**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** ONE OF THE TOP CONTEMPORARY ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS ON FORESTLANDS IS BIOLOGICAL INVASION.AS FEDERAL SPENDING ON INVASIVE MANAGEMENT INCREASES,MORE AND MORE NONINDUSTRIAL PRIVATE FORESTLANDOWNERS TURNTO VOLUNTARY CONSERVATION PROGRAMS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO DEFRAY SOME OF THEIR CONTROL EXPENSES. ALARMINGLY, TO DATE, LITTLE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AS TO WHETHER PARTICIPATIONS IN CONSERVATION COST SHARING HAVE ACTUALLY HELPED CONTAIN OR REDUCE INVASION ON ENROLLED FORESTLANDS. A CLEAR ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION WILL GUIDE FUTURE POLICY IMPLEMENTATION, OPTIMIZE THE ADDITIONAL IMPACT PER DOLLAR OF PUBLIC FUNDS, AND SAFEGUARD THE SUSTAINABILITY OF TIMBER RESOURCES AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES.WE WILL CONDUCT AN INTEGRATED ECONOMIC-ECOLOGICAL ANALYSIS, USING DATA COLLECTED FROM ANLANDOWNER SURVEY AND A FOREST VEGETATION INVENTORY OF INVASIVE PLANTS AND BIODIVERSITY IN INDIANA. USING ECONOMIC MODELING, WE WILL QUANTIFY THE BEHAVIOR CHANGE IN PRIVATE INVESTMENTS IN INVASIVE PLANT ERADICATION DUE TO PARTICIPATION IN A FEDERAL CONSERVATION INCENTIVE PROGRAM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVE PROGRAM (EQIP). IN ADDITION, WE WILL INTEGRATE THE ECONOMIC MODELS WITH ECOLOGICAL DATA FROM THE FOREST VEGETATION INVENTORY TO DETERMINE THE ACTUAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF EQIP PARTICIPATION IN TERMS OF INVASION SEVERITY, TIMBER QUALITY, AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES.THE FINDINGS FROM THIS PROJECT WILL DELIVER PIVOTAL INFORMATION TO EVALUATE THE PAST SUCCESS OF CONSERVATION COST SHARING IN CONTROLLING BIOLOGICAL INVASION IN PRIVATE FORESTS, AND PROVIDE INSIGHTS TO GUIDE ITS FUTURE IMPLEMENTATION. MORE EFFICIENT USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS FOR BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION WILL HELP TO PROTECT THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, ENHANCE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, BENEFIT LANDOWNERS AND TIMBER SECTOR, AND IMPROVE THE WELFARE OF THE PUBLIC.