Advancing Next-Generation Genetic Learning for Effective Resource Strategy Act

This bill establishes the eDNA Sport Fish Survey grant program, to be administered by the Secretary of the Interior in coordination with the Secretary of Commerce and the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council. The program aims to fund eligible entities, including State, local, and Tribal governments, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations, to develop and implement programs that integrate environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring techniques into sport fish surveys.

The primary goal of using eDNA is to significantly enhance the effectiveness of these surveys. Specifically, grant funds can be used to:

• increase the spatial scale of sampling, reaching broader and remote areas;
• improve the frequency and accuracy of population counts and species distribution;
• enhance species identification and population estimates;
• provide better data for fisheries management and conservation;
• detect invasive species; and
• monitor endangered species.

The Secretary is directed to encourage collaboration with State and Tribal fish and wildlife agencies and to prioritize applications demonstrating inter-entity cooperation. The bill authorizes an appropriation of $4,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2033 to support these efforts, with a focus on collecting data to assess program efficacy.