# What This Bill Does

This bill creates a new program called the National Wildlife Refuge System Invasive Species Strike Team to fight invasive species—plants, animals, and other organisms that don't naturally belong in an area and cause damage to the environment. Think of it like creating specialized emergency response teams for wildlife refuges, similar to how firefighters respond to emergencies. The program will establish at least one trained strike team in each region of the country to catch invasive species early, before they spread out of control, and to manage them once they're detected.

The strike teams will focus on prevention, early detection, and rapid response to invasive species threats on and around the nation's wildlife refuges. They'll use various techniques to control or eliminate invasive species, conduct surveillance to spot new problems, and work with other organizations to share information and coordinate efforts. For example, if an invasive fish species is discovered in a refuge's waters, the strike team would spring into action to contain and eliminate it before it spreads to other waterways. The teams will also reach out to neighbors and landowners near refuges to help manage invasive species on adjacent properties, since these problems don't stop at refuge boundaries.

The bill authorizes $15 million per year for five years (2026 through 2030) to fund this program. The Secretary of the Interior must report back to Congress two years and five years after the law passes to explain what the strike teams accomplished and how much progress they've made against invasive species. This is a straightforward conservation effort designed to protect wildlife refuges and the native species that depend on them by being more organized and proactive about invasive species threats.