Coastal Partnership Initiative (CPI) Grant Program

Invasive plants harm ecosystems by outcompeting native plants and destabilizing natural communities. To reduce harm, practitioners use control methods such as herbicides or mowing. Rising temperatures can create a fertilization effect that boosts plant growth, an impact that is even stronger in invasive species, which tend to grow much faster than non-invasive plants. As a result, the recommended doses and number of treatments of herbicides may no longer be effective for controlling invasive plants. To address the need for information on how invasive plant treatment strategies can be adapted to remain effective under warming temperatures in the Northeast, researchers will synthesize 1) practitioner knowledge on the success of past treatments and 2) the best available science on treatments. Incorporating science on whether and how treatment approaches can be more effective will address a critical need for invasive species practitioners in the Northeast, who report spending most of their time treating existing invasive plants. This work aligns with the goals of EO 14239 -Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness (March 19, 2025) by helping state and local practitioners mitigate invasive species-associated hazards, as well as EO 14303 -Restoring Gold Standard Science (May 23, 2025) and SO 3441 (Implementing the Requirements of Executive Order 14303, Restoring Gold Standard Science (August 29, 2025) by strengthening American leadership in adaptation science.Projects supported under this cooperative agreement should advance Administration priorities, including, but not limited to, American energy dominance, critical mineral development, water security, infrastructure resilience, and natural hazard preparedness. Research and activities may incorporate scientific expertise in areas such as hydrology, geology, geospatial science, biosecurity, and near-earth space science, including extreme events such as drought, flooding, wildland fire, coastal erosion, severe storms, and geologic hazards, to develop actionable science, data, and tools that support informed decision-making by resource managers and stakeholders. Funding Opportunity Number: G27AS00077. Assistance Listing: 15.808. Funding Instrument: CA. Category: ST. Award Amount: $1 – $350K per award.

Invasive species are one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, biosecurity, ecosystem functioning, and human well-being in Hawaiʻi. Managers are increasingly concerned about the horticultural trade because it is the predominant pathway for non-native plant introduction in the state. However, they currently lack information about which species pose the greatest risk now and in the future. By analyzing invasion records and ornamental trade data for approximately 19,000 plant taxa, this project will identify horticultural species likely to establish in Hawaiʻi based on local conditions. In doing so, the project will identify geographic areas with the highest invasion risk and highlight species of concern, taking into account invasion history, weed risk scores, nursery locations, and their overlap with human infrastructure and conservation areas. Findings will inform risk-based screening, early detection priorities, and management planning for federal and state partners including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife. By improving invasive species management, this project will support the mitigation of hazards like wildfires and erosion that can be exacerbated by invasive plants, improving state and local preparedness in line with the goals of EO 14239 -Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness (March 19, 2025). This work also supports the goals of EO 14303 -Restoring Gold Standard Science (May 23, 2025) and SO 3441 -Implementing the Requirements of Executive Order 14303, Restoring Gold Standard Science (August 29, 2025) by advancing American leadership in adaptation science and providing credible, reliable, and impartial scientific evidence to reduce the harm caused by invasive species.Projects supported under this cooperative agreement should advance Administration priorities, including, but not limited to, American energy dominance, critical mineral development, water security, infrastructure resilience, and natural hazard preparedness. Research and activities may incorporate scientific expertise in areas such as hydrology, geology, geospatial science, biosecurity, and near-earth space science, including extreme events such as drought, flooding, wildland fire, coastal erosion, severe storms, and geologic hazards, to develop actionable science, data, and tools that support informed decision-making by resource managers and stakeholders. Funding Opportunity Number: G27AS00073. Assistance Listing: 15.808. Funding Instrument: CA. Category: ST. Award Amount: $1 – $435K per award.

The spread of invasive grasses, such as cheatgrass, adds fine fuels to the landscape that increase wildfire occurrence and frequency. Following a fire, invasive grasses regrow quickly, typically outcompeting native plants and perpetuating what is known as the invasive grass-fire cycle. This cycle has been well documented in western portions of the sagebrush biome, such as the Great Basin, but there are only limited studies within the eastern portion of the biome. Some of these studies have shown that native grasslands in eastern portions of the Northern Great Plains may be more fire-adapted and less prone to this cycle. This means that management practices used in the Great Basin may be ineffective, or even determinantal, in the Great Plains. Focusing on the eastern portion of the sagebrush biome, this project will collaborate with resource managers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Wyoming Department of Agriculture to map the presence and extent of the invasive grass-fire cycle in native grasslands and identify effective management strategies. Improved understanding of the invasive grass-fire cycle in the region will enable managers to determine where to target post-fire interventions to limit the spread of invasive grasses, and where interventions are not needed. By supporting risk-informed approaches for the management of invasive grasses that contribute to wildfires, this work enhances community resilience to wildfires, consistent with the goals of EO 14308 Empowering Commonsense Wildfire Prevention and Response (June 12, 2025) and EO 14239 -Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness (March 19, 2025).Projects supported under this cooperative agreement should advance Administration priorities, including, but not limited to, American energy dominance, critical mineral development, water security, infrastructure resilience, and natural hazard preparedness. Research and activities may incorporate scientific expertise in areas such as hydrology, geology, geospatial science, biosecurity, and near-earth space science, including extreme events such as drought, flooding, wildland fire, coastal erosion, severe storms, and geologic hazards, to develop actionable science, data, and tools that support informed decision-making by resource managers and stakeholders. Funding Opportunity Number: G27AS00072. Assistance Listing: 15.808. Funding Instrument: CA. Category: ST. Award Amount: $1 – $375K per award.