§2.National Wildlife Refuge System Invasive Species Strike Team Program
This section establishes the National Wildlife Refuge System Invasive Species Strike Team Program within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to identify and respond to priority invasive species threats (i.e., non-native species causing economic, environmental, or health harm) on and adjacent to National Wildlife Refuge System lands and waters, primarily through prevention, biosecurity, early detection, and rapid response. (As background, the National Wildlife Refuge System consists of over 560 refuges across all 50 states and territories that conserve fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for current and future generations.)
In carrying out the program, the Secretary of the Interior must (1) establish at least one strike team per USFWS region trained in early detection and rapid response to conduct habitat conservation and restoration, surveillance, eradication, containment, mapping, monitoring, integrated pest management, outreach and trainings (including Incident Command System exercises), and risk assessments; (2) partner with federal, state, Tribal, local governments, nongovernmental institutions, nonprofits, and private entities; (3) develop consistent taxonomy standards for Department of the Interior databases; and (4) utilize specified national and regional reporting platforms (e.g., Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System, iMapInvasives).
The Secretary is authorized to provide financial, technical assistance, contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements—upon request—to adjacent property owners and other federal, state, Tribal, or territorial agencies for invasive species management and to coordinate strike team actions with adjacent landowners and state agencies. The Secretary must submit public reports to specified congressional committees two and five years after enactment summarizing each strike team's work and program progress on priority invasive species.
This section authorizes appropriations of $15 million for each of FY2026 through FY2030.