Quagga/Zebra Mussel News

This message is being forwarded on behalf of California State Parks, Division of Boating and Waterways:

Save-The-Date Grant Announcement

California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW)

QZ Grant Program has the following announcement:

The application period for the 2025 cycle will open on March 10, 2025 and will close on April 18, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. Up to $2M is expected to be awarded, pending available funding. If a reservoir is currently covered by a two-year 2024 QZ Grant, that reservoir will not be considered for a QZ Grant until the 2026 solicitation.

A presentation will be conducted via MS Teams on March 13, 2025; information will be posted on our webpage at: QZGrant@parks.ca.gov. The 2025 QZ grants are expected to begin in August, and will span two years.

Minimum Eligibility Requirements:

Grant applicant must own/manage any aspect of the water in a reservoir; The reservoir must be open to the public for recreation; and Grant applicant must demonstrate that the reservoir is uninfested with dreissenid mussels

To demonstrate that the reservoir is uninfested, applicants must provide mussel monitoring data collected since March 2024. Monitoring data can be from surface surveys, artificial substrates, and plankton tows.

Tier 2 Implementation Grant:

To be eligible for an implementation grant, applicants must provide a letter from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) at the time of application that states CDFW has reviewed and accepted a prevention plan for the reservoir (per Fish and Game Code Section 2302 and California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 672.1(b)).

Tier 1 Planning and Assessment Grant:

Applicants that do not already have a CDFW-accepted prevention plan can apply for a planning and assessment grant in order to develop a CDFW-accepted prevention plan for the reservoir.

For questions regarding quagga/zebra mussel monitoring, or for prevention planning, including how to obtain a letter from CDFW, contact CDFW at Invasives@wildlife.ca.gov or Telephone: (866) 440-9530.

Additional information will be sent prior to opening of the grant application window. This notice will also be posted on the DBW website.

The 2025 Invasive Mussel Water Agency Summit is intended for water managers in California.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will host a virtual Invasive Mussel Water Agency Summit (Summit) on January 28, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.. The Summit will be hosted online from the Zoom platform and is intended for waterbody managers statewide. Following a 45-minute lunch break, CDFW will hold open “office hours” from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM for more interactive dialogue with water managers.

The purpose of the Summit is to provide an update on the recently discovered golden mussel and to review quagga/zebra mussel prevention and control measures. The information will be relevant to water managers already implementing mussel prevention programs, as well as those interested in developing programs. This is also a networking opportunity to connect with your local CDFW contact, and other water managers in your vicinity, and across the state.

• Agenda (PDF)
• Register for the Webinar

The registration link and agenda will also be posted on the 2025 Invasive Mussel Water Agency Mussel Summit page. For questions regarding the 2025 Invasive Mussel Water Agency Summit, please email Invasives@wildlife.ca.gov.

The following information is being forwarded on behalf of Invasive Species Council of California (ISCC):

Annual Meeting - December 17, 2024

The Invasive Species Council of California (ISCC) meeting agenda for Tuesday, December 17, 2024 is available for download at the ISCC website, located here:

- Agenda

The meeting will be held in-person at the California Department of Food and Agriculture auditorium and remotely via webinar.