Volunteers at a garlic mustard-pulling event on the Montreal River in Iron County, part of a control project planned by a previous WMA-PFGP recipient. / Photo Credit: Ramona Shackleford, Northwoods Cooperative Weed Management Area
By Art Kabelowsky, DNR Outreach and Communications
Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167
With an April 1 deadline on the horizon, it’s time for eligible Weed Management Groups (WMGs) to consider applying for a Weed Management Area-Private Forest Grant Program (WMA-PFGP) grant to address invasive forest plants in 2026.
The WMA-PFGP helps eligible groups both by dealing directly with the invasives and by providing education, information and outreach to others. The grants are meant as reimbursements that cover up to 75% of eligible costs, with a 25% match required.
Applications received by April 1 will be considered, and awards will be issued by July 1 annually. Grants expire 24 months after the award date. Rapid response applications are accepted at any time and are awarded as warranted.
Complete application and eligibility information can be found on the WMA-PFGP Application Instructions. A list of documents that must accompany the application can be found on the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ WMA-PFGP webpage.
The WMA-PFGP is for eligible weed management groups, and often for Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas (CISMAs). The program assists these groups in addressing invasive plants on nonindustrial private forest lands directly through inventory, control and monitoring, and indirectly through education and outreach efforts.
For a refresher on what CISMAs do and how to find your local group, check out our previous Forest Health newsletter article on CISMAs. You can also check out the CISMA partnership document for an overview of each group.
CISMAs often apply for these grants on behalf of several landowners and may have cost-share programs available as a result. If your county does not currently have a CISMA, you can form a weed management group to apply for a grant. Eligible weed management groups must have at least three members, and at least one must be a landowner with 500 or fewer acres of nonindustrial private forest land on which the grant practices will be implemented.
Previous WMA-PFGP projects have included manual control of invasives, contracted control using machinery, herbicides and goat grazing, as well as many outreach and educational programs.
Visit the DNR’s WMA-PFGP webpage for more information on the requirements and offerings of the program, full application materials and lists of approved and unapproved expenses.