Missoula County Weed District landowner grant programs

Getting a start on managing the vegetation on your property can be challenging and expensive. Missoula County Weed District's Grant Programs were established to help guide landowners through the planning process as well as offset some of the cost associated with improving the vegetation on one's property.

The Landowner Grant Program was established in 2002, since the program's inception Missoula County Weed District has assisted hundreds of landowners in Missoula County at decreasing the noxious weeds on their properties and establishing desirable grasses and forbs.

The landowner grant program is designed to help Missoula County landowners get a jumpstart on reaching their vegetation management goals on their property. These goals may be increased forage for livestock or wildlife, reducing noxious weeds, encouraging wildflowers or just improving aesthetics. The grant program is a matching cost-share program that allows for half of expenses (up to $1000) be reimbursed to the landowner upon that projects completion. Allowable expenses under the landowner grant program include the purchase and application of herbicides, and the purchase and application of seed for revegetation. Landowners may also be reimbursed for other integrated management tools upon approval by the district. The grant program also allows for landowners to use their own labor to match actual expenses.

Missoula County Weed District partners with the Missoula County Conservation District to fund this grant program. This is a competitive grant program with limited funds to be spread across the county. For 2019 there will be $10,000 available to be awarded to individual private landowners throughout the county. Missoula County Weed District prioritizes grant applications that:

• Are in an underserved location

• Have priority noxious weed species

• Are larger than 2 acres

• Are new grant applicants

• And/or the applicant is working with surrounding neighbors

To apply for the County Landowner Grant, it helps to know what kinds of noxious weeds you have, where they are located on your property, the density of the infestations, an idea of the desired outcome (future desired condition), how much you can afford to spend, and what management tools you would like to utilize. The grant process consists of a pre-application (one simple page about your project), due 12/3/18. If the pre-application is accepted then you will be invited to submit your project proposal (budget, control methods, pictures and map). Full proposals will be due 2/1/19 and projects will be awarded by April 2019.

For pre-applications visit http://www.missoulaeduplace.org/funding-a-grants.html or contact Lindsey at (406) 258-4219.

Missoula County Weed District also has a Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA) grant for larger projects that include multiple landowners working together to manage noxious weeds. To qualify, you must have a minimum of 3 adjacent landowners and a minimum of 100 cumulative acres. CWMA projects are eligible for up to $3000 reimbursed per participating landowner and grant requests cannot exceed $15,000. Project proposals are due Dec. 31.

For more information on the grants programs, assistance with identifying your noxious weeds or help establishing a weed management plan for your property contact Lindsey Bona-Eggeman at lbona@missoulaeduplace.org (406) 258-4219.