BE IT RESOLVED, that the County Administrator be authorized to negotiate the following grant agreements to provide funding for aquatic invasive species prevention projects during a one-year period beginning on the date of execution:

• PR00002055 with Wayzata Yacht Club, with the amount not to exceed $10,000;

• PR00002070 with Lake Minnetonka Association, with the amount not to exceed $4,250;

• PR00002071 with WaterGuards LLC, with the amount not to exceed $30,000;

• PR00002054 with Wildlife Forever, with the amount not to exceed $10,000;

• PR00002072 with Fortin Consulting Inc., with the amount not to exceed $15,000;

• PR00002057 with Nine Mile Creek Watershed District, with the amount not to exceed $20,000; and

   

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the County Administrator be authorized to negotiate the following grant agreements for aquatic invasive species prevention projects, for a three-year period beginning on the date of execution:

• PR00002064 with Three Rivers Park District, with the amount not to exceed $150,000;

• PR00002065 with Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, with the amount not to exceed $120,000;

• PR00002066 with Christmas Lake Association, with the amount not to exceed $30,000; and

   

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that following review and approval by the County Attorney’s Office, the County Administrator be authorized to sign the agreements on behalf of the county; that the County Administrator be authorized to approve a one 12-month extension of the agreements; that costs incurred by the grantees after the board approval date be eligible for reimbursement upon execution of the agreements; and that the Controller be authorized to disburse funds as directed.

History: Aquatic invasive species (AIS), such as zebra mussels and Eurasian watermilfoil, threaten natural resources and can cause economic, environmental and human health risks. Lakes throughout the county have been negatively affected by AIS or are highly vulnerable to the introduction of new AIS. Preventing the introduction of AIS is critical because often no remedy is available after AIS becomes established in a water body.

The State of Minnesota started funding counties in 2014 to prevent the introduction or limit the spread of AIS. Counties may use the funding for their own projects or programs, or provide funding to other entities in the county. The Hennepin County Board designated oversight of the AIS Prevention Aid program to the County Administrator and delegated to the County Administrator the responsibility to prepare and implement guidelines for use of aid received for the prevention of AIS (Resolution 14-0438).

In the fall 2019, the county released its sixth request for project proposals that prevent the introduction or limit the spread of AIS. Local government agencies, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and academic institutions were eligible to apply.

The availability of the one-year period grants was promoted through city, watersheds and other natural resources partners, mailing lists, and the Environment and Energy Department’s e-newsletter, Green Notes. The county received 18 project proposals requesting a total of $360,275.

The requests were reviewed and recommended by a committee consisting of county staff from Environment and Energy and Community Works. The grant applications recommended for award were projects that focus on preventing the spread of AIS with reasonable and measurable outcomes. Successful applicants clearly described the need for the funding and the capacity and commitment to implement the project and comply with grant administration requirements.

The applications recommended for three-year grant periods were selected by based on past performance and ongoing financial and operational commitments by the grantees.

Since 2015, the state has provided Hennepin County $1,502,459 in aquatic invasive species prevention funding. The county used this funding to support projects that:

• Assess the risk of AIS introduction and the resources available to respond;
• Broaden knowledge and participation in early detection and rapid response;
• Prevent the spread of AIS;
• Research and address specific pathways of introduction;
• Increase enforcement resources; or
• Increase public awareness and participation in prevention.

Current Request: This request is to authorize the County Administrator to negotiate nine agreements to provide funding for AIS prevention projects with the following organizations:

• Wayzata Yacht Club - $10,000. The project will install a fresh water portable heated wash station for incoming and outgoing watercraft. This is an important project for reducing the spread of AIS to and from Lake Minnetonka because this access point is used by watercraft from around the country.
• Lake Minnetonka Association - $4,250. This grant will provide funding to conduct surveys for starry stonewort, an invasive species, at various sites around Lake Minnetonka. The sites will be surveyed twice during optimal growing times using methodology recommended by the University of Minnesota.
• WaterGuards LLC -$30,000. This project will supplement existing countywide watercraft inspection programs by adding additional inspections at public accesses during varied times throughout the season. Introducing unpredictability to the presence of watercraft inspections at public accesses is expected to increase compliance with AIS prevention best practices. Funding for this project will also be used to provide education to boaters about how to use waterless cleaning stations located at public accesses to help prevent the spread of AIS.
• Wildlife Forever - $10,000. This grant will be for the installation of “Clean Drain Dry” messaging at public marinas and bait shops in Hennepin County. The messages will be designed to increase public awareness about AIS prevention measures.
• Fortin Consulting Inc. - $15,000. This project will investigate whether prohibited or regulated species are being sold to consumers at pet stores and garden centers within Hennepin County. This work helps identify channels through which AIS are distributed to consumers and will assist staff with outreach efforts to pet store and garden center staff. This project is in partnership with Anoka County and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
• Nine Mile Creek Watershed District - $20,000. This project will conduct research concerning the presence of goldfish in the Cornelia Lake system. Researchers will tag 500 goldfish and determine how the fish migrate and use the data to develop a management strategy. The project will include a public awareness and education component.
• Three Rivers Park District - $50,000 annually for three years. This funding will supplement the Three Rivers Park District’s existing watercraft inspection program. Pursuant to the county’s AIS guidelines, this three-year agreement will expand the number of lakes, number of watercraft that will be decontaminated, and working hours of AIS inspectors. Annual funding amounts will be subject to the county receiving funds for AIS prevention from the State of Minnesota.
• Minneapolis Park and Recreational Board - $40,000 annually for three years. This funding will supplement the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s existing watercraft inspection program. Pursuant to the county’s AIS guidelines, this three-year agreement will expand AIS inspection hours. Annual funding amounts will be subject to the county receiving funds for AIS prevention from the State of Minnesota.
• Christmas Lake Association - $10,000 annually for three years. This funding will supplement the Association’s existing watercraft inspection and decontamination program. This project will leverage funding from multiple partners, including $16,000 from the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, $5,000 from the City of Shorewood, and $44,962 from the Christmas Lake Association. The county’s annual portion of the three-year funding commitment will be subject to the county receiving funds from the State of Minnesota.

The request is also for approval to reimburse costs incurred by the grantees after the board approval date and upon execution of the grant agreements. Several of the agreements require board approval because the amounts of the individual agreements exceed $100,000. The remaining agreements are included in the request to provide a comprehensive overview of how the funds from the State of Minnesota are being used to prevent the spread of AIS in Hennepin County.

Impact/Outcomes: The recommended projects will prevent and slow the spread of AIS by using emerging technologies to detect AIS early in lakes, supporting research and outreach on other-than-boat-access AIS pathways, expanding inspections and outreach at public lake accesses, and funding research and education.

The grantees will be required to collect data and submit final reports specific to project goals. This includes information such as the number of people reached, the number of boats inspected or decontaminated, pictures of the final products in use, or the findings of research/management. The information and results from these projects will be used by county staff and shared with other water resource professionals to support and develop future AIS prevention work.