Implementation of the Onondaga Lake Invasive Species Control Program, Years 1-5

In March 2018, the United States Department of the Interior (DOI), acting through the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), together the Trustees, settled a natural resource damage assessment and restoration (NRDAR) claim with the Responsible Parties for the Onondaga Lake Superfund Site in Onondaga County, New York. The settlement of the NRDAR claim provides a suite of ecological restoration projects designed to compensate for injuries to natural resources. The March 2018 “Onondaga Lake Natural Resource Damage Assessment Consent Decree” and “Appendix C - Onondaga Lake Watershed Restoration Projects Scopes of Work” (Consent Decree), describe the funding for an invasive species control and habitat preservation project. According to the March 2018 Scope of Work for Project 9, The “Invasive Species Control and Habitat Preservation Project” shall be implemented within Onondaga Lake and its watershed. The proposed project area includes approximately 2,000 acres of wetlands, lake/river littoral zone and riparian zone habitat. In July 2020, the “Comprehensive Plan for Invasive Species Control and Habitat Preservation, Onondaga Lake Watershed, Onondaga County, NY” (Comprehensive Plan) was finalized under Contract 140F0420F0020 (https://www.fws.gov/northeast/nyfo/ec/files/onondaga/Invasive_Species_Mgt_Plan_07-30-2020.pdf). The scope of work for this Notice of Funding Opportunity is to implement the July 2020 Comprehensive Plan for invasive species control and habitat preservation/restoration (Invasive Species Control Program) at Onondaga Lake and surrounding areas for a period of five consecutive years.