The Consortium has requested $3,889,498 for project activities over a four-year research and implementation period. Approximately 25% of the funds have been requested each year with only slight inflationary increases shown over each of the four budget years. The project was planned so that each project task was to receive a portion of the budget based on the required effort within and between budget years. Task 1, Invasive Species/ Biological Control Benefit/ Risk Assessment is to be allocated $478,000 over the 4 year period. These resources will support two Post-doctoral Research Associates that will conduct detailed economic and risk benefit assessments for the three target invasive weed species and the sets of biological control agents that are proposed to control these pests. Additional resources were proposed to support travel to the benefit/ risk Core-team meetings, the development and publication of a critical whitepaper, and a 100 participant workshop and summary publication. Task 2 (supporting experimental research) is to be allocated approximately $1,800,000 that is to be split between the three experimental teams (CA/NV, TX/NM, and CO/ WY) in the following pattern, $800,000, $600,000, and $400,000, respectively. The CA team includes additional resources for a Post-doctoral Associate that will assist the Lead PI in project management and report production, as well as conducting Task 2 level research activities. The remainder of the Task 2 resources are to support technical, graduate student and undergraduate salaries, plant growth assessment equipment, 3 personal computers, and operational supplies and travel costs. Task 3 (area-wide implementation) is to receive approximately $1,200,000 over the 4 year period to support technical salaries, environmental monitoring equipment and within country travel to research and implementation sites. Additional resources were also allocated to provide operational materials and supplies necessary to conduct the intensive monitoring effort. The remainder of the project resources go to hire a budget management specialist ($150,000 over 4 years) and the ARS IRC costs ($353,590).