BE IT RESOLVED, that the County Administrator be authorized to negotiate the following agreements to provide funding for Aquatic Invasive Species prevention projects during the period March 26, 2019 through December 31, 2020:

• PR00000937 with Wayzata Sailing Foundation with the amount not to exceed $14,000;
• PR00000938 with Christmas Lake Homeowners Association with the amount not to exceed $10,000;
• PR00000939 with Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission with the amount not to exceed $10,000;
• PR00000940 with Three Rivers Park District with the amount not to exceed $40,000;
• PR00000941 with Wildlife Forever with the amount not to exceed $9,000;
• PR00000942 with Lake Minnetonka Conservation District with the amount not to exceed $20,000;
• PR00000943 with Lake Sarah Improvement Association with the amount not to exceed $22,000;
• PR00000944 with Boys and Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities with the amount not to exceed $20,000;
• PR00000946 with Fortin Consulting, Inc., with the amount not to exceed $23,000;
• PR00000947 with Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board with the amount not to exceed $8,000; 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 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 began funding counties in 2014 to prevent the introduction or limit the spread of AIS. A county may use the funding for its own projects or programs or it may provide funding to other entities in the county, including water management organizations, lake associations or other local governments. The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners designated to the County Administrator oversight of the AIS Prevention Aid program and delegated to the County Administrator the responsibility to prepare and implement guidelines for use of aid received for the prevention of AIS (Resolution No. 14-0438).

In fall 2018, the county released its fifth request for proposals for projects 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 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 24 project proposals requesting a total of $494,333.

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

Since 2015, the state has provided Hennepin County $1,184,731 in aquatic invasive species prevention funding. The county used this funding to support projects that:

• 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; and      

• increase public awareness and participation in prevention.

   

Current Request: This request seeks authorization for the County Administrator to negotiate the following agreements to provide funding for Aquatic Invasive Species prevention projects during the period of March 26, 2019 through December 31, 2020: 

• Wayzata Sailing Foundation - $14,000.  The project will engage youth in the discovery, monitoring and exploration of AIS in Lake Minnetonka. It will involve 300 youth during the summer with hands-on education. Partners include the YMCA and Lake Science Collaborative.
• Christmas Lake Homeowners Association - $10,000. The project will provide inspection service by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources at the Christmas Lake public access.  The Lake Association is funding 65 percent of the cost and is receiving additional funding from Shorewood and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District.
• Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission - $10,000.  The project will conduct aquatic vegetation surveys in six lakes as well as provide for outreach to Lake Association members.  The county will also partner with the watershed and local lake association members to hold an AIS early detection workshop and sponsor 10 volunteers to attend the University of Minnesota AIS Detector Course.
• Three Rivers Park District - $40,000. This grant will enhance the park district’s existing watercraft access inspections and leverages $63,000 of investment by the park district. The grant will sustain elevated levels of inspections on Fish, Medicine and Bryant lakes and on Lake Minnetonka. It will also provide lower-intensity inspection efforts at Lower Twin Lake and Little Long Lake.
• Wildlife Forever - $9,000. The project will provide multi-media community outreach. The majority of this funding is to be directed at AIS prevention messaging on gas pump toppers on non-oxygenated gas pumps. This type of fuel is commonly used by boaters. Lake Minnetonka Conservation District - $20,000.  In partnership with the Three Rivers Park District, the conservation district will provide inspectors at the smaller public accesses on Lake Minnetonka, including Carsons, Halsted, and Wayzata bays.
• Lake Sarah Improvement Association - $22,000.  The project will research patterns of boating traffic, including a comprehensive survey of boaters docked on the lake.  From this assessment, customized education of AIS prevention action steps will be provided to lakeshore homeowners.
• Boys and Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities - $20,000.  The project will redesign Little Long Lake public access for AIS prevention, which includes a CD3 waterless cleaning system that Camp Voyageur staff will monitor. AIS prevention activities will be incorporated into its education programs with youth and adult visitors.
• Fortin Consulting Inc. - $23,000.  The project will conduct detailed early detection plant surveys on eight lakes throughout the county where limited AIS information exists, most typically lakes with no public boat access. Fortin Consulting will also assist with AIS training in partnership with county staff.    
• Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board - $8,000. This project pilots the use of environmental DNA technology to search for zebra mussels in six Minneapolis lakes. Environmental DNA is DNA left behind by an organism in the environment, similar to humans leaving DNA traces behind in hair, shed skin or saliva. The resulting data will be used to inform future searching and management activities.

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.

Impact/Outcomes: The recommended grant projects will prevent and slow the spread of AIS by training volunteers to detect AIS early in lakes, expanding inspections and outreach at public lake accesses, installing boat cleaning stations, 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.