MDA Awards Over $500,000 to Combat Noxious Weeds
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has awarded $537,000 to combat noxious weeds across Minnesota. Thirty-five projects are being funded though the 2020 Noxious Weed and Invasive Plant Grant.
The money, awarded to cities, counties, townships, conservation districts, and tribal nations, will be used to purchase equipment and supplies, conduct mapping and outreach activities, and hire private applicators to manage noxious weeds.
Noxious weeds are plants that have the potential or are known to be harmful to human or animal health, the environment, public roads, crops, livestock, or other property. There are currently 48 plants on Minnesota’s Noxious Weed List.
Grants were funded at two levels for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20). Twenty-three Level 1 projects were awarded up to $10,000 each to be spent in one year to support local activity. Twelve Level 2 projects were awarded between $10,000 and $50,000 each to be spent over two years to promote collaboration with entities within and outside their jurisdictions.
The MDA anticipates another $100,000 will be available through the Noxious and Invasive Plant Grant for the next fiscal year (FY21: July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021). The Request for Proposals (RFP) will be released by September 2020 and grants will be awarded in 2021.
Visit the MDA website to learn more about the state’s Noxious Weed Program.
| Level | Organization | Award Amount | Project Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Aitkin County Land Department (ACLD) | $10,000.00 | ACLD Invasive Plant Control Project |
| Level 1 | Anoka Conservation District | $10,000.00 | Invasive Species Control in Anoka County |
| Level 1 | Becker Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) | $10,000.00 | Becker County Noxious Weed and Invasive Plant Grant |
| Level 1 | Beltrami County Natural Resource Management Department | $10,000.00 | Beltrami County Natural Resource Management Department Noxious Weed Mitigation |
| Level 1 | Big Stone SWCD | $8,244.00 | Big Stone County Noxious Weeds: Prevention, Eradication, and Control |
| Level 1 | Canosia Township, St. Louis County | $2,500.00 | Canosia Township Noxious Weed Program |
| Level 1 | City of Mendota Heights | $10,000.00 | Mendota Heights Terrestrial Invasive Species Control Program |
| Level 1 | Clay SWCD | $5,000.00 | Eradicate Poison Hemlock and Control Leafy Spurge |
| Level 1 | East Otter Tail SWCD | $7,435.00 | Common Tansy and Wild Parsnip Control in East Otter Tail County |
| Level 1 | Houston County Environmental Services | $5,000.00 | Houston Township Sprayer Acquisition |
| Level 1 | Isanti County Zoning | $10,000.00 | Noxious Weed Early Detection and Management Project and Partnership |
| Level 1 | Koochiching County | $10,000.00 | Koochiching County MDA Noxious Weed Grant |
| Level 1 | Meeker SWCD | $10,000.00 | Meeker County Noxious Weed Control |
| Level 1 | Mille Lacs SWCD | $10,000.00 | Mille Lacs County Noxious Weed Control |
| Level 1 | Nicollet County Public Works | $10,000.00 | Noxious Weed Management Program |
| Level 1 | Prairie Island Tribal Council | $10,000.00 | Tribal Noxious Weed Management Project |
| Level 1 | Renville County, SWCD Treasurer | $7,515.00 | Renville County SWCD – Wild Parsnip |
| Level 1 | Scott SWCD | $10,000.00 | Wild Parsnip Removal in Scott Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA) |
| Level 1 | St. Louis County Public Works Dept. | $8,000.00 | St. Louis County Knotweed Eradication Effort |
| Level 1 | Stearns County | $7,000.00 | Stearns County Weed Grant |
| Level 1 | Todd County | $10,000.00 | Palmer Amaranth in Township (Right-of-Way) ROW and Wild Parsnip in Township and County ROW |
| Level 1 | Wadena SWCD | $10,000.00 | Wadena County Noxious Weed Mapping and Inventory Project |
| Level 1 | Wright County | $10,000.00 | Non-Native Phragmites Control and Mitigation |
| Level 2 | Aitkin County SWCD | $12,000.00 | Aitkin County Gravel Pit Noxious Weed Certification |
| Level 2 | Anoka Conservation District | $49,705.00 | Metro Wide Treatment of Non-Native Phragmites |
| Level 2 | Becker SWCD | $10,000.00 | Becker, Clay, Hubbard, Mahnomen, West Otter Tail Collaboration |
| Level 2 | Bridgewater Township, Rice County | $49,883.00 | Cannon Valley Noxious Weed Collaboration Group |
| Level 2 | Clay SWCD | $10,000.00 | Becker, Clay, Hubbard, Mahnomen, West Otter Tail Collaboration |
| Level 2 | Hubbard County | $10,000.00 | Becker, Clay, Hubbard, Mahnomen, West Otter Tail Collaboration |
| Level 2 | Mahnomen County | $10,000.00 | Becker, Clay, Hubbard, Mahnomen, West Otter Tail Collaboration |
| Level 2 | Ramsey County Parks and Recreation | $24,900.00 | Ramsey County Noxious Weed Grant |
| Level 2 | Traverse SWCD | $50,000.00 | Traverse-Wilkin Weed Management Partnership |
| Level 2 | Washington Conservation District | $50,000.00 | Grecian Foxglove, Oriental Bittersweet, and Black Swallow-wort Eradication |
| Level 2 | West Otter Tail SWCD | $10,000.00 | Becker, Clay, Hubbard, Mahnomen, West Otter Tail Collaboration |
| Level 2 | Winona County | $50,000.00 | Southeast Minnesota Regional Invasive Species Eradication Initiative |
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Media Contact Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications 651-201-6185 Allen.Sommerfeld@state.mn.us
