This grant program is now accepting applications. Applications received before this time will not be accepted. To provide grants in a timely manner, the final application deadline is 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. Unofficial award notices will be issued in January 2026, and funded awards will begin as soon as March 2026.
The grant process has been revised this year. Before you apply, please review this year’s Request for Proposals carefully.
Optional demographic information form – this section is encouraged but not required.
Overview
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has up to $1,060,000 available to local entities such as lake associations, watershed districts, cities, and counties, as well as Tribal governments, for the management of curly-leaf pondweed, Eurasian watermilfoil, flowering rush and/or starry stonewort. Funding comes from Minnesota’s invasive species account, which is largely funded by the invasive species surcharge on watercraft registrations and on nonresident fishing licenses.
The goal of the DNR’s Invasive Aquatic Plant Management Program (IAPM) is to minimize harmful effects caused by invasive aquatic plants while also protecting natural resources and their use.
Funding is for reimbursement of expenses incurred while conducting local aquatic invasive species (AIS) management projects under IAPM permits. Small-scale grants will be offered for IAPM of curly-leaf pondweed, Eurasian watermilfoil, flowering rush, and starry stonewort, with highest priority placed on starry stonewort management. Population-scale grants will be offered for IAPM of entire populations of Eurasian watermilfoil within lakes.
Only one small-scale and one population-scale application per waterbody, as defined by its unique Lake ID number, will be considered. Small-scale applications may propose management of multiple species (e.g., starry stonewort and curly-leaf pondweed). Additionally, a waterbody will only receive one grant for Eurasian watermilfoil (i.e., no grantee will receive a small-scale grant that includes Eurasian watermilfoil in addition to a population-scale grant for Eurasian watermilfoil).
- Timeline
Program step Date Updated program and application information posted on this web page 11/3/2025
Application period opens at 9 a.m. 11/10/2025 Questions due no later than 4:30 p.m. 12/1/2025 Application period closes at 4:30 p.m. 12/8/2025 Unofficial award notice January 2026 Grant award notifications and grant agreements March 2026 Control project work Begins after receiving the fully signed and executed Grant Award Notification or Grant Agreement Grant expiration June 30, 2027, or when grant obligations are fulfilled, whichever is earlier - Contact information
- 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 4:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1, 2025. All questions and responses will be posted on this page by the end of business Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. Questions received after 4:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1, 2025, may not be posted to the website.
- Frequently Asked Questions
- I would like to see the application ahead of time; is there a way to do that? A file with images of each page of the application is now available for you to view.
- The grant application requests a signature from the “Official with Delegated Authority to Sign.” As president of my lake association, is that me? Likely yes. Many organizations will have determined who in their organization has delegated authority to sign grant contract agreements on behalf of the organization. In the Grant Application with Assurances, we refer to these individuals as "officials with delegated authority to sign” or “authorized representatives of the grantee organization."
- How do I access my SWIFT Supplier information? The StateWide Integrated Financial Tools (SWIFT) system is the online financial, procurement, and reporting system used by the State of Minnesota. Grant Applicants do not need a SWIFT Vendor ID, also called a Supplier ID. All awarded Grantees will need a Vendor ID for successful contract execution. Any Applicants expected to receive a grant that do not have a Vendor ID will be asked to obtain a Vendor ID when they are issued an Unofficial Award Notice in January 2026. If a Grantee has a Vendor ID but does not recall that number, or is unable to access the account, the SWIFT help desk can provide assistance.
- We will be treating multiple species; can we apply for multiple grants? Grants will be limited to one award per lake (as determined by its unique Lake ID). Please indicate all species you wish to manage on one grant application.
- We have a delineation survey from 2025 that our Regional Invasive Species Specialist deemed satisfactory for determining treatment areas in 2026. However, it was completed by the same contractor we plan to have conduct the treatment. Does the third-party delineation requirement still apply in this case? Yes. The contractor who did the survey has to be different from the contractor doing the treatment.
- I have a group wanting to control Eurasian watermilfoil by chemical control and mechanical harvest. Should they just indicate the total amount of proposed acres (chemical & manual) on their grant application, or do they need to fill out two separate grant applications? They should just send in one application and check off both chemical and mechanical.
- Is there a cutoff date for chemical control of curly-leaf pondweed? Please review your IAPM permit for any requirements or limitations on management. Your Regional Invasive Species Specialist can direct you to more information.
- Our lake has Eurasian watermilfoil. How do I know if I should apply for a small-scale or population-level grant? Population-level grants are intended for projects that will address all Eurasian watermilfoil within a lake, or for lake-wide treatments. These grants will range from $25,000-$49,999. Small-scale grants for Eurasian watermilfoil can be for all Eurasian watermilfoil within a lake, or for small patches within a lake. Small-scale grants range from $5,000-$15,000. Population-scale grants will be awarded based on merit, as determined by responses to four essay-answer questions. Small-scale grants will be awarded randomly, with priority given to lakes not funded in recent years. Grant applicants may apply for both types of grants. Only one type of Eurasian watermilfoil grant will be awarded, if an application is selected.