The Colorado Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for 2019 Noxious Weed Management grants. This year, the department plans to award $700,000 in grant funds to organizations and associations for projects that focus on controlling the state’s designated noxious weeds. Of that amount, $50,000 will be directed toward noxious weed projects focused on mitigating the recent effects of wildfire or flooding.
“Due to significant wildfire activity in the state last year, noxious weeds may be particularly troublesome on those newly disturbed lands. We want to get out in front of these disturbance-based flushes of noxious weeds so they don’t become established and become a long-term and very expensive problem for counties and municipalities,” said Steve Ryder, CDA’s State Weed Coordinator.
Starting in 2015, the General Assembly has provided $700,000 annually for projects that are carried out by over 40 counties, cities, conservation districts and non-profit organizations. All of the state’s known populations of List A species were treated in 2015 and in subsequent years, as needed, along with numerous List B species.
More information about these grant programs, including the application forms, can be found on the Noxious Weed program’s website www.colorado.gov/pacific/agconservation/noxious-weed-grants-and-financial-assistance.
Applications are due by Dec. 17.
For questions regarding the Noxious Weed Fund grants, please contact Steve Ryder at 303-869-9034, Lara Duran at 303-869-9036, or Patty York at 303-869-9035.
