Promote Great Lakes Ecosystem Health Through Education About Invasive Species and their Prevention- GLRI | NPS NOIP16AC01295

Opportunity Information: Apply for NPS NOIP16AC01295

The grant opportunity titled "Promote Great Lakes Ecosystem Health Through Education About Invasive Species and their Prevention - GLRI" is a National Park Service (NPS) cooperative agreement focused on public education as a frontline strategy to slow or stop the spread of invasive species across the Great Lakes ecosystem. It is part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), with funding coming through the Environmental Protection Agency under the GLRI Invasive Species Focus Area (Project #669). The core idea behind the project is straightforward: invasive species move largely because people unintentionally transport them, so changing everyday recreation behavior (on land and in water) can prevent major ecological and economic damage. The effort is framed around encouraging practical prevention steps by recreationists and the broader public, aligning closely with the NPS mission to conserve natural resources.

The agreement is designed as a partnership between NPS and Wildlife Forever, a national organization known for invasive species outreach campaigns, including the Threat Campaign (the source text appears to reference "Treat" and "Threat," but the intent is clearly an established public-awareness initiative). Instead of being a typical pass-through grant with minimal federal involvement, this is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning NPS is expected to remain actively engaged through coordination, shared planning, and collaboration with other federal and regional partners. The project emphasizes consistent, clear messaging across agencies and sites throughout the Great Lakes region, so that visitors to parks, forests, and refuges encounter the same prevention practices and understand why they matter.

The statement of work centers on building and delivering a multi-media education and outreach campaign aimed at invasive terrestrial and aquatic species. Key activities include planning, producing, and placing public-facing materials such as billboards and dioramas, as well as creating and airing public service announcements through print and electronic media. The project also calls for educational videos and other public service content, appearances and speaking engagements at public events, and the development and distribution of a mobile application that uses augmented reality, referenced as the "Clean Drain Dry App." That app and related signage are meant to reinforce a specific set of behaviors that reduce spread risk, especially for boaters and anglers, such as cleaning equipment, draining water, and drying boats and gear before moving between water bodies. The overall deliverable theme is marketing-style outreach that reaches people where they recreate and provides simple actions they can take immediately.

Wildlife Forever, as the recipient, is expected to lead a broader partnership of entities to get the outreach produced and distributed at scale. Their responsibilities include providing staff and operational support to carry the project from design through delivery. That support role includes designing outreach products, coordinating production logistics, leveraging and coordinating funding contributions from other state and federal partners, arranging delivery and placement, negotiating vendor contracts, managing schedules, ensuring deliverables are met, paying vendors on time, and completing a final report to NPS and other partners as appropriate. A notable term is that Wildlife Forever must provide NPS with a copy of the final billboard design and grant NPS broad, unrestricted rights to reproduce and distribute products created under the agreement. They must also acknowledge NPS support, typically through logo placement and similar attribution on campaign materials.

NPS, for its part, commits to active project oversight and coordination rather than a hands-off role. The agency agrees to communicate at least quarterly with Wildlife Forever to coordinate activities and track progress, to consult on methods and approaches for maximum effectiveness, and to facilitate coordination with other projects happening across Great Lakes parks, forests, and refuges. This includes collaboration with other federal land and wildlife agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with the purpose of ensuring technical accuracy and improving the reach and impact of the messaging. The structure reflects a regional, multi-agency communications push where consistency and credibility matter, especially when encouraging behavior change.

From an administrative perspective, the opportunity was published by the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, as a discretionary cooperative agreement (CFDA 15.944). The funding opportunity number is NPS NOIP16AC01295. It listed an award ceiling of $200,000 with one expected award, indicating a single primary recipient for implementation. The posting dates included a creation date of August 18, 2017 and an original closing date of September 1, 2017. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with additional clarification expected in the full eligibility text, but the narrative makes clear this specific agreement is between NPS and Wildlife Forever as the designated recipient organization.

In practical terms, the opportunity is less about research or on-the-ground invasive removal and more about prevention through public behavior change, using coordinated communications tools and modern outreach methods. The intended outcome is a measurable increase in public awareness and adoption of prevention practices by people who boat, fish, hike, camp, and otherwise move between landscapes and waterways in the Great Lakes region. By investing in consistent messaging, visible signage, public service media, and a mobile app experience, the project aims to reduce new introductions and slow secondary spread, supporting long-term Great Lakes ecosystem health.

• The Department of the Interior, National Park Service in the education, environment, natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Promote Great Lakes Ecosystem Health Through Education About Invasive Species and their Prevention- GLRI" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.944.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 18, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 01, 2017. (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 $200,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for NPS NOIP16AC01295

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