2025 Invasive Aquatic Plant Management Grant Program

This grant program will begin accepting applications at 9 a.m. Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. Applications received before this time will not be accepted. The application deadline is 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. All completed applications submitted within the one-month application period will be considered for funding. Grant awards will range from $2,500 to $12,500. Grants will support the control of Eurasian watermilfoil, curly-leaf pondweed, flowering rush and starry stonewort.

 

Overview

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has made up to $400,000 available to all local entities such as lake associations, watershed districts, cities and counties to receive state funding from the DNR for the management of curly-leaf pondweed, Eurasian watermilfoil, flowering rush and/or starry stonewort.

The DNR’s goal for invasive aquatic plant management is to minimize harmful effects caused by invasive plants while also protecting the natural resources and their use in the State. Invasive aquatic plant management permitted treatments are selective for target invasive plants and minimize potential negative impacts to aquatic habitat, including water quality and native plants.

Funding is for reimbursement of expenses incurred while conducting local aquatic invasive species (AIS) management projects under invasive aquatic plant management permits. Grantees will be reimbursed up to their grant amount for a pre-treatment delineation survey conducted by a third party and costs related to that. Only one application per waterbody (as defined by its unique Lake ID number) will be accepted. Applications will be selected by a random order until funds are spent, and grant award amounts will be determined by proposed and DNR-reviewed project acreage.

Program updates

2025 updates

• Award amounts: Grants will range from $2500 to $12,500.
• Previous grant funding: Waterbodies that did not receive program funding in 2024 or 2023 will have a higher chance of receiving a grant in 2025 to ensure that funds continue to support a wide range of waterbodies and organizations.
• Starry stonewort: Applicants proposing management of starry stonewort at public accesses will receive higher priority for selection. Applicants proposing physical removal (e.g., via hand-pulling or DASH) management of starry stonewort at public accesses may be eligible for increased grant funding support. Starry stonewort management is a priority for this year’s program due to its limited distribution and the potential for adverse effects on recreation and aquatic habitat that may occur with additional spread within and between lakes.
• Regional distribution: All grants will be ordered randomly for award selection, but an equal proportion of all applications will be funded in every DNR Region (map: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/ais/contacts.html).

 

General guidance

• Curly-leaf pondweed: All curly-leaf pondweed treatments must be completed early in the season before the permit expiration date, which is based on ice-out date and water temperature.
• Delineations: Historically, these grants have supported projects that have completed delineation surveys in the same year as treatment. Some delineation surveys conducted in 2024 may be adequate to define treatment areas for 2025 based on species and treatment method. If you believe a delineation survey conducted in 2024 is adequate to establish treatment areas in 2025, it must be included with your permit application. Your DNR Regional Invasive Species Specialist will review your previous delineation with your permit application. If it is acceptable, the requirement for a new survey can be waived. Additional information is included in the “Delineation Survey” section below.
• Permits: An invasive aquatic plant management permit application is not required at the time of grant application. Instead, invasive aquatic plant management permit applications will be a step in the grant work plan to be completed in late winter and early spring of 2025. Being awarded a grant does not guarantee an invasive aquatic plant management permit. Expenses incurred for a delineation survey will be eligible for reimbursement, even if an invasive aquatic plant management permit is not issued.

How to apply

This grant program will begin accepting applications at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, November 18, 2024. Applications received before this time will not be accepted. To provide grants in a timely manner, the final application deadline is 9 a.m. Wednesday, December 18, 2024.

Review and fill out the Grant Application with Assurances form, only applying for one grant per unique waterbody ID.

• The application can be completed by clicking on this link.
• For an alternate way to complete the application, please contact Angelique Dahlberg, Aquatic Invasive Species Research and Grants Coordinator, at [email protected].
• The Application must include the signature of the person in your organization with delegated authority to sign the grant contract agreeing to the terms of the grant program. When you sign the Application with Assurances, you certify that you have read the application and that you will comply with the approved application with assurances and the assurances in the Grant Award Notification (GAN) and all other applicable federal regulations, state statutes and local policies.

Using the Minnesota SWIFT Supplier Portal

In the application, you will be asked to provide your organization’s SWIFT Supplier ID (sometimes also called Vendor ID). You can find helpful guides for tasks such as resetting your password or updating your supplier profile in the SWIFT Vendor Reference Guides. If your organization does not have a supplier profile, this link also provides information for registering as a supplier.

If you are unable to locate your organization’s SWIFT Supplier ID or create a supplier profile before the application deadline, you will be able to share your organization’s Federal Tax ID number, which can serve as a placeholder until you are able to obtain a Supplier ID.

Data practices

[PENDING]

Funding availability

In 2025, up to $400,000 in program funds are available. These grant funds can be used for projects that manage target invasive aquatic plants using herbicides, mechanical management, or a combination of both.

Award amounts will be determined by estimated project acreage and, for management of starry stonewort populations contained to public accesses, proposed management method during review by Invasive Species Program Staff. The maximum award amount may not exceed $12,500. The state reserves the right to offer grant amounts that differ from the applicant’s request or the maximum award amount. Not all proposed projects will receive funding.

Grant awards will be limited to one Invasive Aquatic Plant Management grant per waterbody as defined by the waterbody’s unique eight-digit Lake ID number. In order to be considered for funding, a lake must be listed as infested with the species the project proposes to manage. In those applications for projects that include management efforts for two or more target species that would require separate treatments, organizations can apply for a single grant that includes multiple invasive aquatic plant management permit applications. Project acreage will be summed across each species up to the maximum grant amount.

To receive funding for reimbursement of eligible costs under this grant program, you must:

1. be awarded a grant after completing the invasive aquatic plant management grant application,
2. arrange for a third-party delineation survey of the invasive plant to be managed if applicable, and
3. apply for and obtain an invasive aquatic plant management permit for the work related to the management project.
4. Grantees must make all arrangements and pay all project expenses up front.

The DNR will reimburse grantees for eligible costs up to the grant amount for expenses associated with the invasive species delineation and treatment.

Please note the DNR cannot reimburse costs for work conducted before the grant agreement is signed by all parties. Work that is found by the DNR to be unsatisfactory or performed in violation of federal, state, or local law will not be reimbursed. Additionally, while projects may be partially funded by external funding sources, a grantee may not receive reimbursement for costs that have already been reimbursed by another external funding source.

This grant opportunity does not obligate the state to award a grant, and the state reserves the right to cancel the solicitation if it is considered to be in its best interest due to lack of funding, agency priorities or other considerations.

Review process

All grants received within the application period will be considered for funding. The grant program will likely run out of funds before all applications that were received during the application period are funded.

Completed and on-time applications will be randomly ordered for selection. Waterbodies that did not receive program funding in 2024 or 2023, as well as applicants proposing management of starry stonewort at public accesses, will both receive higher priority for selection.

DNR Regional Invasive Species Specialists will review and adjust proposed project acreages. Grant award amounts will be calculated using this information.

An equal proportion of all applications will be funded in every DNR Region (map: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/ais/contacts.html).

Award process

Grant award calculations

Grant awards will be determined by permitted acreage associated with the invasive aquatic plant management permit application. Grant awards will provide $2,500 for treatments estimated to be 10 acres or less. For projects larger than 10 acres, the grant will provide $2,500 for the first 10 acres and $200 per acre for each acre above 10 acres. In those applications for management projects for two or more target species and separate treatments, project acreage will be summed across each eligible species for determining the grant award offer.

Projects proposing management of starry stonewort populations contained to public accesses will receive up to $3000 for project sites smaller than 5 acres. For projects larger than five acres, grantees will receive $3000 plus $500 for each additional acre.

No grant award will be more than $12,500.

Grant award notification

The DNR will continue using the Grant Award Notification process to expedite grant execution (when all parties have signed the grant agreement and work can begin). This process allows more time to plan spring delineation surveys and treatments. Please note the following important components of the process:

• The grantee will agree to the terms of the grant by signing the Grant Application with Assurances document, which contains the terms of the grant agreement and will be incorporated by reference into the Grant Award Notification.
• Grants will be fully executed with the official, signed Grant Award Notification sent to grant recipients. This document will contain all the remaining details (e.g., grant award amount, award period, and necessary funding and encumbrance information) as well as the necessary DNR signatures to complete the grant execution.
• With the grant fully executed at this stage, project work can begin immediately with the official Grant Award Notification.

Clarifications may be necessary before execution of the award. Applicants recommended for an award must wait until they receive the signed Grant Award Notification before providing any services and before incurring expenditures. Any expenses incurred prior to the full execution of the Grant Award Notification are not reimbursable and are the responsibility of the applicant/grantee.

Grant award process overview

1. Sign in to the Minnesota SWIFT Supplier Portal to confirm a) your Supplier ID number and b) that your organization’s official address provided in the Grant Application matches the address in the SWIFT system.
2. Complete the grant application and submit within the one-month application period.
3. If selected for funding, receive official Grant Award Notification. Please note: DNR may provide an unofficial email notifying you that your application has been selected for an award and asking for confirmation that you plan to accept the award. This is to provide timely information to you and other grantees for project planning. Work cannot begin until you have received the signed, official Grant Award Notification.
4. Apply for an invasive aquatic plant management permit using MPARS.
5. Arrange and pay for a third-party delineation. Retain documentation of expenditures, the delineation survey report, and the delineation survey map.
6. Submit delineation survey results (i.e., a map with associated GPS files or other shapefiles) into MPARS to complete invasive aquatic plant management permit application.
7. Receive invasive aquatic plant management permit.
8. Arrange and pay for treatment. Retain documentation of expenditures, formal pesticide application record, and treatment map.
9. Submit an email with expenditure documentation and supporting delineation and treatment documentation along with a reimbursement request letter as attachments to State’s Authorized Representative, Angelique Dahlberg ([email protected]) to request reimbursement for eligible costs.
10. Receive notice of request approval.
11. Receive reimbursement for eligible costs (generally within 30 days of the request approval).

Work plan requirements

General expectations of grantees

• Comply with required grants management policies and procedures set forth through Minn.Stat.§16B.97, Subd. 4 (a) (1).
• Perform the duties outlined in the Grant Award Notification, which will also be listed in each grant application with assurances.
• Grantees will be expected to retain documentation to support the expenditures related to the grant initiative described. Reimbursement must be based on necessary and applicable expenditures related to the program.
• Maintain a ledger to track the grant budget expenditures and payment reimbursements plus documentation that supports your budget line-item expenses.
• If subcontracting is an allowable expenditure in the budget, follow applicable state and federal procurement laws and information in the application assurances. 

Delineation survey

Grant funds are intended to support projects that have a delineation survey done in 2025, prior to treatment. However, some delineation surveys done in 2024 may be adequate to define treatment areas for 2025 based on species and treatment method. If you believe a delineation survey done in 2024 is adequate to establish treatment areas in 2025, please include it with your permit application. It will be reviewed when your permit application is reviewed. If it is acceptable, the requirement for a new survey can be waived.

• The delineation map must be submitted to complete the invasive aquatic plant management permit application, and the grantee must receive an invasive aquatic plant management permit to conduct the treatment work in the invasive aquatic plant management grant project.
• The delineation survey cannot be done by the same company that does the treatment. It must be done by a qualified third party.
• Grantees must pay all survey expenses up front and make all arrangements.
• The DNR reserves the right to request a new delineation survey.
• If the delineation survey results in no areas suitable for treatment, the DNR will reimburse the cost of the delineation, up to the grant amount.
• List of aquatic plant surveyors
• Guidance for delineating aquatic invasive plants

Treatment

The DNR will only reimburse the cost of treatments done under and according to an IAPM permit. Grantees must pay all treatment expenses up front and make all arrangements. Treatment expenses from the same contractor that did the delineation (i.e., violated the third-party requirement for the delineation survey mentioned above) will not be eligible for reimbursement.

• List of licensed commercial applicators
• List of licensed mechanical harvesters

Reimbursable expenses

Reimbursable expenses include the costs of:

• Pre-treatment delineation by a qualified third-party contractor that adequately delineates treatment areas for an invasive aquatic plant management permit.
• Treatment by a licensed pesticide applicator according to an invasive aquatic plant management permit, which could include:
  • Treatment or harvest by a contractor.
• Herbicide, if it is purchased separately. If harvesting is done by staff of the grantee, labor and other expenses related to maintaining and operating equipment may be reimbursed.

After the pre-treatment delineation survey and treatment are completed, additional expenses may be reimbursed using grant funds pending DNR approval, which may include:

• Additional aquatic plant survey monitoring that adequately evaluates the efficacy and nontarget effects of the management project treatment or would aid in future Invasive Aquatic Plant Management.
• Genetic testing for hybrid watermilfoil in cases where the test would inform management (e.g., distinguish between native watermilfoil and invasive hybrid watermilfoil). Check with your DNR Regional Invasive Species Specialist before conducting genetic testing for hybrid watermilfoil.

The purchase cost of durable equipment is not an eligible expense. 

Resources for applicants

Helpful information, links, and documents

• AIS Management Grant Webpage
• List of licensed commercial applicators
• List of licensed mechanical harvesters
• List of aquatic plant surveyors
• Delineation Guidance
• SWIFT Vendor Reference Guides

Timeline

Program step	Date
Updated program and application information posted on program webpage	November 1, 2024
Application period opens	9 a.m. November 18, 2024
Questions due	4 p.m. December 16, 2024
Final response to questions posted here	December 17, 2024
Application period closes	9 a.m. December 18, 2024
Application review and randomized selection	January 2025
Grant award notification	January 2025
Control project work	Begins after receiving the fully signed and executed Grant Award Notification.
Grant expiration	June 30, 2026, or when grant obligations are fulfilled, whichever is earlier

Contact information and FAQ

For assistance and further information on the grant and permit applications, and technical advice on your proposed invasive aquatic plant management project, please contact:

• Your DNR Regional Invasive Species Specialist for assistance with your grant and permit applications
• Angelique Dahlberg, Aquatic Invasive Species Research and Grants Coordinator, [email protected]

Please submit questions no later than 4:00 p.m. Monday, December 2, 2024. All questions and responses will be posted on this page by the end of business Monday, December 2, 2024. Questions received after 4:00 p.m. Monday, December 2, 2024, may not be posted to the website.