Tucson, AZ - Saguaro National Park will initiate management of non-native invasive bullfrogs and restoration of native aquatic animals this year as part of a $481,000 multi-park project from the Inflation Reduction Act. This project is part of a nationwide effort to restore natural habitats and address climate change impacts. In fiscal year 2023, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act will provide $52 million to the National Park Service to fund more than 100 projects throughout the country related to ecosystem resilience, restoration, and environmental planning needs.
This project will restore native aquatic animals in sensitive wetlands of eight southwestern national parks: Carlsbad Caverns NP, Chiricahua NM, Coronado NMEM, Fort Bowie NHS, Gila Cliff Dwellings NM, Montezuma Castle NM, Saguaro NP, and Tuzigoot NM. This work will be accomplished through local efforts to eradicate invasive, non-native American bullfrogs with park neighbors, various land management partners and state wildlife agencies which reduces pathogens, amphibian chytrid fungus and ranaviruses, carried by the animals. The park will restore natural wetlands for native amphibians and aquatic reptiles while developing and implementing an early detection and rapid response system to alert scientists to any new bullfrog incursion. The long-term goal is to prevent recolonization of restored sites through the existing NPS monitoring and management programs in place. We will accomplish this by joining with the largest bullfrog control project in the USA, which has already removed bullfrogs and restored native amphibians in over 10,000 sq. miles of the American Southwest using safe, proven methods.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act are historic investments devoted to the restoration and protection of the environment. They provide funding to address intensifying drought, wildfires, flooding, and legacy pollution in national parks and other public lands and enable the National Park Service to make significant strategic investments to repair critical facilities and infrastructure and enhance conservation through ecosystem restoration and recreation opportunities.
The full lists of fiscal year 2023 projects are available online: IRA Restoration and Resilience projects and BIL Ecosystem Resilience projects.
Tags: saguaro naitonal park funding invasive species native ecosystem inflation reduction act restoration
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service