PHRAGMITES CONTROL
Phragmites Control Project Information for Landowners
A group of LISMA members including Glacierland Resource Conservation & Development Council (Glacierland), Lakeshore Natural Resources Partnership (LNRP) and Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. among others, are partnering on this regional invasive phragmites effort on public and private lands across Calumet, Manitowoc, Fond du Lac, Sheboygan, & Ozaukee Counties. Glacierland and LNRP recently received funding from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to conduct control work in Kewaunee, Calumet and Fond du Lac counties in addition to control work continuing in Manitowoc, Sheboygan, & Ozaukee Counties. Treatments will be performed by trained/certified contractors using herbicide from July-October each year. To date, our team has secured more than $2.2 million in grant funding. Funding to fight against the invasive species has been secured through the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the Sustain our Great Lakes program, in addition to the Department of Natural Resources. Other groups like the Southeastern Wisconsin Invasive Species Consortium (SEWISC) are also doing work to control Phragmites in Sheboygan and Ozaukee counties. Visit their website to learn more about their projects.
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Invasive Phragmites (Phragmites australis) also known as the common reed, is a tall, colony-forming grass, introduced from Europe. Phragmites are a priority species to control for LISMA partners because it displaces native plant communities and wildlife that depend on them. They are invading our wetlands, waterways, and shorelines leading to degradation of our natural habitats. Dry stands pose high fire risks that can lead to destructive wildfires in early autumn. Phragmites also impact community health, safety, and economic vitality by blocking public access to these resources and reducing property values. We need your help to make sure phragmites does not continue to spread. Please participate in this FREE control program. If left untreated, cost for control will only increase.
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Effective control is achievable with immediate action by local residents. Click here to learn more on our Phragmites Brochure.
Click the links below to access the online permission form or written permission form required to participate in invasive Phragmites treatment.
Mapping has been completed across many counties and each landowner with invasive Phragmites will receive a letter in the mail requesting permission to access and control this species. It takes two years of herbicide treatment to kill the underground rhizome system of these invasive species. First time treatment sites will be treated with machine crews later in the summer and early fall. The treatment crews do one township at a time as they work throughout the Counties.
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In order for your site to be treated with these grants, you can complete the online permission form or download a written permission form and return it to Melissa Curran from Stantec, Melissa.curran@stantec.com. We will need these permissions by June 15th for planning purposes. Once you have granted permission for your property to be treated at no cost to you, that permission will last for the length of the project and you will not have to re-up your permission. If your sites have not been mapped or you have not received a letter you would need to contact us. We have had landowners discovering new sites on their property that were not in our program and some folks are hearing about the project from their neighbors.
To see if your property has been mapped, check out the public website at: http://bit.ly/InvasiveWebMap
Northeast Wisconsin Phragmites Program Update Webinar
You can learn more about the Invasive Phragmites Management Program through this webinar recorded on May 5th, 2023. Hear from Glacierland RC&D, Stantec Consulting, and the WI-DNR as they discuss their partnership's efforts in mapping, treating, and monitoring invasive Phragmites across Eastern Wisconsin and how they are working to establish long-term management strategies in affected areas.
Phragmites Control Collective Fund
Since 2014, Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. (Stantec), Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership (LNRP), and Glacierland Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc (Glacierland) have been developing the most comprehensive invasive species control program in Wisconsin. Together with several partners, we have identified, mapped and treated thousands of invasive species populations across Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Ozaukee, Calumet and Fond du Lac counties. With support from a variety of state and federal sponsors, we have offered invasive species control for FREE to all enrolled properties. Our success is made possible by willing landowners who volunteer to participate in, and support, our control program.
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Our primary target invasive species is non-native Phragmites, which is found in wetlands, riparian areas, shorelines and other wet areas such as roadside ditches. Invasive Phragmites takes over large areas, pushes out native vegetation, and reduces habitat quality for wildlife. Long-term control over the course of many years is essential to protect habitat quality, water quality, access to shorelines and property values.
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We have made significant progress mitigating the spread of Phragmites. Without multiple years of consecutive control, Phragmites will re-establish and the momentum gained will be lost. Our grant funding is ending after the 2021 growing season in Manitowoc and Sheboygan counties, and we need additional funding to support on-going efforts in Ozaukee, Calumet and Fond du Lac counties. Therefore, we are seeking your financial support to establish a long-term control fund to continue our efforts where needed across all counties. This Phragmites fund will directly support on-the-ground control efforts and the professional development of student interns who are completing the bulk of the re-treatment efforts.
Our goal is to make your county Phragmites-free, by raising at least $300,000 to support on-going control efforts over the next 3 years. A strong collective Phragmites fund will ensure the investment of time and resources will be protected for the benefit of future generations. Please help us contribute to keeping Wisconsin’s ecosystem healthy and thriving.
To contribute to the collective Phragmites fund, click the donate button below to use a credit card, or send a check made payable to Glacierland RC&D to
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Glacierland RC&D
P.O. Box 11203
Green Bay, WI 54307
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For more information or questions, contact Glacierland at 920-465-3006.
Suggested Donation:
Protect 1/4 acre: $250
Protect 1/2 acres: $500
Protect 1 acres: $1,000
Protect 5 acres: $5,000
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Any contribution amount is greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your support!
