Help Saint Louis County Battle Aquatic Invasive Species

We love our lakes in the Northland! Over the last two decades, the waterways in our area have been under attack from a variety of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) that play destructive roles to the balance of the ecosystem. Officials with Saint Louis County have worked hard to design battle plans to combat these non-native species and protect our rivers and lakes. Now, they're turning to the general public to compliment their actions.

The county will hold a workshop on Thursday, December 17 at the Public Safety Building: 2030 North Arlington Avenue in Duluth. The meeting will start at 4 PM and is a great opportunity for applicants to get help with their proposals.

In general, the county is looking for proposals for projects that will prevent the introduction or limit the spread of harmful, non-native species at all access sites within the County. Projects should relate to protecting and maintaining lakes, reservoirs, streams and rivers, and social and/or economic impacts of AIS.

To be considered for implementation, projects must be valued at $10,000 or more, and must address one or more of the seven categories and associated actions outlined in the St. Louis County Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Plan:

Assess county resources and risks for AIS introduction and spread.
Increase resources for county-wide education and enforcement.
Increase public awareness and participation in prevention.
Raise available resources and leverage partnerships.
Broaden knowledge of and participation in early detection and rapid response activities.
Manage existing populations of AIS.
Address specific pathways for AIS introduction

Applications and more information on this request for proposals is available online. Deadline to apply is Wednesday, January 27, 2016.