Project Profile: Implement Invasive Plant Management in Priority Landscapes to Increase Ecosystem Resiliency & Health

Darrin Gobble, previous member of the Lake Mead Inter-Regional IPMT pulls invasive tamarisk tree slash from the banks of the Muddy River, NV in a partnership project with the BLM and Clark County, NV.

NPS Photo

Inflation Reduction Act
Restoration | FY24-26 $9,900,000

The National Park Service (NPS) is enhancing Invasive Plant Management Teams (IPMTs) to provide dedicated support in critical areas across the United States, including imperiled grassland ecosystems, priority eastern and midwestern forests, and southwestern riparian areas, and to implement early detection and rapid response to newly established invasive plant species in Alaska and Hawaii. The success of this project will be measured by the reduction in acres infested with invasive plants, the number of acres treated, the control achieved over infested acres, and the number of new infestations eradicated.

Why? Invasive species pose a significant global threat, aggravated by climate change impacts such as wildfires, extreme weather events, and altered native plant habitats. These disturbances create favorable conditions for invasive plants to thrive and disrupt delicate ecosystems. IPMTs aim to counter this threat by focusing on site preparation for ecosystem restoration projects, follow-up invasive plant treatments, and early detection and rapid response strategies.

What Else? Through this IPMT program, the NPS is aligning with regional high-priority ecosystem projects and sets the stage for future successful restoration programs, serving as a replicable foundation for future integrated restoration endeavors. This funding will create jobs and involve hundreds of youth.

About the Inflation Reduction Act

The Inflation Reduction Act provides the National Park Service with an historic opportunity to address critical ecosystem resilience, restoration, and environmental planning needs. Projects funded in national parks represent broad-scale and impactful resource investments across every corner of our nation—from Alaska to Florida to Maine.