. Although $58 million is spent in the Ohio and Upper 

Mississippi River Basins, $53 million is related to expenditures for Great Lakes protection primarily in the Chicago Area Waterway System and Illinois 

Waterway system. 

6 Represents the estimated annual economic impact if invasive mussels are introduced in the Pacifc Northwest, where they are not found as of the 

writing of this Plan. This estimate is specifc to the Pacifc Northwest and does not include the economic impact that invasive mussels have on other 

waterways throughout the United States. 

7 Represents average annual State and Provincial invasive mussel prevention effort costs, including watercraft inspection and decontamination, 

outreach, and monitoring in the Pacifc Northwest. 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 6 

8 Represents the mean aggregate annual damages to commercial sockeye fsheries across Alaska if elodea is unmanaged. 

9 Represents cumulative costs by various partners in Alaska to manage elodea in 2020, per personal communication with A. Martin, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service. 

10 Represents the annual costs to Guam’s economy over a seven-year period due to electrical power outages caused by the brown treesnake. This 

estimate does not include repair costs, damage to electrical equipment, or lost revenues. 

11 Represents the estimated potential annual damage from medical damages, power-outage costs, and the cost of a decrease in tourism in Hawaii if 

the brown treensnake becomes established. The brown treesnake is not established in Hawaii as of the writing of this Plan, although since 1981, at 

least eight brown treesnakes have been found on Oahu, transported on aircraft from Guam. 

12 Represents expenditures by Interior’s Offce of Insular Affairs and Department of Defense to support the brown treesnake program in Fiscal Year 

2019, per the Brown Treesnake Technical Working Group 2019 meeting and personal communication with M.J. Mazurek, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service. 

13 Represents crop production losses for corn, soybeans, wheat, rice, sorghum, and peanuts in AL, AR, CA, FL, GA, LA, MS, MO, NC, SC, and TX. 

14 Represents the direct costs in terms of deaths and medical expenditures resulting from feral swine presence for livestock producers in AL, AK, CA, 

FL, GA, LA, MS, MO, NC, OK, SC, TN, and TX. 

15 Represents losses to commercial fshing, sportfshing, hunting, and wildlife viewing in Maryland if marshes are lost at an increased rate due to the 

presence of nutria. 

16 This estimate is based on a keyword search of the Interior fuels treatment database and associated planned costs of projects that involved 

the reduction, prevention, and monitoring of cheatgrass for the purposes of wildland fre management on Interior-managed lands. Thus, this likely 

represents a lower-bound estimate. In addition, planned costs may not refect the actual costs and the accuracy of planned cost estimates is not 

known. Does not include non-fre cheatgrass expenditures. 

17 Represents residential property value losses and timber value losses to forest landowners of dead and dying trees affected by emerald ash 

borers. Changes in property values due to changes in tree health were based on economic welfare estimates obtained from published non-market 

valuation studies. Changes in timber harvesting levels were based on estimates of timber mortality from non-native forest insects, and mortality 

induced harvest reductions were small enough to have no impact on timber prices. Economic impacts were estimated using spatial data and 

dynamic models of infestation extent. 

18 Represents the mean discounted cost of treating, removing, and replacing 17 million ash trees across 25 States over ten years. 

Sources in order of reference: 

Hayder, S. 2019. Socio-economic risk assessment of the presence of grass carp in the Great Lakes Basin. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Policy and 

Economics DFO/2019-2032; 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2017. Annual Report to Congress: Annual summary of activities and expenditures to manage the threat of Asian carp 

in the Upper Mississippi and Ohio River Basins; 

Pacifc States Marine Fisheries Commission and Pacifc Northwest Economic Region. 2015. Advancing a regional defense against Dreissenids in the 

Pacifc Northwest; 

Schwoerer, T. et al. 2019. Aquatic invasive species change ecosystem services from the world’s largest wild sockeye salmon fsheries in Alaska. 

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics 6:1-31; 

Fritts, T. H. 2002. Economic costs of electrical system instability and power outages caused by snakes on the Island of Guam. International 

Biodeterioration and Biodegradation 49:93-100; 

Shwiff, S. et al. 2010. Potential economic damage from introduction of brown treesnakes, Boiga irregularis (Reptilia: Colubridae), to the islands of 

Hawaii. U.S. Department of Agriculture National Wildlife Research Center - Staff Publications 967; 

Brown Treesnake Technical Working Group. 2015. Brown Treesnake Strategic Plan; 

Corn, M. L. and R. Johnson. 2013. Invasive Species: Major law and the role of selected Federal agencies. Congressional Research Service; 

Southwick Associates for Maryland Department of Natural Resources. 2004. Potential economic losses associated with uncontrolled nutria 

populations in Maryland’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay; 

Anderson, A. et al. 2016. Economic estimates of feral swine damage and control in 11 U.S. States. Crop Protection 89:89-94; 

Anderson, A. et al. 2019. Predation and disease-related economic impacts of wild pigs on livestock producers in 13 States. Crop Protection 

121:121-126; 

Aukema, J. E. et al. 2011. Economic impacts of non-native forest insects in the continental United States. PLoS ONE 6:e24587; and 

Kovacs, K. F. et al. 2010. Cost of potential emerald ash borer damage in U.S. communities, 2009 – 2019. Ecological Economics 69:569-578. 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 7 

Interior Involvement in Addressing Invasive Species 

USGS and NPS remove Burmese pythons from Big Cypress National Preserve, FL, as part of ongoing research and management efforts. (USGS) 

Interior manages much of the Federal lands, waters, 

and minerals, including providing access to more 

than 480 million acres of land, 700 million acres 

of subsurface minerals, and 2.5 billion acres of 

the Outer Continental Shelf. It stewards about 

20 percent of the Nation’s land base, including 

national parks, national wildlife refuges, and other 

public and Tribal lands; manages resources that 

supply 18 percent of the Nation’s energy; manages 

some of the water in the 17 Western States; and 

generates 15 percent of the Nation’s hydropower 

energy;19 and upholds Federal trust responsibilities 

to 574 federally-recognized Indian Tribes. The lands, 

waters, and facilities that Interior manages are 

vulnerable to biological invasions and can in turn be 

a source for invasive species introductions to other 

lands and waters. 

Most of Interior’s Bureaus have a role in invasive 

species management (Appendix A) and infuence 

the introductions and spread of invasive species. 

Activities by employees, contractors, partners, and 

visitors to Interior-managed lands and waters can 

unintentionally act as pathways, including the use 

and transport of vehicles, equipment, and materials. 

Coordination and collaboration across Bureaus and 

across jurisdictions with other Federal agencies, 

States, Tribes, Territories, local governments, and 

other landowners and land managers are crucial to 

strategically stem the spread of invasive species. 

Interior has been actively engaged in managing 

invasive species for more than 60 years. Due 

in large part to Interior’s action, sea lamprey 

populations in the Great Lakes have been reduced 

by more than 90 percent from peak levels 

observed during the 1960s. This contributed to 

the remarkable recovery of fsheries, including the 

restoration of self-sustaining lake trout stocks in 

Lake Superior and successful spawning of landlock 

Atlantic salmon in Lake Champlain tributaries for 

the frst time since the 1800s. Other successful 

19 U.S. Department of the Interior 2020/2021 Annual Performance Plan and 2019 Report (APP&R) 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 8 

management efforts can be found on islands. Island 

ecosystems are especially vulnerable to biological 

invasion but also present favorable opportunities 

for invasive species prevention and eradication. 

Interior programs to eradicate invasive species 

such as feral swine and black rats from islands led 

to the recovery of seabird and lizard populations in 

Channel Islands National Park and the U.S. island 

Territories. 

In addition, U.S. Geological Survey research on 

Burmese pythons, brown treesnakes, and other 

invasive species has helped inform solutions for 

reducing the spread of these species and has 

provided quantitative data on invasive species 

impacts on native ecosystems. The Bureau of 

Reclamation is leading research efforts to control 

quagga and zebra mussels in hydroelectric and 

irrigation facilities to ensure continued economical 

renewable power generation and water delivery 

to cities and farms. These examples are among 

numerous other efforts underway by Interior to 

combat invasive species. 

Interior’s invasive species management activities 

are extensive, and key among them is prevention. 

At the international level, a range of Nations 

are increasingly concerned about the impacts 

of invasive species on health, agriculture, and 

biodiversity. Interior exercises its authorities to 

manage pathways of introduction of invasive species 

into the United States. For example, the injurious 

wildlife provision of the Lacey Act, 18 U.S.C. § 42 

provides authority to the Secretary of the Interior 

to prohibit importation and some transport of 

wild vertebrates and invertebrates specifed to be 

injurious to humans or agriculture, horticulture, 

forestry, wildlife, and wildlife resources of the United 

States. In addition, through its Department Manual 

Chapter on invasive species policy, Interior directed 

the use of best practices to prevent the spread of 

invasive species.20

Signifcant challenges remain in managing existing 

and newly introduced invasive species. Less than 

one percent of the acres infested by invasive plant 

populations and approximately 10 percent of invasive 

animal populations on Interior-managed lands and 

waters are currently under control,21 and the number 

of new species introductions continues to rise. 

USFWS and volunteers control kudzu at the Rappahannock River Valley 

National Wildlife Refuge, VA. (USFWS) 

20 The Departmental Manual Chapter on invasive species policy provides guidance to Interior Bureaus and offces on invasive species management 

approaches and associated practices, which will be instructive in the implementation of the strategies included in this Plan. The chapter is available 

online at https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/fles/elips/documents/524-dm-1-508.pdf. 

21 U.S. Department of the Interior 2020/2021 Annual Performance Plan and 2019 Report (APP&R) 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 9 

Invasive species and their impacts will likely 

increase in the coming decades as the global 

movement of people and materials and increased 

tourism and trade further disperse species around 

the world. In addition, the impact of climate change 

and associated alterations in weather patterns, 

precipitation, and extreme weather events disrupts 

ecosystems and makes them more susceptible to 

biological invasions. 

Given these challenges, strategic action through 

this Plan will focus Interior’s resources and activities 

on those efforts that position Interior and our 

partners for success. Sharing resources among 

Bureaus and with Federal, State, Tribal, Territorial, 

local governments, and other partners is needed, 

and Interior is responding accordingly. Between 

Fiscal Years 2016 and 2020, Interior spent an 

average of $116 million annually to manage invasive 

species. These investments were largely directed 

to feld-based programs and partners to address 

invasive species on the ground. Going forward, 

Interior will continue to leverage investments to 

maximize benefts. Interior’s policy on invasive 

species provides guidance for applying a consistent 

and comprehensive management approach 

across Interior and emphasizes collaborative 

conservation.22 In addition, Interior can contribute 

signifcantly to a coordinated intergovernmental 

approach by developing, maintaining, and sharing 

invasive species geospatial distribution information 

and decision-support tools. A concerted effort is 

underway by Interior and its partners to standardize 

data and promote common technology platforms for 

sharing information that aids in managing biological 

invasions. Furthermore, Interior’s organization into 

12 standard regions (Appendix B), each coordinated 

by a Field Special Assistant appointed by the 

Secretary, facilitates joint action and resource-sharing 

across Bureaus and better serves partners, which 

will help achieve invasive species management goals 

across public and private lands at multiple scales. 

Understanding biological invasions and the 

consequences of world-wide species movements is a 

rapidly evolving science and management discipline. 

These and other efforts underway are critical to 

successfully prevent the next invasion, and to more 

effectively manage established invasive species. 

USFWS hangs panel traps to survey for coconut rhinoceros beetle, HI. 

(USFWS) 

22 The Department Manual Chapter on invasive species policy is available online at https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/fles/elips/documents/524-

dm-1-508.pdf. 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 10 

II. Plan Development, Implementation, and Reporting 

Interior developed this Plan to implement the John 

D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and 

Recreation Act [Act] of 2019 [Public Law 116-9, 

as amended by the America’s Conservation 

Enhancement Act of 2020 [Public Law 116-188]]. 

Title VII section 7001, section 1, section 10 c) of 

the Act directed the Secretary of the Interior to, 

“develop a strategic plan that will achieve, to the 

maximum extent practicable, a substantive annual 

net reduction of invasive species populations or 

infested acreage on land or water managed by 

the Secretary.” It also directed that the plan be 

developed in coordination with relevant Federal 

agencies, States, political subdivisions of States, 

in consultation with stakeholders, including 

non-governmental organizations and industry, 

and federally-recognized Indian Tribes, and in 

accordance with the priorities of State Governors. 

Furthermore, the Act directed that the plan take into 

consideration the economic and ecological costs of 

action or inaction, as applicable. 

While Interior’s Bureaus have numerous invasive 

species management plans and other planning 

documents at multiple geographic and organizational 

levels, often developed with input from 

stakeholders, Interior did not have an organizationwide invasive species strategic plan prior to this 

Plan. 

At the onset of planning, Interior conducted eight 

teleconference listening sessions with federallyrecognized Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations, 

States, counties, Territories, the Commonwealth 

of Puerto Rico, Alaska Native Corporations, and 

the Native Hawaiian Community. The issues raised 

in those sessions and through written comments 

substantively infuenced this Plan. For example, 

collectively, the Governors’ representatives in their 

listening session asked Interior to have this Plan 

be adaptable to varying regional needs, rather 

than be too prescriptive in identifying specifc 

invasive species to address; in response, the Plan 

emphasizes strengthening partnerships, promoting 

cross-boundary collaborative conservation, and 

advancing mutual priorities. Prior to fnalization, 

Interior requested public comment on the Plan 

through the Federal Register and conducted 

two consultations with Tribes and Alaska Native 

Corporations, two public listening sessions, a 

Congressional briefng, and presentations at various 

meetings. The input from this public comment period 

refned the content of the fnal Plan. 

The Plan serves as Interior’s overarching strategic 

direction for the next fve years. It refects both core 

activities that are in progress across Interior and 

emerging priority areas. It promotes coordination 

and collaboration among Bureaus and offces and 

their programs, in the allocation of resources, 

and with partners and stakeholders. The broad 

framework provided by the Plan also serves as a 

foundation for the development and implementation 

of more specifc regional or issue-specifc 

operational plans. 

At the national level, Interior’s Invasive Species 

Task Force (composed of Bureau national program 

leads), together with senior leaders, provides an 

institutional mechanism to coordinate across 

Bureaus and guide implementation of the Plan. At 

the regional level, Interior’s Field Special Assistants 

provide a mechanism for inter-Bureau coordination 

to advance priorities (Appendix B). For example, in 

the Southwest, the Interior Field Special Assistant 

(Region 8) and the associated inter-Bureau executive 

team identifed addressing aquatic invasive species 

as a priority. Subsequently, they are developing a 

strategy to manage quagga and zebra mussels in 

the Lower Colorado Region, in collaboration with 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 11 

States, Tribes, and other partners. Their work will 

beneft stakeholders across the West by limiting the 

spread of these invasive species. In Alaska, where 

there are fewer invasive species established than 

in other States, the Interior Field Special Assistant 

(Region 11) and Bureaus are working closely with 

partners to bolster intergovernmental cooperation on 

prevention and early detection and rapid response. 

Through this work, the partnership is prioritizing 

which invasive species to direct resources towards 

and also prioritizing which pathways to address to 

best minimize invasive species introductions and 

spread. Taking a regional view—either by Interior’s 

regions or by geographical regions in which partners 

have mobilized (e.g., Great Lakes, Columbia River 

Basin, Pacifc Islands)—enables identifying those 

priorities that are mutually benefcial to multiple 

entities and also cost-effective, especially those 

where there are opportunities to leverage FederalState-Local-Tribal resources and share costs. 

More broadly, the Plan will inform development 

of Interior’s Fiscal Years 2023-2027 Government 

Performance and Results Modernization Act 

strategic plan, inform Interior’s budget formulation 

with respect to invasive species programs, and inform 

Interior’s position on related legislation. 

Recognizing that efforts to manage invasive species 

span across the Federal government, Interior will 

work through established mechanisms to promote 

coordination. To optimize implementation, Interior’s 

Plan will inform priorities shared with the National 

Invasive Species Council, the Aquatic Nuisance 

Species Task Force, and other interagency 

coordinating bodies (Appendix C). Since this Plan 

stresses responsiveness to partners, the collective 

priorities of these and other interagency bodies will 

also inform Interior’s activities. Interior intends to 

revisit the Plan every fve years, with stakeholder 

input, to ensure that it refects any shifts in partner 

priorities or technological developments. Interior will 

track implementation of the Plan through performance 

reporting (Appendix D). 

The Plan addresses only those activities authorized by 

Federal law as of its writing (Appendix E). 

Spokane Tribal Fisheries staff suppress invasive populations of Northern pike by gillnetting in Lake Roosevelt, WA. 

(Spokane Tribe of Indians/BIA) 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 12 

III. Invasive Species Management Mission and Vision 

Mission 

To manage resources and partner with others to cost-effectively protect the Nation's economy, environment, 

public health, infrastructure, natural resources, and cultural heritage from the harmful impacts of invasive 

species for the beneft of current and future generations. 

Vision 

The Department of the Interior strives to fulfll a vision to: 

• prevent invasive species from entering and spreading within the United States; 

• collaborate with partners in establishing early detection and rapid response capabilities to eradicate 

newly detected species or small populations to prevent them from spreading; 

• manage established invasive species to limit their spread and reduce negative impacts; 

• support and use scientifc and technological innovation that make the management of invasive species 

more feasible; 

• avoid having Interior-managed lands and waters become a source of invasive species that damage the 

lands, waters, and resources of our neighbors; 

• share information and raise awareness to mobilize action to address invasive species; 

• manage Interior lands and waters so they are resistant to invasive species infestations and are resilient 

to disturbance; 

• integrate invasive species work into other Interior activities on regional and national levels to promote 

effectiveness and effciency; 

• engage with partners to address mutual invasive species priorities, including those identifed by State, 

Tribal, Territorial, and local governments and other Federal agencies; and 

• incorporate cost-effectiveness in all actions we undertake to achieve Interior’s invasive species 

management mission. 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 13 

IV. Crosscutting Principles

The following crosscutting principles are fundamental to successful invasive species management and are 

to be applied in the implementation of the Plan’s activities where applicable.23

Promote and engage in collaborative conservation: Coordinate and cooperate across Interior and with 

other Federal agencies; the National Invasive Species Council, Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, and 

other interagency bodies; Tribal, State, local, and Territorial governments, Alaska Native Corporations, 

and the Native Hawaiian Community; and other entities such as academic institutions, the private sector, 

landowners, hunters and anglers, ranchers and farmers, local invasive species cooperatives, nongovernmental organizations, and others. Leverage staff and funding across these groups to manage 

invasive species effectively and effciently. 

Leverage science: Use relevant and reliable science, including peer-reviewed and traditional knowledge, 

without bias, to inform and infuence understanding of invasive species, their impacts, and how to manage 

them. 

Adaptively manage: Use adaptive management, as appropriate, to improve invasive species management 

and policies. Use management outcomes, monitoring, evaluation, risk assessment, research, and 

innovation to inform adjustments to the strategies implemented in this Plan. 

Manage on a watershed or ecosystem scale, including islands and other isolated or contained 

geographies: Use a systems approach that emphasizes the importance of maintaining ecological processes 

to restore or recover ecological communities previously invaded or to maintain the resistance and resilience 

of relatively intact ecological communities, while balancing economic, cultural, and environmental priorities. 

Promote innovative solutions: Encourage innovative science and technologies to create new options to 

address diffcult challenges where few or no viable or effective options currently exist. 

Apply integrated pest management: Apply integrated pest management principles in a manner that 

balances risks to human health and the environment from invasive species management activities with the 

risks of failure to act expeditiously to control invasive species. 

Prioritize cost-effectiveness: Apply a deliberate decision-making process to evaluate the full range of 

methods and tools available to achieve resource management objectives in a particular geography and 

select the one that achieves those objectives with the least expenditure of Interior funds. 

Streamline regulatory and decision-making processes: Ensure appropriate management actions are taken 

that are commensurate with the potential to avoid harm, while maintaining appropriate and necessary 

consultations with State, Tribal, and local governments, and the public. 

Demonstrate accountability: Develop and use specifc, measurable, achievable, results-oriented, and timefxed (SMART) performance metrics to evaluate invasive species management activities. Aim for substantive 

annual net reduction of invasive species populations or infested acreage on Interior-managed lands and 

waters. Report annually on performance results and share with Federal and non-Federal partners, other 

interested parties, and the public. 

23 The full list of crosscutting principles that are included in the Departmental Manual Chapter on invasive species are available online at https://

www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/fles/elips/documents/524-dm-1-508.pdf
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 14 

 

 

V. Goals, Objectives, and Strategies 

Each goal in the Plan has objectives that provide detail about how to accomplish that goal. Each objective 

has a list of strategies, or specifc activities, to achieve that objective. The order of the goals, objectives, 

and strategies does not refect relative priority. Partnering is critical to success in managing invasive 

species. When the Plan refers to collaborating “with others,” or “with partners,” this includes working with 

State, Tribal, Territorial, and local governments, other Federal agencies, academia, industry, non-proft 

organizations, land managers, landowners, and the public. Due to the evolving nature of partnerships and 

the extensive and varying collaborations in which Interior is engaged across the Nation, specifc groups are 

rarely specifc in this Plan; however, the importance of partnerships in invasive species management, and 

the need for Interior’s active involvement in those partnerships, cannot be overstated. 

Goal 1: Collaborate across Interior and with others to optimize operations 

through leveraging partnerships, joint educational efforts, and shared 

funding. 

Invasive species are not constrained by jurisdictional boundaries. The most successful efforts to combat 

invasive species are those that enlist a broad coalition of partners working across jurisdictions toward 

mutual goals. Numerous interagency coordinating bodies and partnerships are operating at all levels— 

international to local—across the Nation to advance appropriately scaled strategies. Collectively, these 

interagency bodies and partnerships create a network of concerted action, information sharing, and 

planning that strengthens society’s ability to manage invasive species (Appendix C). It is through these and 

other networks that the identifcation of mutual priorities take place. 

This goal emphasizes having effective coordination and communication mechanisms for identifying mutual 

priorities, sharing information across Interior and with others, promoting invasive species education 

campaigns, and working closely across Interior Bureaus and with our partners to leverage resources 

Objective 1.1: Increase engagement in partnerships at multiple scales and “do our 

share” to advance mutual priorities and promote effciency and cost-savings.

 Strategies: 

a. Leverage existing interagency bodies, partnerships, and networks and establish new collaborative 

efforts, as needed, to better manage invasive species (e.g., feral swine). 

b. Develop and implement interjurisdictional management plans, in collaboration with others, that 

advance mutual priorities. 

c. Use Memoranda of Understanding, cooperative agreements, and other instruments, to strengthen 

collaboration to advance effcient management activities. 

d. Incentivize partnerships among Interior Bureaus and with others that work across jurisdictions to 

address mutual priorities. 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 15 

 

 

 

Objective 1.2: Increase information exchange across Interior and with others 

to share expertise on invasive species science and management and promote 

effciency and cost-savings. 

Strategies: 

a. Use and enhance current mechanisms for coordination, communication, and reporting, including 

leveraging information technology for elements such as geospatial mapping and authoritative 

databases to expedite information-sharing. 

b. Enhance invasive species training opportunities. 

c. Share a nationwide network of Interior subject matter experts to provide training or technical 

assistance internally and to partners on invasive species management activities. 

d. Increase engagement with Tribes and indigenous communities to understand how culture, subsistence, 

and traditional ecological knowledge can be incorporated into management goals and activities. 

Objective 1.3: Increase understanding about invasive species and motivate actions 

to address them.

 Strategies: 

a. Leverage and enhance national invasive species education and outreach campaigns and websites to 

educate the public and provide informational resources for managers. 

b. Leverage Interior capabilities to inform target audiences about invasive species, including information 

on distribution, impacts, and management solutions. 

c. Promote coordination among State, Tribal, Territorial, Federal, non-governmental organizations, and 

other invasive species and communication experts to ensure the public receives accurate, actionable, 

and consistent messaging about invasive species. 

d. Undertake studies to assess the ecological, economic, or human health impacts of invasive species 

and their management to inform decision-making. 

NPS’s Southeast Coast Invasive Plant Management Team and partners 

hold a “Weed Wrangle” at Congaree National Park, SC. (NPS) 

NPS partners with WA Department of Fish and Wildlife and Puddles, 

an invasive mussel sniffng dog, for aquatic invasive species watercraft 

inspections at Kettle Falls Marina, WA. (NPS) 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 16 

 

 

Objective 1.4: Increase partner and internal awareness of Interior funding 

opportunities. 

Strategies: 

a. Ensure that Interior staff, partners, and stakeholders are aware of Interior fnancial assistance 

programs (e.g., grants) that may be available to fund invasive species management activities. 

b. Optimize fnancial assistance programs for invasive species management activities so that they are 

effcient, effective, and meet programmatic objectives. 

Objective 1.5: Increase coordination of resources and investments across Interior 

and with others to support mutual priorities. 

Strategies: 

a. Improve reporting and analysis of Interior’s invasive species investments and other, related 

investments, particularly those allocated to high-impact species. 

b. Identify mutual priorities across Interior and with others and leverage investments and resources to 

address those priorities. 

c. Pursue possible synergies with programs with similar goals or activities, such as the wildland fre 

community, that are nontraditional partners in invasive species management. 

d. At the regional level, coordinate through Secretarial Field Special Assistants and their respective 

regional executive leadership teams in interagency priority-setting and budget execution on invasive 

species management activities of programmatic interest to more than one Bureau. 

e. At the national level, coordinate through Interior’s Offce of Policy Analysis to work with Bureaus 

to establish a select set of national invasive species program priorities, and advise the Assistant 

Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget on those issues. 

Goal Metrics: Appendix D 

Goal Outcome: Effective partnerships use the best available information and leverage resources 

to address national and regional invasive species priorities effciently and effectively. 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 17 

 

Goal 2: Cost-effectively prevent the introduction and spread of invasive 

species into and within the United States. 

Preventing the introduction of invasive species is the frst line of defense against biological invasion 

and is the most cost-effective approach. Prevention includes efforts to stop the introduction of invasive 

species into the United States and efforts to stop the secondary spread within the United States from an 

infested area to areas free of that invasive species. Science-based decision-support tools are essential to 

identify invasive species and their pathways of introduction, so that resources can be focused accordingly. 

Outcomes of these assessments inform both regulatory and nonregulatory approaches. 

This goal emphasizes working with partners to identify mutual priorities for prevention, particularly at the 

regional level, and promotes the use of Interior’s authorities for prevention, the implementation of best 

prevention practices, and the pursuit of research and innovation to develop new prevention measures. 

Objective 2.1: Increase the use of cost-effective approaches to prevent the 

introduction of invasive species into the United States and reduce long-term 

economic impacts. 

Strategies: 

a. Use horizon-scanning, predictive modelling, and other tools to identify high-risk species and pathways 

of introduction into the United States. 

b. Leverage Interior’s existing statutory authorities, such as the injurious provisions of the Lacey Act, 18 

U.S.C § 42 and the wildlife traffcking provision of Lacey Act Amendments of 1981, 16 U.S.C § 3372, 

to manage pathways of invasive species introductions and prevent new invasive species from becoming 

established. 

c. Enhance the collection of trade importation data as it relates to invasive species so that it is 

electronically available and searchable for organisms (wildlife and plants) imported into the United 

States; ensure this data is correctly identifed to species. 

d. Ensure Interior staff are aware of relevant authorities (e.g., consultation under Endangered Species Act 

7(a)(2)) that can be used for prevention and encourage their implementation at all organizational levels. 

e. Support and work with other Federal agencies in their efforts to implement their own statutory 

authorities to reduce the risk of invasive species introductions through pathways not regulated by 

Interior. 

f. Work through the appropriate Executive Branch processes to identify gaps and opportunities within 

Interior authorities to enhance protection of the United States from invasive species threats. 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 18 

 

 

Objective 2.2: Prioritize prevention practices to inhibit the secondary spread of 

invasive species within the United States and reduce long-term economic impacts. 

Strategies: 

a. Develop and implement site-specifc prevention and containment practices for pathways that are likely 

to introduce or spread invasive species onto and from Interior-managed lands. 

b. Educate visitors to Interior-managed lands and waters of pertinent invasive species laws and 

regulations and cooperate closely with appropriate Federal and non-Federal law enforcement personnel 

to ensure compliance. 

c. Collaborate with partners to identify mechanisms to reduce interstate movement of invasive species. 

d. Leverage Interior’s 12 standard regions to bolster coordination across Interior and with partners to 

address regional prevention priorities. 

Objective 2.3: Leverage research and innovation to develop cost-effective 

tools, technologies, and methods to prevent invasive species introductions and 

secondary spread. 

Strategies: 

a. Enhance decision-support tools to conduct risk analyses that identify high-risk species and high-risk 

pathways that are likely to negatively impact Interior-managed resources. 

b. Leverage Interior expertise and that of external partners to increase effcacy of tools, designs, or 

practices to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species. 

Goal Metrics: Appendix D 

Goal Outcome: Effective biosecurity measures reduce the number of invasive species that arrive, 

establish, and spread within the United States. 

A USFWS Inspector inspects a commercial wildlife shipment of tropical 

fsh with lionfsh imported into the United States for the pet trade at a 

designated Wildlife Port of Entry. (USFWS) 

Reclamation conducts early detection sampling for invasive mussels 

using a plankton tow net at a Colorado Reservoir. (Reclamation) 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 19 

 

Goal 3: Implement early detection and rapid response efforts in 

coordination with other Federal agencies, States, Tribes, Territories, and 

other partners to reduce potential damage and costs from new infestations 

becoming established. 

For invasive species that fail to be excluded through prevention efforts, early detection and rapid response 

(EDRR)—a coordinated set of actions to fnd and eradicate initial invasive species infestations before 

they spread and cause harm—can avoid the long-term costs and economic burden that invasive species 

might otherwise cause. This goal emphasizes the importance of coordinating EDRR activities, including the 

identifcation of priority EDRR species, across Interior and with State, Tribal, and Territorial governments, 

which are often the lead agencies for response. It also promotes capabilities for early detection 

biosurveillance and rapid response. Early detection biosurveillance is the capability necessary to predict, 

prioritize, and detect new invasive species occurrences so they can be eradicated, ideally before they 

become successfully established. This goal also strives to streamline regulatory processes so responses 

occur in a timely manner, while maintaining appropriate and necessary consultations with State, Tribal, and 

local governments and satisfying applicable environmental compliance and other statutory obligations. 

Objective 3.1: Engage in coordinated, early detection biosurveillance efforts 

that inform decision-making for rapid responses and promote effciency and 

cost-savings. 

Strategies: 

a. Delineate Interior’s roles, responsibilities, and contributions within the broader intergovernmental 

community in implementing coordinated early detection biosurveillance efforts. 

b. Develop and enhance early detection biosurveillance capacity, feld expertise, tools, techniques, and 

technologies, including molecular methods. 

c. Prioritize early detection biosurveillance on Interior-managed lands and off Interior-managed lands 

where Interior has statutory authority, and where there is the greatest risk of introduction of high-impact 

invasive species. 

d. Selectively strengthen Interior taxonomic expertise and ability to verify species identifcation for 

programs where Interior has a statutory mandate (e.g., fsh and wildlife health and wildlife inspection at 

designated wildlife ports of entry). 

e. Use existing inventory, monitoring, and citizen science programs, where appropriate, to assist with early 

detection biosurveillance. 

f. Inform rapid response actions to recent introductions by rapidly assessing risks, including using 

streamlined geospatial mapping and data from authoritative databases. 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 20 

 

Objective 3.2: Engage in coordinated, rapid response efforts based on the outcome 

of early detection biosurveillance to promote effciency and cost-savings. 

Strategies: 

a. Delineate Interior’s roles, responsibilities, and contributions within the broader intergovernmental 

community in implementing coordinated rapid response efforts. 

b. Use or develop response frameworks to facilitate response actions, including coordination, information 

fow, analysis, decision-making, goal setting, resource-sharing, and implementation. 

c. Streamline regulatory processes (e.g., where appropriate under the National Environmental Policy Act, 

Endangered Species Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and injurious listing under 18 U.S.C § 42) 

so that rapid response actions occur in a timely manner. 

d. Promote and enhance the use and capacity of interjurisdictional teams to implement coordinated rapid 

response actions. 

e. Evaluate the effectiveness of rapid response actions and share results to improve subsequent actions. 

Goal Metrics: Appendix D 

Goal Outcome: Invasive species are detected and eradicated early in the invasion process. 

USGS is developing tools for the detection and capture of black and white Argentine tegu lizards in the southeastern U.S. 

(USGS) 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 21 

Goal 4: Cost-effectively control or eradicate established invasive species 

populations to reduce impacts and help restore ecosystems. 

Once invasive species are established, managers must determine which invasive species to control or 

eradicate, and where geographically to focus those efforts. Priorities can be set based on evaluating 

which species pose the greatest threat to human health, Interior’s resource management objectives, 

the economy, and ecosystem services and functions. Feasibility of control considers criteria such as 

available control techniques, cost-effectiveness, likelihood of successful control or eradication, likelihood of 

reinvasion, public support, complexity of environmental compliance, and availability of resources. 

Interior promotes the use of integrated pest management, an approach that uses biological, cultural, 

physical, and chemical tools in a way that reduces risks to human health, the environment, and the 

economy. It is a science-based decision-making process that incorporates management goals, consensus 

building, biology, monitoring, environmental factors, and selection of the best available technology 

to achieve desired outcomes while managing effects on non-target species and the environment and 

preventing unacceptable levels of damage. 

Because invasive species are not constrained by jurisdictional boundaries, working across those 

boundaries to control invasive species in collaboration with State, Tribal, and local governments, other 

Federal agencies, landowners, and other partners often is paramount for success. This goal emphasizes 

the importance of identifying mutual priorities for a coordinated approach to control invasive species in a 

given geographic area and increase effectiveness. It also stresses opportunities to focus on those areas 

where eradication—the complete removal of the invasive species—is most likely and sustainable in the 

long-term (e.g., on islands) or where suppression (e.g., biological control) can be achieved to sustain 

management objectives. 

In addition, this goal leverages science and innovation to develop tools and methods to control or eradicate 

invasive species and help restore ecosystem form, function, and structure to enhance resilience to future 

disturbance and meet land management multi-use objectives. Similar to Goal 3, this goal also emphasizes 

the importance of streamlining regulatory processes, while maintaining appropriate and necessary 

consultations with State, Tribal, and local governments and meeting environmental compliance and other 

statutory obligations. 

Volunteers from Linking Individuals to their Natural Community and Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy pull French broom seedlings at Point 

Reyes National Seashore, CA. (NPS) 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 22 

 

 

Objective 4.1: Control or eradicate established invasive species on Interiormanaged lands and waters and across jurisdictions, where practicable. 

Strategies: 

a. Develop and use decision-support tools in setting priorities for control or eradication, including 

prioritizing geographic areas (e.g., areas of high conservation value or that are culturally signifcant) and 

prioritizing particular invasive species, establishing goals for population suppression or eradication, and 

determining where success can be maintained long-term and when control or eradication is no longer 

practicable. 

b. Control or eradicate priority invasive species using integrated pest management approaches, 

particularly in those areas where eradication is feasible (e.g., on an island or specifc geographic region 

where success can be maintained long-term). 

c. Promote practices (e.g., those included in the National Seed Strategy) and programs that restore 

ecosystems to enhance their resilience to disturbance and resistance to future invasive species 

infestations, and to meet resource management objectives (e.g., subsistence use). 

d. Coordinate with adjacent land managers or landowners to pursue a joint approach to control or 

eradicate invasive species that cross jurisdictional boundaries. 

e. Use social science tools to develop consensus around goals or approaches to control or eradicate 

invasive species. 

f. Evaluate the effectiveness of control or eradication actions and share results to improve subsequent 

efforts. 

Objective 4.2: Reduce the role of invasive species in wildfre frequency, intensity, 

and extent. 

Strategies: 

a. Coordinate between fre management and invasive species management programs across Interior and 

with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, non-Federal partners such as State 

and Tribal fre management programs, and others. 

b. Promote community-based partnerships that coordinate actions and leverage resources to achieve 

regional goals, including reducing the introduction and spread of invasive plants that pose a wildfre risk 

and addressing their impacts on post-fre recovery and restoration efforts. 

c. Develop a shared wildfre and invasive species response strategy through the National Invasive Species 

Council and intergovernmental Wildland Fire Leadership Council to focus management on areas where 

mutual success is likely and resistance to invasive species and resilience to fre can be enhanced. 

d. Work with land management agencies in rural communities to leverage tools (e.g., outcome-based 

grazing using livestock) that manage invasive plants and reduce fuel loads. 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 23 

 

 

Objective 4.3: Leverage research and innovation to develop safe and cost-effective 

tools, technologies, and methods to control or eradicate invasive species, restore 

ecosystems, and adapt to environmental change. 

Strategies: 

a. Develop and promote new tools and technologies to control or eradicate invasive species and to 

restore ecosystems. 

b. Use social science and other tools to cultivate awareness and understanding of the development and 

implementation of new technologies. 

c. Collaborate across Interior and with partners to meet or exceed regulatory requirements for application 

of new tools and technologies. 

d. Develop and promote decision-support tools and best practices to aid managers in planning for and 

responding to climate and other environmental change, including extreme weather events, that may 

increase the risk of introductions, spread, and impacts of invasive species introductions. 

Objective 4.4: Increase effciency of conducting environmental compliance for 

control or eradication activities. 

Strategies: 

a. Develop templates and pursue other options to more effciently and effectively comply with the National 

Environmental Policy Act, sections 7 and 10 of the Endangered Species Act (e.g., programmatic section 

7 consultations), and other statutes. 

b. Streamline regulatory processes and use National Environmental Policy Act Categorical Exclusions, 

wherever applicable and appropriate, for implementing invasive species control or eradication activities. 

c. Strengthen Interior’s capacity to maintain and register products for which Interior is responsible for 

invasive species control or eradication. 

d. Promote and enhance the ability of Interior employees to apply effective products and techniques within 

Federal standards. 

Goal Metrics: Appendix D 

Goal Outcome: Control and eradication projects are implemented using management tools that 

substantively reduce the impact of priority invasive species on Interior resources and those of its 

neighbors and partners. 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 24 

 

Goal 5: Improve invasive species data management for decision-making at 

all levels of government. 

Data is fundamental to effective decision-making. Whether it be recording the identifcation of an invasive 

species, the location or size of an infestation, the type of control being used, or the result of that control: 

information is crucial for geospatial mapping, modeling, and evaluating effectiveness of actions taken. This 

goal highlights the importance of data collection, data storage, data analysis, and data sharing. Consistent 

with the broader societal efforts at promoting open science and transparency of data, Interior and its 

partners are elevating awareness about the collection of relevant data and the value of having access to 

data and data analysis capabilities to aid in invasive species decision-making. This goal promotes equipping 

managers with the information and technological and analytic tools needed to make informed, sciencebased decisions in a timely manner. 

Objective 5.1: Promote user-friendly, interoperable databases to increase 

effciency and cost-savings. 

Strategies: 

a. Enhance and promote the use of existing Federal and non-Federal databases that support invasive 

species information needs and maximize data sharing and availability. 

b. Improve the quantity and quality of data sharing, including legacy data (data that may be in obsolete 

formats), in authoritative databases across Interior, and with data integrators (databases combining 

data from multiple sources). 

c. Maintain and enhance invasive species database services and tools, such as providing geospatial 

occurrence data, mapping capabilities, risk analyses, early detection alert notifcations, and tracking of 

management actions and their effectiveness, and ensure these data and tools remain accessible to 

Interior and others. 

d. Respond to feedback from managers on the tools and datasets that would aid managers in decisionmaking. 

USFWS explores the use of advanced biotechnologies to control invasive 

insect species. (USFWS) 

USGS evaluates the effects of wildland fre and cheatgrass, which fuels 

fre. (USGS) 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 25 

 

Objective 5.2: Increase invasive species data collection and its accuracy, 

consistency, level of reporting, and utility across Interior. 

Strategies: 

a. Adopt and expand the use of the North American Invasive Species Management Association minimum 

mapping standards for invasive species across Interior, with the future aim of adopting Federal 

Geographic Data Committee geospatial standards. 

b. Enhance Interior’s capacity to collect data on management actions and to analyze patterns of success 

to increase effectiveness. 

c. Establish, in collaboration with others, guidance for use of environmental DNA and adhere to that 

guidance across Interior. 

d. Develop and use quality assurance and quality control practices and processes for accurate and 

precise data management for use in integrated authoritative databases. 

e. Defne the role of citizen science in Interior’s invasive species data collection efforts and, where 

appropriate, promote consistent citizen science training, data collection, and online data submission. 

Goal Metrics: Appendix D 

Goal Outcome: Managers and data users, including partners, have access to the data and 

decision-enabling tools necessary to manage invasive species effectively. 

VI. Conclusion 

As the largest land and water manager in the United States, Interior has a vital role in the management of 

invasive species. The coordinated approach outlined in the Plan will leverage resources more effectively 

and bolster programs, practices, and services necessary to reduce the negative impacts of invasive 

species. Interior is committed to working across the Federal family and with States, Tribes, Territories, 

local governments, and other partners to collectively manage invasive species to conserve the Nation’s 

resources for the beneft of current and future generations. 

Interior is committed to working with partners to protect lands and waters from invasive species. (Jackson Lake, WY, Reclamation) 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 26 

Appendix A. Bureau and Offce Missions and Roles in 

Invasive Species Management 

Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) 

Mission: To enhance the quality of life, to promote 

economic opportunity, and to carry out the 

responsibility to protect and improve the trust 

assets of American Indians, Indian Tribes, and 

Alaska Natives. 

Responsibilities for Invasive Species: 

• Oversees monitoring, compliance, and 

enforcement of grazing permits and agricultural 

leases with respect to invasive species on Tribal 

range and agricultural lands held in trust for 

Indian Tribes. 

• Receives Federal allocation funds for invasive 

species (vegetative treatment of noxious 

weeds) on federally-recognized Tribal lands 

under the trust responsibility of the Secretary 

of the Interior, which are disbursed through a 

competitive project process. 

• Supports Tribal participation in Interior's 12 

standard regions for early detection and rapid 

response; local, State, and regional Cooperative 

Weed Management Areas; and collaborative 

restoration projects, including the Great Lakes 

Restoration Initiative, Missouri River Water 

Coalition, San Juan Woody Watershed Initiative, 

and the Southwest Tamarisk Coalition. 

Links: https://www.bia.gov 

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 

Mission: To sustain the health, diversity, and 

productivity of America’s public lands for the 

multiple use and enjoyment of present and future 

generations. 

Responsibilities for Invasive Species: 

• Controls the introduction and spread of invasive 

plants and other taxa across public lands. 

• Works cooperatively to manage invasive species 

across landscapes. 

• Manages for preservation and restoration of 

native ecosystems. 

• Manages public lands to provide for multiple 

uses, such as livestock grazing, energy and 

mineral development, recreation, and forestry 

and cultural activities, while minimizing the 

introduction and spread of invasive species. 

Links: https://www.blm.gov/weeds, 

https://www.blm.gov/programs/fsh-and-wildlife/ 

fsheries-and-aquatics/about-the-program 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 27 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Bureau of Reclamation 

Management (BOEM) (Reclamation) 

Mission: BOEM manages development of renewable 

and conventional energy and mineral resources of 

the Outer Continental Shelf in an environmentally 

and economically responsible way. 

Responsibilities for Invasive Species: 

• Develops, funds, and manages rigorous scientifc 

research through its Environmental Studies 

Program, specifcally to inform policy decisions 

on the development of energy and mineral 

resources on the Outer Continental Shelf. 

• Considers invasive species through its 

environmental program to ensure that 

environmental protection informed by science 

and law is an indispensable consideration in 

BOEM’s decision-making. 

Links: https://www.boem.gov/environment, 

https://marinecadastre.gov/espis/# 

Mission: To manage, develop, and protect water 

and related resources in an environmentally and 

economically sound manner in the interest of the 

American public. 

Responsibilities for Invasive Species: 

• Conducts invasive zebra and quagga mussel 

monitoring at nearly 400 water bodies. 

• Supports partners’ watercraft inspection and 

decontamination efforts. 

• Conducts research and develops methods and 

technologies to prevent, detect, and control 

invasive species, with a strong focus on zebra 

and quagga mussel impacts on Reclamation 

facilities. 

• Utilizes site-specifc Integrated Pest Management 

Plans for terrestrial and aquatic invasive species 

management. 

• Creates tools to guide management of invasive 

species on Reclamation land and facilities, 

such as Reclamation’s Inspection and Cleaning 

Manual for Equipment and Vehicles to Prevent the 

Spread of Invasive Species, the Integrated Pest 

Management Manual, and Facility Vulnerability 

Assessments. 

Links: https://www.usbr.gov/mussels 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 28 

Bureau of Safety and 

Environmental Enforcement 

(BSEE) 

Mission: To promote safety, protect the 

environment, and conserve resources offshore 

through vigorous regulatory oversight and 

enforcement. 

Responsibilities for Invasive Species: 

• Performs compliance and monitoring with 

environmental standards as assessed through 

environmental analysis. 

Links: https://www.bsee.gov 

National Park Service (NPS) 

Mission: To preserve unimpaired the natural and 

cultural resources and values of the national park 

system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration 

of this and future generations. 

Responsibilities for Invasive Species: 

• Conserves the scenery and the natural and 

historic objects and the wildlife therein and 

provides for the enjoyment of the same in 

such manner and by such means as will leave 

them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future 

generations, including the prevention and 

management of invasive species (NPS Organic 

Act of 1916, as amended, and Management 

Policies 2006). 

• Cooperates with stakeholders and partners to 

control and manage invasive species in and 

around NPS units. 

• Provides technical support and training in 

invasive species management methods to 

NPS staff, volunteers, and partners. 

• Inventories and monitors the introduction, 

spread, management, and impact of invasive 

species in parks. 

• Supports 17 Invasive Plant Management 

Teams that work to prevent, monitor, and 

control invasive plants and restore native 

plant communities in the National Park 

System. 

• Provides relevant information to diverse 

public audiences about invasive species to 

enhance public knowledge, awareness, and 

stewardship. 

• Serves on numerous invasive species task 

forces and working groups to increase 

coordination and information sharing. 

Links: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/invasive/ 

index.htm, 

https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1103/epmt.htm 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 29 

Offce of Insular Affairs (OIA) 

Mission: To carry out the administrative 

responsibilities of the Secretary of the Interior 

and the Assistant Secretary for Insular and 

International Affairs in coordinating Federal policy 

for the territories of American Samoa, Guam, the 

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 

and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Offce is also 

responsible for administering and overseeing U.S. 

Compact assistance to the Federated States of 

Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, 

and the Republic of Palau. The offce of the 

Assistant Secretary also manages Interior's Oceans, 

Great Lakes, and Coastal Program, which co-chairs 

the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) with the 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

The USCRTF monitors and promotes eradication of 

invasive species that attack coral reefs. 

Responsibilities for Invasive Species: 

• Provides fnancial assistance and award 

management for brown treesnake (BTS) research 

and eradication. The primary goals of OIA’s BTS 

efforts are to: 1) prevent the establishment of 

BTS in other U.S.-affliated insular areas and 

2) support the development and implementation 

of techniques to control BTS populations on 

Guam. OIA also provides fnancial support to 

combat other invasive species, such as the 

coconut rhinoceros beetle, little fre ant, crown 

of thorns starfsh, red tiled boa constrictors, and 

African tulip and rubber trees. 

Links: https://www.doi.gov/oia 

Offce of Surface Mining Reclamation 

and Enforcement (OSMRE) 

Mission: To carry out the requirements of the 

Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act 

(SMCRA) in cooperation with States and Tribes. 

Responsibilities for Invasive Species: 

• Works in cooperation with partner States, 

industry, environmental groups, academia, 

and others to replant legacy or abandoned 

mine lands with native species and control or 

eradicate invasive plants as required by the site. 

• Promotes and recommends the use of native 

hardwoods and succession species through the 

Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative 

Forestry Advisories. 

Links: https://www.osmre.gov 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 30 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) 

Mission: To work with others to conserve, protect 

and enhance fsh, wildlife and plants and their 

habitats for the continuing beneft of the American 

people. 

Responsibilities for Invasive Species: 

• Co-chairs and provides administrative support 

to the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force 

composed of 13 Federal and 13 non-Federal 

members, six regional panels, and issue specifc 

committees. 

• Oversees the national aquatic invasive species 

program. 

• Enforces the Injurious provisions of 18 U.S.C. 

§ 42 and the wildlife traffcking provision of 16 

U.S.C. § 3372. 

• Directs the inspection of wildlife shipments 

at staffed wildlife ports and enforces wildlife 

laws against traffcking in interstate and foreign 

commerce of injurious and invasive species. 

• Addresses invasive species threats to the 

persistence of Trust resources. 

• Incorporates invasive species management 

actions into section 7 Endangered Species 

Act consultations as well as conservation and 

species recovery plans. 

• Supports Invasive Species Strike Teams that 

work across the National Wildlife Refuge 

System to carry out prevention and early 

detection and rapid response activities on and 

within the vicinity of refuge lands and waters; 

and individual refuges implement a variety of 

practices at the local level to manage invasive 

species. 

• Implements an annual competitive $1 million 

“Large Invasive Species Allocation” awarded to 

one refuge to eradicate one or more invasive 

species. 

• Provides relevant information to diverse public 

audiences about invasive species to enhance 

public knowledge, awareness, and stewardship. 

• Coordinates the Island Restoration and National 

Invasive Species Memorandum of Understanding 

Partner Groups. 

Links: https://www.fws.gov/invasives, 

https://www.fws.gov/injuriouswildlife/index.html, 

https://www.anstaskforce.gov/default.php 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 31 

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 

Mission: To serve the Nation by providing reliable 

scientifc information to describe and understand 

the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from 

natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, 

and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our 

quality of life. 

Responsibilities for Invasive Species: 

• Conducts research and develops methods and 

technologies to prevent the introduction of 

invasive species. 

• Identifes, reports, and develops new 

technologies to detect invasions and assess risk 

to natural areas and waters. 

• Assesses change in populations and distribution 

of established invaders. 

• Determines effects of invasive species and 

susceptibility of habitats to invasion. 

• Provides approaches and control technologies 

to contain, reduce, and eliminate populations of 

invasive species and restore habitats and native 

species. 

• Provides and coordinates collection, synthesis, 

and accessibility of invasive species information. 

Links: https://www.usgs.gov/ecosystems/ 

invasive-species-program 

Offce of the Secretary 

Offce of Policy Analysis 

• Provides crosscutting analysis and coordination 

to support decision-making and policies across 

Interior. 

• Provides expertise and leadership to evaluate 

Interior programs, develop and coordinate 

new programs, conduct studies of policies 

and programs, and conduct relevant economic 

analyses. 

• Coordinates and guides interagency and multiBureau program development and policy analysis 

tasks and undertakes issue analysis and 

decision documents on behalf of the Secretary, 

Deputy Secretary, and Assistant Secretary for 

Policy, Management and Budget. 

• Serves as Interior’s point of contact on invasive 

species issues for Bureaus and other Federal 

and non-Federal entities. 

• Coordinates Interior’s crosscutting plans and 

activities related to invasive species. 

Links: https://www.doi.gov/ppa/program-areas 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 32 

National Invasive Species Council 

• Provides the vision and national leadership 

to coordinate, sustain, and expand efforts to 

safeguard the United States against invasive 

species through the prevention, eradication, 

and control of invasive species, and through 

the restoration of ecosystems and other assets 

impacted by invasive species. 

• Established under Executive Orders 13112 and 

13751. 

• Composed of 12 Departments and four White 

House offces. 

• Co-chaired by the Secretaries of the Interior, 

Agriculture, and Commerce. 

• Implements priority activities in line with Annual 

Work Plans. 

• Facilitates the institutional leadership and 

priority setting by Council members. 

• Achieves effective interagency coordination and 

cost effciency. 

• Raises awareness and motivates action. 

• Removes institutional and policy barriers. 

• Assesses and strengthens capacities. 

• Fosters scientifc, technical, and programmatic 

innovation. 

Links: https://www.doi.gov/invasivespecies/ 

guidance-documents, 

https://www.doi.gov/invasivespecies 

Offce of Wildland Fire 

• Oversees Interior’s Wildland Fire Management 

Program. 

• Develops and executes budgets. 

• Coordinates workloads across Interior. 

• Establishes wildland fre management policy. 

• Manages program oversight. 

• Pursues technological innovation. 

• Management of invasive species intersects 

with the wildland fre program through fuels 

management, wildlife response, and post-fre 

activities. 

Links: https://www.doi.gov/wildlandfre 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 33 

Appendix B. Department of the Interior Regions 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 34 

Appendix C. Examples of Invasive Species Plans, 

Agreements, and Federal Coordination 

Interior’s Invasive Species Strategic Plan (Plan) aims 

to complement existing plans and promotes working 

through established networks, interagency bodies, 

and other coordinating mechanisms. The examples 

below are representative of the types of guiding 

documents (e.g., management plans), collaborative 

instruments (e.g., Memoranda of Understanding), 

and coordinating entities (e.g., interagency bodies) 

that are essential processes through which to 

identify mutual priorities, leverage capacity and 

resources, and optimize implementation of the Plan. 

Interior and Bureau Plans 

This Plan complements other Interior and Bureau 

plans, which provide additional strategic or tactical 

direction on agency-specifc activities related to 

invasive species, and which also help to achieve the 

goals of this Plan. 

Department of the Interior 

Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2018-2022 

Safeguarding the West from Invasive Species: 

Actions to Strengthen Federal, State, and Tribal 

Coordination to Address Invasive Mussels 

(2017-2020) 

National Park Service 

Invasive Plant Program Strategic Plan (2016) 

Invasive Plant Management Planning: Technical 

Considerations (2018) 

Quagga Zebra Mussel Strategic Plan for Western 

Parks (2020) 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

National Wildlife Refuge System National Strategy 

for the Management of Invasive Species (2002) 

Strategic Plan for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program: 

FY2016-2020 

Offce of Law Enforcement Strategic Plan 

2016–2020 

An Ecological Biosecurity Plan to Prevent Spread of 

Non-Native Species on Alaska Maritime National 

Wildlife Refuge (2020) 

Rapid Response Plan for Invasive Rodents in Alaska 

(2020) 

Interagency Plans 

This Plan recognizes that Interior Bureaus have 

been involved in the development or implementation 

of other interagency and species-specifc plans or 

other documents that provide additional strategic or 

tactical direction on invasive species management 

activities. Actions conducted under the auspices of 

these other plans help to achieve the goals of this 

Plan and provide opportunity for collaboration with 

Federal agencies outside Interior as well as with 

partners focused on particular taxa or pathways. 

National Invasive Species Council Guidance 

Documents 

Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Strategic Plan 

(2020-2025) 

Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force Approved Plans 

Quagga-Zebra Mussel Action Plan for Western U.S. 

Waters 

Management and Control Plan for Bighead, Black, 

Grass, and Silver Carps 

Brown Treesnake Control Plan 

National Management Plan for the Genus Calerpa 

Management Plan for the European Green Crab 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 35 

National Management Plan for the Genus Eriocheir 

(Mitten Crabs) 

Ruffe Control Program 

Snakehead Control and Management Plan 

State and Interstate Aquatic Nuisance Species 

Management Plans 

National Invasive Lionfsh Prevention and 

Management Plan 

Additional Interagency Plans 

Pulling Together: National Strategy for Invasive Plant 

Management (1998) 

A National Early Detection and Rapid Response 

System for Invasive Plants in the United States 

(2003) 

Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework and Annual 

Action Plan (2013, 2020) 

Regional Biosecurity Plan for Micronesia and Hawaii 

(2015) 

National Seed Strategy (2015) 

Safeguarding America’s Lands and Waters from 

Invasive Species: A National Framework for Early 

Detection and Rapid Response (2016) 

National Wildfre Coordinating Group Publication 

Management System 444, Guide to Preventing 

Aquatic Invasive Species Transport by Wildland Fire 

Operations (2017) 

National Wildlife Coordinating Group Publication 

Management System 317, Resource Advisor Guide, 

Appendix K: Invasive Species Management (2017) 

Arctic Invasive Alien Species Strategy and Action 

Plan (2017) 

Western Weed Action Plan (2019) 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service National 

Feral Swine Damage Management Program 

Memoranda of Understanding 

This Plan promotes the use of Memoranda of 

Understanding (such as those below), cooperative 

agreements, and other instruments to strengthen 

collaboration to advance effcient management 

activities, and to help achieve the goals of this Plan. 

Memorandum of Understanding to Support Rapid 

Response Actions for Invasive Zebra and Quagga 

Mussels in Western Waters of the United States 

(2020) 

The Island Restoration MOU with Island 

Conservation; American Bird Conservancy; U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, Wildlife Services; The Nature 

Conservancy; National Park Service; and the U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service (2015 as amended in 

2020) 

The Nationally Coordinated Invasive Species 

Prevention MOU with North American Invasive 

Species Management Association, Inc., Wildlife 

Forever, National Park Service, and U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (2019) 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 36 

National Federal Interagency Coordination 

To optimize implementation of this Plan, Interior 

will work through established mechanisms and 

leverage existing interagency bodies, partnerships, 

and networks to promote coordination on issues 

of mutual interest. For more information on how 

the Federal government coordinates on invasive 

species issues at a national level, please see the 

list of Federal interagency bodies below and their 

associated websites. 

Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force 

Federal Integrated Pest Management Coordinating 

Committee 

Federal Interagency Committee for the Management 

of Noxious and Exotic Weeds 

Federal Interagency Committee on Invasive 

Terrestrial Animals and Pathogens 

National Invasive Species Council 

Technical Advisory Group for Biological Control 

Agents of Weeds 

The National Invasive Species Council (NISC) is 

responsible for coordinating a Federal government 

approach to invasive species and can direct 

interested persons to appropriate contacts within 

the NISC-member agencies for agency-specifc 

program information. 

In addition, the National Invasive Species 

Information Center managed by the U.S. Department 

of Agriculture provides informational resources 

covering Federal, State, local, and international 

sources. 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 37 

Appendix D. Invasive Species Strategic Plan Metrics 

Interior’s Invasive Species Strategic Plan (Plan) 

establishes performance goals, and progress 

in achieving those goals will be monitored and 

assessed. The Plan includes a manageable set 

of proposed metrics for each goal. Metrics are an 

important tool by which to monitor progress, assess 

if strategies are being implemented correctly, make 

adjustments as necessary, and help determine if 

approaches were successful. Metrics should be 

SMART (specifc, measurable, achievable, resultsoriented, and time-fxed). 

Most of the performance metrics in this Plan are 

new. In some instances, Interior must implement 

them in stages, including establishing baselines 

against which progress can later be measured 

on an annual (or other regular) basis. Managers 

will use these performance indicators to fne tune 

programs or help identify when different tactics and 

strategies are needed. Program administrators will 

also periodically assess the rigor with which pilot 

studies and new approaches are implemented. 

These practices will help ensure that management 

strategies can be properly evaluated and that 

successful strategies can be applied in other areas. 

As part of Interior’s broader strategic planning 

effort associated with the Government Performance 

and Results Modernization Act, some of these 

metrics may be incorporated or modifed as part 

of that planning process, while others may be 

selectively added during the Plan’s implementation. 

For example, the Plan emphasizes the importance 

of prioritizing invasive species (e.g., high-impact 

invasive species), geographical areas (e.g., 

islands), and actions (e.g., prevention interventions, 

surveillance, control, or eradication). As these 

priorities are identifed at multiple scales, metrics 

could be added that enable an assessment of 

how well Interior is doing compared to a baseline, 

benchmark, or goal (e.g., number of invasion 

“hot spots” identifed, percentage of hot spots 

where early detection surveillance is conducted in 

collaboration with partners, number of new invasive 

species in those hot spots, and the associated 

number of successful eradications). 

It is important to note that the Plan serves as an 

overarching strategic framework for action. Interior 

has many management processes that advance the 

work included in this Plan (e.g., through Bureau work 

plans and through their involvement in interagency 

bodies, such as the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task 

Force, which also develops annual work plans). Other 

operational plans, with associated deliverables, 

will be developed as needed to advance the 

implementation of this Plan. 

Interior recognizes the value of metrics and will 

continue to work with other Federal agencies, 

States, Tribes, and other partners to determine 

other useful measures to evaluate performance. 

Goal 1: Collaborate across Interior and with 

others to optimize operations through leveraging 

partnerships, joint educational efforts, and shared 

funding. 

• Percentage of partners that are satisfed with the 

outcomes being leveraged through partnerships 

with Interior (Reporting Bureaus: BLM, NPS, 

Reclamation, USFWS, USGS) 

• Percent of invasive species projects that involve 

cost-sharing from at least one other organization 

(Reporting Bureaus: BLM, NPS, Reclamation, 

USFWS, USGS) 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 38 

Goal 2: Cost-effectively prevent the introduction 

and spread of invasive species into and within the 

United States. 

• Percent of species listed as injurious under 

the Injurious provisions of 18 U.S.C. § 42 not 

established in the United States at time of 

listing that remain not established (Reporting 

Bureau: USFWS) 

• Number of injurious animals under 18 U.S.C. § 

42 (Wildlife Ports of Entry) or injurious animals 

and invasive wildlife and plants under 16 U.S.C. 

§ 3371-3378 (interstate and Wildlife Ports of 

Entry) interdicted by the USFWS (Reporting 

Bureau: USFWS) 

Goal 3: Implement early detection and rapid 

response efforts in coordination with other Federal 

agencies, States, Tribes, Territories, and other 

partners to reduce potential damage and costs 

from new infestations becoming established. 

• Number of new invasive plant species on 

Interior-managed lands and waters (Reporting 

Bureaus: BLM, NPS, USFWS) 

• Number of new invasive animal species on 

Interior-managed lands and waters (Reporting 

Bureaus: NPS, USFWS) 

• Number of Early Detection and Rapid Response 

preparedness exercises in which Interior 

engaged with partners (Reporting Bureaus: BLM, 

NPS, Reclamation, USFWS, USGS) 

Goal 4: Cost-effectively control or eradicate 

established invasive species populations to reduce 

impacts and help restore ecosystems. 

• Percent of baseline acres infested with target 

invasive plant species that are under control 

on Interior-managed lands and waters (current 

Governmental Performance and Results Act 

strategic plan measure) (Reporting Bureaus: 

BLM, NPS, Reclamation, USFWS) 

• Percent of invasive animal species populations 

that are under control on Interior-managed lands 

and waters (current Governmental Performance 

and Results Act strategic plan measure) 

(Reporting Bureaus: NPS, USFWS) 

Goal 5: Improve invasive species data management 

for decision-making at all levels of government. 

• Percent of land management units or offces 

contributing data to Biodiversity Information 

Serving Our Nation (BISON), Nonindigenous 

Aquatic Species (NAS), EDDMaps, or 

iMapinvasives and using the North American 

Invasive Species Management Association 

standards (Reporting Bureaus: NPS, FWS, 

Reclamation, BLM) 

• Number of unique users of the NAS and BISON 

websites and online tools (Reporting Bureau: 

USGS) 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 39 

Appendix E. Laws and Policies Guiding Invasive Species 

Management at the Department of the Interior 

Federal Laws 

Alien Species Prevention Enforcement Act of 

1992 (Pub. L. No. 102-393) requires the Secretary 

of Agriculture to work with the Department of the 

Interior, the Postal Service, and the State of Hawaii 

to operate a program to protect the State of Hawaii 

from the introduction of prohibited plants, plant 

pests, and injurious animals that may be contained 

in the mail. 

Brown Tree Snake Control and Eradication Act 

2004 (Pub. L. No. 108-384) provides for the control 

and eradication of the invasive brown treesnake 

on the Island of Guam and the prevention of the 

introduction of the brown treesnake to other areas 

of the United States. 

Carlson-Foley Act of 1968 (Pub. L. No. 90-583) 

directs agency heads to enter upon lands under 

their jurisdiction with noxious plants and destroy 

noxious plants growing on such land. 

Clean Vessel Act of 1992 (Pub. L. No. 102-

587) allows the Secretary of the Interior to issue 

grants to coastal and inland States for pump out 

stations and waste reception facilities to dispose of 

recreational boater sewage. 

Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 

(Pub. L. 110-229) provides the National Park Service 

with authority to use its resources and funds 

collaboratively on land outside park boundaries for 

activities benefting park natural resources including 

control of invasive species. 

Endangered Species Act (Pub. L. No. 93-205) 

protects and recovers imperiled species and the 

ecosystems upon which they depend. Many listed 

species are listed in part due to the impact of 

invasive species on them. 

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide 

Act (Pub. L. No. 95-396) establishes procedures 

for the registration, classifcation, and regulation of 

all pesticides, some of which are used to control 

invasive species. 

Federal Land Policy Management Act (Pub. L. No. 

94-579) directs the Bureau of Land Management to 

“take any action necessary to prevent unnecessary 

and or undue degradation of the public lands.” 

Federal Noxious Weed Act (Pub. L. No. 93-629) 

section 15 of the Federal Noxious Weed Act of 

1974 (7 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.), the frst section and 

section 15 of that Act (7 U.S.C. 2801 note and 7 

U.S.C. 2814). Federal Noxious Weed Act of 1974, as 

amended by sec. 15 – Management of Undesirable 

Plants on Federal Lands, 1990, authorizes the 

Secretary “to cooperate with other Federal and State 

agencies, and others in carrying out operations or 

measures to eradicate, suppress, control, prevent, 

or retard the spread of any noxious weed.” Many 

noxious weeds are also considered invasive species. 

Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. § 

661 et seq., as amended by the John D. Dingell, 

Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, 

sec. 7001(b)(2), Pub. L. No. 116-9, 133 Stat. 580, 

779-784 (2019), as amended by the America’s 

Conservation Enhancement Act, Pub. L. No. 116-

188 (2020)) makes recommendations to agencies to 

conserve trust resources including recommendations 

regarding invasive species. 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 40 

Hawaii Tropical Forest Recovery Act of 1992 

(Pub. L. No. 102-574) establishes the Hawaii 

Tropical Forest Recovery Task Force to draft a plan 

for rejuvenating Hawaii’s tropical forests, which are 

threatened by invasive species. 

Injurious provisions of the Lacey Act 

(18 U.S.C. § 42) prohibit importation of wild 

vertebrates and other animals listed in the Act 

or declared by the Secretary of the Interior to be 

injurious to humans or agriculture, horticulture, 

forestry, wildlife, and wildlife resources except under 

certain circumstances and pursuant to regulations. 

Wildlife traffcking provision of the Lacey Act 

(16 U.S.C. § 3372) prohibits the import, export, 

transport, sale, receipt, acquisition, or purchase 

of any fsh or wildlife or plant that was taken, 

possessed, transported, or sold in violation of any 

law or regulation of any State, Tribal, or foreign law; 

this includes invasive species laws. 

National Invasive Species Act of 1996 

(Pub. L. No. 104-332) amends the Nonindigenous 

Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act to 

mandate regulations to prevent introduction and 

spread of aquatic nuisance species into the Great 

Lakes through ballast water; authorizes funding for 

research on aquatic nuisance species prevention 

and control (Chesapeake Bay, Gulf of Mexico, Pacifc 

Coast, Atlantic Coast, and San Francisco BayDelta Estuary); requires ballast water management 

program to demonstrate technologies and practices 

to prevent nonindigenous species from being 

introduced; modifes composition of the Aquatic 

Nuisance Species Task Force; and requires the Task 

Force to develop and implement a comprehensive 

program to control the brown treesnake in Guam. 

National Park Service Organic Act (16 U.S.C. 1 et 

seq [1988], August 25, 1916, sc. 408, 39 Stat. 

535) (Pub. L. 64-235) mandates parks to “conserve 

the scenery and the natural and historic objects and 

the wild life therein... [to] leave them unimpaired for 

the enjoyment of future generations.” 

National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act 

of 1966 (Pub. L. No. 97-95) regulates through 50 

C.F.R. and establishes the National Wildlife Refuge 

System. This act requires the agency to administer 

lands to provide for the conservation of fsh, wildlife, 

plants, and their habitats and to ensure that 

biological integrity and diversity is maintained (16 

U.S.C. 668dd). 

National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement 

Act of 1997 (Pub. L. 105-57) amends the National 

Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 

in a manner that provides an “Organic Act” for the 

Refuge System. Requires that the Secretary of the 

Interior maintain the biological integrity, diversity, 

and environmental health of the Refuge System. 

Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention 

and Control Act (Pub. L. No. 101-646) assigns 

responsibilities to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

the U.S. Coast Guard, the Environmental Protection 

Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to 

develop a program of prevention, monitoring, control, 

and study to prevent introduction of and to control 

the spread of introduced aquatic nuisance species 

and the brown treesnake, including membership on 

an Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force. 

Noxious Weed Control and Eradication Act of 2004 

(Pub. L. No. 108-412) establishes a program to 

provide assistance through States to eligible weed 

management entities to control or eradicate harmful, 

non-native weeds on public and private lands. 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 41 

Nutria Eradication and Control Act of 2003 

(Pub. L. No. 108-16, as amended by Pub. L. No. 

116-186 (2020)) authorizes the Secretary of the 

Interior to provide fnancial assistance to a State 

that has demonstrated suffcient need for a program 

to implement measures to eradicate or control 

invasive nutria and restore marshland, public and 

private wetlands, and agricultural lands damaged by 

nutria. 

Plant Protection Act of 2000 (Pub. L. No. 106-

224) includes management of undesirable plants 

on Federal lands and authorizes the Bureau of Land 

Management to manage noxious weeds and to 

coordinate with other Federal and State agencies in 

activities to eradicate, suppress, control, prevent, or 

retard the spread of any noxious weeds on Federal 

lands 

Public Rangelands Improvement Act (Pub. L. No. 

95-514) improves the range conditions of the public 

rangelands. 

Surface Mining Reclamation and Control Act 

(Pub. L. No. 95-87) establishes minimum Federal 

environmental performance standards for the 

regulation of coal mining activities and reclamation. 

Requires the Secretary of the Interior to approve any 

State program that meets or exceeds the Federal 

standard, which grants those States primacy. 

Environmental protection performance standards 

require native species (except where introduced 

species are used to achieve an approved postmining land use plan) be used to re-vegetate and 

reclaim areas affected by mining. 

Title 25 U.S.C. 3701, et. seq. American Indian 

Agricultural Resource Management Act 

(Pub. L. No. 103-177) directs the Secretary of the 

Interior to provide for the management of Indian 

agricultural lands to achieve certain objectives. 

Title 25 U.S.C. 466 Indian Forestry Units; rules 

and regulations directs the Secretary of the Interior 

to make rules and regulations for the operation 

and management of Indian forestry units on the 

principle of sustained-yield management, to restrict 

the number of livestock grazed on Indian range units 

to the estimated carrying capacity of such ranges, 

and to promulgate such other rules and regulations 

as may be necessary to protect the range from 

deterioration, to prevent soil erosion, to assure full 

utilization of the range, and like purposes. 

Wild Bird Conservation Act of 1992 (Pub. L. No. 

102-440) regulates importation of foreign wild birds, 

some of which may become invasive species. 

Administrative Policies 

Executive Order 13112, as amended by Executive 

Order 13751 directs Federal agencies to prevent 

the introduction of invasive species and provide for 

their control, and to minimize the economic, plant, 

animal, ecological, and human health impacts that 

invasive species cause. 

Department of the Interior Manual 

Chapter 524: Invasive Species Management – 

Provides policy to cost-effectively help prevent the 

introduction, establishment, and spread of invasive 

species; detect and rapidly respond to invasive 

species; eradicate or control populations of invasive 

species that are established; and implement 

these actions in collaboration with States, Tribes, 

Territories, and others as appropriate. 

Chapter 517: Integrated Pest Management 

Program – Provides policy for the use of pesticides 

on the lands and waters under its jurisdiction, 

and for compliance with the Federal Insecticide, 

Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, as amended. 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 42 

Bureau of Indian Affairs 

• Executive Order 13175 of November 6, 2000. 

Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal 

Governments. 65 Fed. Reg. 67249 

• Secretary’s Order 3175, Departmental 

Responsibilities for Indian Trust Resources 

• Department of the Interior Policy on Consultation 

with Indian Tribes 

• Department of the Interior Policy on Consultation 

with Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act 

Corporations 

• Grazing Permit Regulations 25 C.F.R. § 166 

• BIA Manual 54 Agricultural Resources: Chapter 5 

• 30 BIA Manual, supplement 10 - Integrated 

Resources Management Plan 

Bureau of Land Management 

BLM Manual 9011 and Handbook H-9011-1 – 

Provides policy for conducting chemical pest control 

program under an integrated pest management 

approach. 

BLM Manual 9014 – Provides guidance and 

procedures for planning and implementing biological 

control in integrated pest management programs. 

BLM Manual 9015 – Provides policy relating to 

the management and coordination of noxious 

weeds activities among BLM, organizations, and 

individuals. 

BLM Manual 1626 – Travel and Transportation 

Manual. Provides policy, direction, and guidance to 

establish a comprehensive program for travel and 

transportation planning within the BLM process 

citing the Executive Order 13112 (Invasive Species) 

not to authorize, fund, or carry out actions that 

it believes are likely to cause or promote the 

introduction or spread of invasive species on 

transportation corridors. 

BLM Manual 1601 – Land Use Planning. Provides 

policy to the BLM to not authorize, fund, or carry 

out actions that it believes are likely to cause or 

promote the introduction or spread of invasive 

species based under Executive Order 13112 

(Invasive Species) unless, pursuant to guidelines 

that the BLM has determined and made public its 

determination that the benefts of such actions 

clearly outweigh the potential harm caused by 

invasive species; and that all feasible and prudent 

measures to minimize risk or harm will be taken in 

conjunction with the actions. 

BLM Manual 1740 – Renewable Resource 

Improvements and Treatments. Provides policy to 

identify objectives, policies, and standards that 

are common and apply to planning, analyzing, 

constructing, maintaining, replacing, and/or 

modifying renewable resource improvements and 

treatments for BLM’s renewable resource programs 

including invasive species. 

Manual Section 1745 – Introduction, Transplant, 

Augmentation and Reestablishment of Fish, Wildlife, 

and Plants. Provides policy for invasive species 

management when introducing, transplanting, 

augmenting fsh, wildlife, and plants, and provides 

policy for the use of native plant materials. 

BLM Manual 6100 – National Landscape 

Conservation System Management Manual. 

Provides policy to the extent consistent with the 

designating legislation or proclamation, the BLM will 

manage weeds and other invasive species through 

an integrated pest and vegetation management 

approach using methods that minimize disturbance 

to National Landscape Conservation System units. 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 43 

 

BLM Manual 6340 – Management of Designated 

Wilderness Areas (Public). Provides policy to control 

non-native species, and for restoration actions 

where natural processes alone cannot recover the 

area from past human intervention. 

BLM Manual 6400 – Wild and Scenic Rivers. 

Provides policy for invasive species management. 

Terrestrial and aquatic invasive species should be 

prevented and controlled, consistent with direction 

in the local land use plans, and other authorities. 

BLM Manual 9211 – Fire Planning Manual. Provides 

policy for implementing a set of actions that 

promotes plant community diversity and structure 

that allows plant communities to be more resilient to 

disturbance and invasive species over the long term 

(Great Basin Restoration Initiative). 

Bureau of Reclamation 

Inspection and Cleaning Manual for Equipment and 

Vehicles to Prevent the Spread of Invasive Species 

(short title: Reclamation Equipment Inspection 

and Cleaning Manual) Technical Memorandum No. 

86-68220-07-05, June, 2012. DiVittorio, J., M. 

Grodowitz, and J. Snow. 

Bureau of Reclamation’s Acquisition Contract 

Guide Specifcations adopts the Reclamation 

Equipment Inspection and Cleaning Manual as 

the Reference Standard to prevent the spread of 

invasive species and pests onto worksites. 

Integrated Pest Management Manual (short title: 

Reclamation’s IPM Manual) introduces the IPM 

subject matter and serves as a reference tool for 

Reclamation IPM practitioners. 

Facility Vulnerability Assessments provide planning 

documents for facility operators should an invasive 

mussels infestation occur. 

Reclamation Manual ENV P02 (Policy) Integrated 

Pest Management and Invasive Species, December 

23, 1996 (Revised 05/12/2020), establishes policy 

for the integrated management of pests and invasive 

species at the Bureau of Reclamation for the beneft 

of the American public. 

Reclamation Manual ENV 01-01 (Directives and 

Standards) Integrated Pest Management and 

Invasive Species, May 11, 2020, establishes 

directives and standards for the Bureau of 

Reclamation’s Integrated Pest Management and 

Invasive Species Program. It provides the framework 

for Reclamation-wide coordination and identifes 

responsibilities to ensure that regions and area 

offces have tools and resources (i.e., personnel, 

budget, and equipment) to manage pests and 

invasive species and work collaboratively across 

Reclamation and with partners as appropriate. 

Reclamation Manual PEC 10-29 (Directives and 

Standards) – Reclamation Standard Water-Related 

Contract Articles, Article 29: Pest Management, 

PEC 10-29, December 21, 2006, (Revised 

08/04/2019), requires contractors to effectively 

control undesirable plants and animals on Federal 

project lands, project waters, and project works 

for which they have operation and maintenance 

responsibilities. 

National Park Service 

National Park Service Management Policies (2006) 

• 4.4.4.1 – Directs the National Park Service not to 

introduce exotic species in parks except in rare 

situations where it is non-invasive and needed to 

preserve a cultural or historic resource. Invasive 

species are managed so they will not spread or 

become a pest on park or adjacent lands. 

• 4.4.4.2 – Allows and identifes the responsibility 

of parks to manage nonindigenous, alien plant 
 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 44 

and animal species and to cooperate with other 

agencies with jurisdictions in their management. 

• 4.4.5.3 – Directs the agency to minimize 

pesticide use and manage pests using an 

Integrated Pest Management Approach. 

Provides guidance on the use of pesticides in 

units of the National Park Service 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

National Wildlife Refuge System 

• 50 C.F.R. § 27.52 – Introduction of plants and 

animals. Plants and animals or their parts taken 

elsewhere shall not be introduced, liberated, or 

placed on any national wildlife refuge except as 

authorized. 

• 50 C.F.R. § 27.21 – General provisions. No 

person shall take any animal or plant on any 

national wildlife refuge, except as authorized 

under 50 C.F.R. 27.51 and parts 31, 32, and 33 

of this subchapter C. The Service regulates the 

removal of plants and animals. 

• 50 C.F.R. § 30.11 – Control of feral animals. 

(a) Feral animals, including horses, burros, 

cattle, swine, sheep, goats, reindeer, dogs, and 

cats without ownership that have reverted to 

the wild from a domestic State may be taken 

by authorized Federal or State personnel or 

by private persons operating under permit in 

accordance with applicable provisions of Federal 

or State law or regulation. 

• 50 C.F.R. § 30.12 – Disposition of feral animals. 

Feral animals taken on wildlife refuge areas may 

be disposed of by sale on the open market, 

gift, or loan to public or private institutions for 

specifc purposes, and as otherwise provided 

in section 401 of the act of June 15, 1935 (49 

Stat. 383, 16 U.S.C. 715s). 

• 50 C.F.R. § 31.14 – Offcial animal control 

operations. (a) Animal species which are surplus 

or detrimental to the management program of a 

wildlife refuge area may be taken in accordance 

with Federal and State laws and regulations by 

Federal or State personnel or by permit issued to 

private individuals. (b) Animal species which are 

damaging or destroying Federal property within a 

wildlife refuge area may be taken or destroyed by 

Federal personnel. 
Contributors 

The Offce of Policy Analysis would like to acknowledge the following staff of the Department of the Interior 

who served on the steering committee and collaborated across Bureaus and offces to produce this Plan: 

Offce of the Secretary U.S. Geological Survey National Park Service 

Whitney Boone Earl Campbell Lori Makarick 

Ryan Nichols Wesley Daniel 

Hilary Smith Cindy Kolar Tam 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Offce of Insular Affairs 

Mike Chouinard Hailey McCoy 

John Klavitter 

Craig Martin 

Susan Pasko 

The Offce of Policy Analysis would also like to acknowledge additional contributors, including staff from 

its Economics team, Interior's Invasive Species Task Force, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau 

of Land Management, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Safety 

and Environmental Enforcement, National Park Service, Offce of Insular Affairs, Offce of Surface Mining 

Reclamation and Enforcement, Offce of Wildland Fire, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Geological 

Survey. This Plan also benefted signifcantly from input from States, Tribes, counties, Territories, and other 

stakeholders. 

 Invasive Species Strategic Plan 45