Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention on the Flathead Indian Reservation | BOR PN 18 N011

Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR PN 18 N011

The Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention on the Flathead Indian Reservation grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number BOR PN 18 N011) is a discretionary grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, focused on natural resources protection under CFDA 15.517. It was created on May 10, 2018, with an original application closing date of May 24, 2018. The funding is structured as a single anticipated award (Expected Awards: 1) with an award ceiling of $350,000. Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of entity types may apply, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications contained in the full notice.

At its core, the opportunity supports the Department of the Interior initiative titled Safeguarding the West from Invasive Species - Invasive Mussels Initiative. The project rationale centers on preventing the introduction and spread of invasive mussels (commonly including zebra and quagga mussels) into the Flathead Basin and surrounding waters. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (the Tribes) own and operate the Seaposlis Ksanka Qlispe Hydropower Facility, formerly known as Kerr Dam, and the opportunity highlights that an invasive mussel infestation would have direct and expensive consequences for that facility. Mussels can foul submerged infrastructure and clog conduits and other water-moving components, creating major operational disruptions and driving maintenance and retrofit costs that could reach into the millions for the Tribes.

The notice also frames the threat as much larger than local impacts. If invasive mussels were to become established in the Flathead system, they could move downstream and spread through the Columbia River system. The projected cost of controlling invasive mussels once broadly established is described as roughly $500 million per year, underscoring why the program emphasizes prevention over response. The opportunity explicitly notes that eradication is extremely difficult once mussels become established, making early interception and exclusion the most practical and cost-effective strategy.

The proposed solution supported by the grant is a prevention-focused package built around three main elements: developing a 24-hour aquatic invasive species (AIS) check station, expanding prevention through public outreach and education, and adding enforcement targeted at recreational boaters and anglers. The funding is meant to address a specific vulnerability in the existing inspection network: while mussel-fouled boats are routinely intercepted at inspection stations en route to the Flathead Basin, the Tribes estimate that about 30 percent of watercraft are currently not stopping for inspection. The reasons given include arriving after stations are closed, intentionally bypassing stations in violation of the law, or simply not knowing they are required to stop. This gap creates a high-consequence risk because it only takes a single contaminated watercraft to introduce mussels into the Flathead Basin.

The opportunity defines the immediate objective in practical terms: ensure that watercraft entering via the primary route into the Flathead Basin cannot launch without being inspected, thereby reducing the chance that a mussel-bearing boat reaches basin waters. In other words, the grant is designed to strengthen round-the-clock interception capacity, improve compliance through education and visibility, and backstop the program with targeted enforcement so fewer boats slip through uninspected. The overarching goal is to protect the Flathead Basin, the Tribes hydropower assets, and the wider Columbia River system by closing the inspection loopholes most likely to lead to an introduction event.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention on the Flathead Indian Reservation" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.517.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 10, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 24, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $350,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.

Apply for BOR PN 18 N011

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