White Bear Lake, MN - Wildlife Forever is proud to continue a partnership grant program with the USDA Forest Service focused on implementing community outreach to prevent Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) in the Great Lakes region. This collaboration is made possible through the generous support of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Through a simple grant request, community organizations and municipalities can apply to receive a wide range of professionally designed Clean Drain Dry outreach materials. Through consistent messaging and materials designed for outdoor recreational users, grant resources work to increase awareness and promote effective AIS prevention measures. Outreach items include Clean Drain Dry educational products and prevention tools, all available at CleanDrainDry.org.

“The Clean Drain Dry Initiative works to build local capacity and bolster community engagement by building tools and resources aimed at raising awareness and preventing AIS. We are proud to offer these free resources to communities across the Great Lakes Basin,” said Zach Burnside, Invasive Species Program Manager at Wildlife Forever.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has long been at the forefront of efforts to preserve and restore the Great Lakes ecosystem. For over a decade, the collaboration between Wildlife Forever and USDA Forest Service Eastern Region has served as a testament to the shared commitment of combatting AIS and preserving the ecological health of the region.

Community organizations and agencies interested in accessing free educational and promotional materials are encouraged to visit the grant application for more information on eligibility and the application process. Deadline to apply is August 16th.

The Clean Drain Dry Initiative™ is a state and national public awareness campaign to educate outdoor recreational users on how to prevent the spread of invasive species. Coordinated messaging focuses on strategic content, marketing communications, and outreach tools.

About Wildlife Forever: Our mission is to conserve America's fish and wildlife heritage through conservation education, preservation of habitat and management of fish and wildlife. Wildlife Forever is a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to investing resources on the ground. Recent audits reveal that 94% of every dollar supports our award-winning conservation programs. Please, Join Today and learn more about the Art of Conservation® program, Clean Drain Dry Initiative™ and Prairie City USA® at www.WildlifeForever.org.

About USDA Forest Service Eastern Region: The USDA Forest Service Eastern Region is one of nine Forest Service administrative regions, consisting of 17 national forests and one national tallgrass prairie. It is also home to the Forest Service’s largest State, Private, and Tribal Forestry program, collaborating with Tribes, States, communities, Federal agencies, private landowners, and other partners to protect, conserve, and manage forests and community trees across 20 States and the District of Columbia. For more information, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/r9.