2015 ANNUAL REPORT

CONNECTING LANDOWNERS AND COMMUNITIES: ADULT PROGRAMS

creating a management plan with other landowners which promotes the importance of communication amongst neighbors, another key component in a successful management plan.

Master GardenerPresent to Level 1 Master Gardener on the history of the Missoula County Weed District, plant identification, the principles of IPM (Integrated Plant Management). Participants collected spotted knapweed plants to dissect for biological control activity.

Bio-control Collection and DistributionParticipants are provided a hands-on educational program on the process involved in monitoring and collecting bio-control to be released on their property. This program is free and participants go home with a release for spotted knapweed, Dalmatian toadflax and leafy spurge to distribute on their weed infestations.

Bio-control Education Workshops Biocontrol Workshops were held throughout MT but 4 occurred in the Missoula area with many Missoula residents (170) in attendance. Each workshop was unique, but successfully integrating biocontrol into one’s weed management plan was a key component. These workshops varied including: seminars on biocontrol as a management option, tours focusing on multiple biocontrol systems, or classroom style setting with an emphasis on management of a key weed species utilizing biocontrol.

Adopt a TrailheadAdopt a Trailhead Montana (AATM) is a new community involvement campaign aimed at promoting trail stewardship and increased awareness about noxious weeds and how to prevent their spread. The first AATM project in the state took place on September 26, 2015, at the Rattlesnake National Recreation Area on the Lolo National Forest. Educational kiosks that feature

information about noxious weed species found in the area are placed at AATM trailheads. This educational signage is to help educate trail users about noxious weeds and to help them understand how they can prevent spread of noxious weeds further up trail. Kiosks are equipped with a boot brush intended for use before and after recreating on AATM trails so that trail users can clean their shoes and gear and reduce spread of weed seeds. Twenty five volunteers worked for 2.5 hours installing the kiosk and pulling noxious weeds along the trail. AATM is a collaboration between the Montana Noxious Weed Education Campaign, Montana Department of Agriculture, Region 1 Forest Service, Montana Weed Seed Free Forage Program, Lolo National Forest and the Missoula County Weed District.

EDUCATION

Missoula County varies with land-use needs and vegetation issues. The Weed District plans programs to meet the needs of an array of land management issues. The Missoula County Weed District’s approach to educating an ever changing demographic of landowners is based on providing the necessary tools and resources to help landowners make informative decisions for managing their vegetation toward their goals for the land.

Building Bridges Aquatic Invasive Species Tour30 participants joined this year’s field tour, which focused on Aquatic invasive species and visited 4 sites between Missoula and the southern end of Flathead Lake. The first stop was at the Ravalli Watercraft Inspection Station to discuss how the stations are set up, what they are looking for and the results of past year’s efforts. Second was looking at treatment plots for flowering rush in Flathead Lake. The third stop was at Pablo Reservoir

looking at the genetics and reproduction strategies of yellowflag iris. The fourth and final stop was at the Dixon access to the lower Flathead River to discuss Environmental-DNA and efforts to suppress the spread of invasive American bullfrogs in Montana.

Building Bridges Workshop Ventenata dubia biolog y and management Over 60 people participated in the 2015 Building Bridges workshop, which was a collaboration between Missoula County, Montana State University Extension and University of Idaho, and focused on the biology and management of a new invasive annual grass, Ventenata dubia. Other topics covered were the status of research in Montana on the management of cheatgrass, an introduction to Montana’s newest listed noxious grass species Phragmites autralis, and a group discussion on the roadblocks to annual grass management.

Healthy Acres SeminarProvides a forum for landowners (30) to meet their neighbors and learn about land management issues that most affect the health of their land, communities and watersheds. The objective of Healthy Acres is to provide resources and training on management issues in natural resources.

Private Applicator TrainingAn 8 hour training for new private applicators (25) on how to safely and effectively treat their property with herbicides as well as educate them on the importance of an integrated approach to vegetation management that includes the principles of IPM.

MSU Forestry ExtensionForestry mini college attracted over 40 participants for a 90 minute presentation focusing on creating a management plan that works towards the goals of their land. Participants get hands-on experience

The Montana Land Reliance (MLR) partnered with the MT Biocontrol Project, Missoula County Weed District, and the Flathead National Forest to put on a series of spotted knapweed biocontrol workshops in western Montana. The workshops took place in Ninemile, Condon, and Kalispell. They were open to anyone interested in attending. The intent was to provide information to the Conservation Easement holders that Montana Land Reliance works with in those areas. There were over 50 participants at the 3 workshops on August 19th, 20th, and 21st. Each workshop was formatted similarly, with presentations covering biocontrol basics, spotted knapweed biocontrol, and integrated weed management before heading out for a field portion including an insect release, a review of release site monitoring, and collection techniques. The intent was for the field sites from these workshops to serve as future insectaries and have collectable populations within the next 5 years. This will allow the landowners in these areas to easily access and collect spotted knapweed biocontrol agents to release on their properties.

Montana Land Reliance Spotted Knapweed Biocontrol Workshop Series

EDUCATION

Look for information and resources around the county at local festivals, trainings or markets near you about upcoming trainings, products or awareness from friendly Weed District staff.

Website www.missoulaeduplace.org

Healthy Acres Newsletter

Community Forestry Days/Career Fair

Clark Fork Market booth

Community Festivals and Celebrations

Bio Control Releases

Western MT Fair

OUTREACHPROJECT SPOTLIGHT

YOUTH EDUCATION AND EDUCATOR TRAININGS

Educating Missoula County’s youth on native and non-native vegetation and the ecology behind maintaining healthy plant communities and the effects noxious weed invasions have on them.

Leave No Weeds 850 area 5th graders learn to identify healthy plant communities and the impacts invasive species have on these communities. 40 area classrooms are provided 3.5 hours of instruction on the importance of recognizing native plants and how invasive species threaten these habitats. The fieldtrip component provides hands-on service learning to students with native plant walks, weed pulls, bio-control observations and revegetation of disturbed sites.

Potomac Outdoor SchoolLead Potomac Schools 7th grade students through a “Weed Walk and Talk” at Camp Utmost in the Blackfoot Valley. Students learned to identify local plants and determine if they were native or invasive plants.

Youth in Restoration Program Employs 4 high school students over 8 weeks to participate and learn about local stewardship projects within Western Montana. YIR is a cooperative program that builds collaborative partnerships between diverse land management organizations, while providing youth crew members with career mentoring and on-the-ground training in natural resource conservation work.

Blackfoot Valley Noxious Weed EducationPartner with Blackfoot Challenge to provide 3 schools (100 students) in the watershed, noxious weed education focusing on productive native vegetation characteristics and traits of invasive plants that enable them to invade new areas.

Watershed Education Network80 students from Washington Middle School learned about healthy habitats and the importance of plant diversity and why invasive species threaten local watershed ecosystems.

Naturewalk WeekPresent to 250 3rd grade students, 16 teachers and more than 30 parents from schools in the Missoula area at the Rattlesnake Trailhead. Students get the opportunity to visit their National Forest and learn from “experts in the field.” Students go away with a better understanding of how to identify native plants and the potential threat noxious weeds have out local ecosystems.

VARIABLE TREATMENT OPTIONS

Seed mix Lolo dry site mix MCWD mix

Seeding method Broadcast Drill

Herbicide Single application Annual application

Water Single application Annual application

Mowing Single application Annual application

RESEARCH

The Missoula County Weed District (MCWD) diligently works with land owners and managers to develop long-term achievable goals regarding vegetation management, focusing on what should be present instead of simply what needs to be removed. In order to better understand how to effectively implement a variety of management options, the MCWD reaches out and collaborates on research projects with partners from a variety of backgrounds. This approach allows the MCWD to develop and support studies that address local issues. The following is a review of research projects that began in 2015, which the MCWD was involved with.

Evaluating Local Revegetation Options This project was developed to help answer one of the most common questions the MCWD receives which is – “ What is the most efficient way to transition a landscape overrun by noxious weeds into an area dominated by desirable vegetation”? To find local solutions to this question, research plots were established on old,

heavily used ranch land infested with noxious weeds that is currently a Missoula County park. The table on the right hand page illustrates the treatments that were installed at this park.

Pre-treatment research plots were established and noxious weeds were treated across the entire 4 acre park in 2014. The area was also mowed in the fall of 2014. Plots were seeded either by drilling or broadcasting one of the two selected mixes in the winter of 2014-2015. The park was watered during the summer of 2015 and one-year post-treatment data was collected. The results from the first year of this project (2014-2015) will be included in a spring 2016 Healthy Acres article.

New Student Research Grant OpportunityThe first Missoula County Student Research Grant was awarded in 2015 to Christine McManamen a student in the University of Montana’s Restoration Ecology Program. She will be evaluating the duration and degree to which herbicides negatively affect native plants and common invasive species

when they are sown in chemically treated soil. In addition, she will investigate herbicide effects on the native and exotic soil seed bank. Specifically, she will be looking at whether or not the presence of a duff layer during chemical application changes the effects of herbicides on seeds in the soil seed bank. Understanding the role duff plays in shielding the soil seed bank during herbicide application is an important, but understudied aspect of restoration treatments for native plant communities. This study will be among the first to address the importance of timing when combining herbicide applications with reseeding to promote the restoration of native plant communities.

Improving Roadside Pollinator HabitatThe 2014 presidential memorandum which directed government agencies to promote the health of pollinators on public land provided the MCWD with an opportunity to work with the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) to improve the natural resources available throughout MDT

roadside habitat by incorporating desirable forbs into the roadside plant community. This pilot project began in the spring of 2015 when six hardy, native forb species were seeded at two locations; one with established vegetation while the other had been recently disturbed. Seeded

species establishment will be monitored from 2016-2018. Incorporating desirable forbs into the roadside plant community has the capacity to increase pollen availability while improving the resilience of this area to noxious weed invasion.

The mission of the Montana Biological Weed Control Coordination Project (MT Biocontrol Project) is to provide the leadership, coordination, and education necessary to enable land managers across Montana to successfully incorporate biological weed control into their noxious weed management programs. This is an ever-evolving program that will provide deliverables that land managers are currently interested in. Based off of feedback from our first year of The Project, we concentrated on 3 main areas of focus in 2015: Workshops and Education, Insect Collections and Distribution, and Coordination and Communication with MT and neighboring land managers.

Montana Biological Weed Control Coordination Project

Workshops and Other EducationThe MT Biocontrol Project coordinated or presented at 15 workshops in 2015 throughout Montana. Locations included: Butte, Roundup, Libby, Browning, Livingston, Rock Creek, Lincoln, Phillipsburg, Dixon, Harlowton, Terry, Great Falls, Nine Mile, Condon, and Kalispell.

Insect Collections and DistributionThirty-two days were spent collecting biocontrol agents for yellow toadflax, Dalmatian toadflax, leafy spurge, and spotted knapweed. Approximately 1.76 million agents were relocated to new homes through these efforts. If these insects were purchased commercially, they would have cost roughly $260,000. Thirty-five counties (BLM, FS, Weed Districts, Conservation Districts, Extension, and Land Trusts) and 7 other states (South Dakota, North Dakota, West Virginia, Colorado, Idaho, Washington, and New York) were able to release biocontrol

agents because of the MT Biocontrol Project coordinated collections and/or shipments. Around half of these recipients attended collections to bring insects home and the other half received shipments.

Coordination and CommunicationWe are working with researchers and land managers in Montana to establish insectaries for Dalmatian toadflax, leafy spurge, and spotted knapweed biocontrol in all parts of the state. This will lead to locally adapted insect populations that will better survive in the variety of conditions throughout Montana. These insectaries will also be much more convenient to travel to for collections if they are located throughout Montana rather than primarily in the western part of the state. We are also working with researchers and land managers in Montana and neighboring states to establish insectaries for newer biocontrol agents for yellow toadflax and Russian knapweed.

Staying up to date on the status of biocontrol agents being researched is a focus of the Fall Biocontrol Meeting. This year we were lucky enough to have Hariet Hinz, Head of Weed Biological Control at CABI Switzerland, in attendance. CABI does a majority of the overseas host specificity testing for our potential biocontrol agents. At this same meeting, we learned troubling details concerning the delays in permitting potentially beneficial weed biocontrol agents that is occurring at the national level. There are presently 8 petitions that have passed the stringent requirements for approval by the USDA-APHIS Technical Advisory Group for Biological Control Agents of Weeds. This newly acquired information has resulted in meetings with stakeholder groups that benefit from biocontrol in Montana to inform them of the issue. Working to resolve the permitting delays could potentially be a new area of focus for the MT Biocontrol Project in 2016.

MONTANA BIOLOGICAL WEED CONTROL COORDINATION PROJECT

BIO CONTROL

LEGENDWORKSHOPS

RECEIVED INSECTSBOTH WORKSHOPS & INSECTS

The Missoula County Weed District worked with the City of Missoula’s Conservation Lands Management program to reinventory noxious weed and native grass populations across the City’s hillside open space. Numerous noxious weed inventories of Missoula’s conservation lands have been conducted by the Missoula County Weed District. The North Hills and Mount Sentinel were first mapped in 2001 and remapped in 2007. Mount Jumbo was initially mapped in 2004 with some additional mapping on newly acquired parcels in 2010. The maps and data produced by these inventories helped inform and direct the Missoula’s Conservation Lands Management program of aggressive treatment of the noxious weeds on their ground with biocontrol, sheep grazing and herbicides.

With eight years having passed since the last major inventory and eleven years since Mount Jumbo was mapped it was decided that 2015 was the year to reinventory the City Open Space. Past inventories had been conducted by the Weed District’s one man mapping crew as part of our effort to assist the Missoula Parks and Recreation Department as they developed their conservation lands management program. Now that the Conservation Lands Management program has sufficient staff and resources to conduct these inventories in house, the challenge was to train their personnel on our mapping techniques so that they could collect data consistent with that of previous inventories and uniform data across their crew. Having just finished post-processing the data they collected, the project

looks to have been a success. They were able to map most of the North Hills and the south half of Mount Jumbo. The maps, data and photo points we will be able to produce from this inventory should help inform another ten years of weed management by Missoula’s Conservation Lands Management program.

MAPPING ACCOMPLISHMENTS MISSOULA CONSERVATION LAND INVENTORY

MAPPING

Other Mapping Projects

Medusahead: The Missoula County Weed District once again coordinated the inter-agency mapping of the medusahead infestation just north of Arlee. The data collected over two days in June helped fill in the blank spots on our map of this high priority infestation.

Yellowflag Iris: Yellowflag iris was once again mapped and treated on the Clark Fork and Bitterroot Rivers and on the Clearwater River between Salmon Lake and the Blackfoot River.

Perennial Pepperweed: We once again chased emerging infestations of perennial pepperweed on the Clark Fork River. With our mapping capabilities we are able to revisit every known infestation of perennial pepperweed in addition to mapping and treating any newly discovered infestations. We are holding the line on this new invader as it tries to work its way down the Clark Fork River.

BUCKTHORN REPORT 2015

In 2015, common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) became the first County listed noxious weed in Missoula County. The process involved with listing common buckthorn began early in the year when an application form was sent to local land managers requesting submissions for species not on the state list that they thought had noxious qualities. Common buckthorn was the only species submitted for consideration. The application was submitted by the City of Missoula Open Lands Program (OLP). The OLP had found common buckthorn along the majority of waterways within and adjacent to the 4,000 acres of land they manage.

Working to eradicate this species requires a long-term commitment because common buckthorn can grow to be a multi-stemmed tree capable of producing 1,000’s of fruit each year. Inside each fruit there are 1-5 seeds. The oldest common buckthorn found in Missoula County thus far had 67 identifiable annual growth rings. Seed dispersal for this species is primarily through birds. Fruit is attractive to birds, but contains little nutritional

value and causes a cathartic reaction in birds that eat common buckthorn seeds, aiding in dispersal. Seed longevity ranges from 2-6 years. Fruits have the ability to float, especially when dry, and can be dispersed along waterways. Common buckthorn also has the ability to re-sprout from stumps and fibrous root mats after cutting. These characteristics make common buckthorn a challenge to control.

Over the past few years managing this species on city land the OLP had identified a four-acre parcel along Rattlesnake Creek as the heart of the infestation. In 2015 the Missoula County Weed District (MCWD) contacted landowners adjacent to this area of infestation to start educating and developing removal strategies for landowners with common buckthorn infestations. Working with these landowners over the past year, MCWD staff and participants in the Youth in Restoration program pulled and disposed of small-diameter fruit producing buckthorn throughout the growing season. In the fall MCWD staff, OLP staff, and a crew from the Montana Conservation Corp. cut down

large diameter common buckthorn trees. Stump treating the base of each trunk with an herbicide immediately after to prevent re-sprouting. The MCWD will continue to focus our control efforts on this area of infestation for the next few years. During this time we hope to learn how to effectively control common buckthorn in our area in order to provide well-informed recommendations to landowners and managers.

In addition to these control efforts, the MCWD also implemented a mapping effort, in collaboration with students in the Restoration Ecology capstone project at the University of Montana, to identify where common buckthorn is currently growing in Missoula County. These students surveyed for common buckthorn at fishing access sites across the county and along creek drainages throughout the Missoula Valley. Through this effort they found hundreds of new common buckthorn infestations.

During the fall of 2015 information on the life history, invasive potential, and abundance of

common buckthorn was presented to the Missoula County Weed District Advisory Board. The Advisory Board took this information into consideration and decided that common buckthorn warranted listing as a County Noxious Weed. Following a positive public hearing, common buckthorn became the first County Listed Noxious Weed in Missoula County. Once this species was listed at the County level a request was submitted to the State Department of Agriculture to consider common buckthorn, which is currently found in over half of the counties in Montana with known areas of invasion in six counties, as a candidate for state listing as a noxious weed. Common buckthorn is also currently listed as a noxious weed in six northern states.

Common buckthorn is not our first advisory and it will not be our last. Requests will be sent out to local land managers on an annual basis requesting suggestions of species that warrant listing. Through this process the MCWD will be able to effectively respond to new invading noxious weeds, decreasing the negative impact these species can have on our ecosystems and economy.

PREVENTION

Aquatic Invasive Species Monitoring ProgramDuring the 2015 field season Missoula County Weed

District Staff and the Youth In Restoration Crew was able to physically monitor for aquatic invasive plants on 8 lakes. These lakes were: Seeley, Salmon, Placid, Vann, Upsata, Browns, Harpers, and Blanchard. No aquatic invasive species were found in our surveys. These surveys were undertaken with the assistance of DNRC RDG funds, which was awarded in the amount of $3450.

EDNAMissoula County Weed District continues to work with the Flathead National Forest and the U of M Flathead Biological Research station on the development of the use of eDNA for detecting Eurasian Watermilfoil in aquatic systems. For the last two field seasons we have helped facilitate funding for field work conducted in the Swan Valley. We will continue to participate in this project in 2016.

WEED MANAGEMENT AREAS

The Missoula County Landowner Grant Program was initiated in 2001. The goal of the County Landowner Grant Program is to provide Missoula County landowners assistance in implementing their long-term integrated weed management practices. Each year $20,000 is allocated to the program to be distributed to individual landowners, homeowners associations, road associations, and irrigation districts. Currently individual landowners

are eligible for up to $500 for approved integrated weed management practices and groups are eligible for up to $1000. The grant is a matching 50/50 grant that is reimbursed once the work is completed. Funding is prioritized towards new invader species, new applicants, and landowners applying with their neighbors. The grants can be matched with landowners’ own labor or cash but cannot be matched by other grant funds such as the Noxious

Weed Trust Fund. In the last five years there has been a growing trend of number of applications as well as the amount of money being requested. Since 2011 the amount of grants awarded has increased by about 20 and the overall amount requested has increased over $9,000. Over the last 5 years there has been $89158 awarded towards 272 grants recipients.

COUNTY LANDOWNER GRANT PROGRAM

GRANTS AWARDED

70

65

60

55

50

45

40

35

2011 20122012 2013 2014 2015

GRANTS AWARDED VS. GRANTS REQUESTED

$35,000.00

$32,500.00

$30,000.00

$27,500.00

$25,000.00

$22,500.00

$20,000.00

$17,500.00

$15,000.00

2011 20122012 2013 2014 2015

TOTAL REQUESTED AMOUNT TOTAL FUNDING AWARDED

GRANTS AWARDED

COOPERATIVE WEED MANAGEMENT AREAS

Woodworth Weed Management AreaReceived NWTF funding in 2014 and has extended the grant to 2016 to finalize some treatments and revegetation. The original grant award was for $29,000, with 14 participating landowners. To date 298 acres of noxious weeds have been treated and 428 acres have been re-seeded.

Swan Valley Weed Management AreaThis grant project closed in 2015. The NWTF granted the group $19,000 in 2014. With the funding provided by the NWTF in 2014-2015 landowners in the Swan were able to the treat 774 acres for noxious weeds and re-seed 71.5 acres. 31 landowners participated in the SVCWMA in ’14-’15.

Nine Mile Weed Management AreaThis CWMA received NWTF grant money in 2015 totaling $27,000. There are 19 participating landowners and participants have until 2016 to complete their work. To date 225 acres of noxious weeds have been treated and 208 acres have been re-seeded.

Sentinel/South Hills Weed Management AreaThis CWMA was awarded $30,000 in 2015 by the NWTF. The grant project will conclude in 2016. There are 14 participating landowners/managers including the city open space, University of Montana and Lolo National Forest.

Lolo Emergency Fire GrantThis grant was awarded in 2013 after the Lolo Complex Fire. The goal was to combat the invasion of noxious weeds in the burned areas and encourage the growth of native vegetation. The grant award was for $24,998 and has been extended until 2016. At last report there was 397 acres of noxious weeds treated and reseeded 857. More re-seeding is taking place in late 2015 and 2016.

Mill Creek/Frenchtown Fire Grant800 acres in the Mill Creek drainage in Frenchtown was burned in the summer of 2013. The Montana Noxious Weed Trust Fund awarded $25,000 to the landowners affected by the fire. In 2014 the landowners were able to treat 600 acres aerially for noxious weeds and 36 acres were re-seeded. The grant funding concluded in 2015, with no additional acres treated.

Petty Creek Cooperative Weed Management Area 2015 was the first year this group received funding. Project participants came together in response to the paving, in 2014, of the main road that accesses Petty Creek which has increased vehicle use and consequent weed dispersal. In the past year project participants have worked across property boundar-ies sharing their time and equipment as well as their invaluable local knowledge of what works well for controlling weeds and revegetating disturbed areas.

Evaro Cooperative Weed Management AreaIn 2014, over 20 landowners, the Lolo National Forest and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes began working together to cooperatively manage noxious weeds in the Evaro/O’keefe area. With help from the Evaro-O’keefe Community Council and the Missoula County Weed District, they successfully applied for grant assistance from the Noxious Weed Trust Fund. Herbicide treatments and biological control releases started in 2015, and will continue through 2016.

UPCOMING

Greenough Weed Management AreaThis is an old CWMA that has been revitalized. This group has applied for NWTF money for the 2016-2017 field season. There are 17 participants including The Nature Conservancy, University of Montana, and Fish Wildlife and Parks. The grant is proposing to treat 2035 acres for noxious weeds and re-seed 181 acres. The project is requesting $50,518 in funding for the work.

Wye to Marshall Vegetation Management AreaLandowners and managers have come together to work collaboratively across property boundaries improving vegetation across this landscape. This group has applied for funding to treat 1,578 acres of noxious weeds while re-vegetating thirty acres to increase agricultural productivity and benefit wildlife habitat. The Wye to Marshall VMA is composed of participants from ranching families, small acreage land owners, and local and federal land management agencies.

In 2015, Missoula County Weed District worked with Montana’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and the Governor’s office to create the Montana Invasive Species Advisory Council. The council was created by Governor Bullock through Executive Order No. 13-2014 for the purpose of advising his office on a science-based, comprehensive program to identify, prevent, eliminate, reduce, and mitigate the impacts of invasive species in Montana. The council is composed of 21 members, representing local, state, federal and tribal land management agencies as well as private land managers, industry and natural resources groups. In addition to representing Montana county weed districts on the council, Missoula County also serves as the fiscal agent for the Council’s projects and operations, and has led the fundraising effort that has helped the council accomplish its goals of:

• Conducting an independent all-taxa assessment of Montana’s invasive species programs that will allow us to know our strengths and weaknesses, what we can promote as working and where we need improvement;

• Sponsoring a Governor’s Invasive Species Summit to engage Montana’s agriculture and natural resource communities in a discussion of the results of the statewide assessments and begin the process of working toward solutions to identified gaps in our programs;

• Creating the first Montana all-taxa invasive species strategic plan that would serve as a prioritized roadmap for Montana in our efforts to prevent, eradicate and control invasive species in our state.

In addition to making significant progress on all three of these goals, the Montana Invasive Species Advisory Council has also begun distributing Invasive News, an online publication informing Montana stakeholders of invasive species issues in our state and region, as well as begun strengthening relationships with the Invasive Species Councils of our surrounding states. For more information on the Montana Invasive Species Advisory Council, and to stay up to date on their work, you can visit the website at: dnrc.mt.gov/divisions/cardd/MISAC.

MONTANA INVASIVE SPECIES ADVISORY COUNCIL

GRANT & PARTNER CONTRIBUTIONS

Coordination

10%

Research

15%

Management /ControlEducation

24%51%

Funding expenditures for programs like Youth in Restoration, Leave No Weeds, Statewide Biocontrol Coordination and the coordination of the Montana Invasive Species Advisory Council are almost entirely the result of partnerships and successful grant writing. Above is a breakdown of how grant and partner contributions are spent.

53%47%

WEED DISTRICT PERSONNEL & OPERATIONS

Grant/Partner Contributions

Missoula County Weed District

The partnerships developed by the Missoula County Weed District are critical to our success. Close to 50% of the funding expended in 2015 is a result of the relationships we have built with partner organizations and the grant writing success of our staff.

PARTNERSHIPS

Allied Waste

America’s Great Outdoors Crown of the Continent Initiative

Beaverhead County Weed District

Bitterroot Biocontrol Project

Blackfoot Challenge

Blaine County Weed District

Bureau of Land Management

Bureau of Land Management – Missoula

Butte Silverbow County Weed District

City of Helena

City of Missoula – Conservation Lands

Clark Fork Coalition

Clearwater Resource Council

Daniels County Weed District and Extension

Fergus County Weed District

Five Valleys Land Trust

Flathead County Weed District

Gallatin County Weed District

Golden Valley County Weed District

Granite County Weed District

Hill County Weed District

Jefferson County Weed District

Lake County Weed District

Lewis & Clark Conservation District

Lewis and Clark County Weed District

Liberty County Weed District

Lolo Ranger District

Mineral County Weed District

Missoula Conservation District

Missoula County Community and Planning Services

Missoula County Parks

Missoula Valley Land Managers

Montana Department of Transportation

Montana Environmental Education Association

Montana Invasive Species Advisory Council

Montana State University Extension

Montana Weed Control Association

MPG Ranch

MT Department of Natural Resources

MT Fish Wildlife and Parks

Musselshell County Weed District

Natural Resource Collaborative Working Group

Ninemile Ranger District

Northern Rockies Invasive Plant Council

NRCS

Park County Cooperative Weed Management Area

Park County Weed District

Powder River Conservation District

PARTNERSHIPS

Powell County Weed District

Ravalli County Weed District

Ravalli County Extension

Richland County Weed District

Sanders County Weed District

Seeley Lake Ranger District

Stillwater County Weed District

Swan Ecosystem Center

Sweet Grass County Weed District

The Nature Conservancy

Teton County Weed District

Toole County Weed District

UM School of Forestry

University of Montana – Natural Areas

US Fish and Wildlife Service – PRISM

US Forest Service

USDA - Agricultural Research Station

USDA –Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Wheatland County Weed District

Whitehall School Project

Working Dogs for Conservation

Yellowstone County Weed District

406.258.4217 www.missoulaeduplace.org 2825 Santa Fe Court Missoula, MT 59808-1685