Invasive Phragmites Control Fund (Canada)

Deadline: 12-Feb-2025

The Invasive Species Centre is seeking proposals for grants to support groups or organizations to implement Phragmites prevention and control activities in Ontario.

The purpose of the Invasive Phragmites Control Fund is to support local on-the-ground action on Phragmites and amplify and expand control activities into a provincial scale, coordinated Phragmites program.

The Invasive Phragmites Control Fund is coordinated by the Invasive Species Centre, through the Ontario Phragmites Action (OPA) program.  OPA is an exciting new effort to enhance a coordinated response to invasive Phragmites across Ontario.  The program has been made possible thanks to an important new investment from Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and is implemented by the Invasive Species Centre, Nature Conservancy of Canada, and other key partners.

Objectives

• The Invasive Phragmites Control Fund will support collaborative action in Ontario to:
  • Map and develop integrated collaborative plans to prevent and control invasive Phragmites at scale (e.g., watersheds, municipalities, regions etc.) and consider post-management restoration to prevent re-establishment, and/or
  • Amplify and expand Phragmites control implementation, and/or
  • Address the leading edge and rapid spread of Phragmites, and/or
  • Increase collaboration and coordination, volunteer, and landowner participation & capacity

Priority Areas

• One of the goals of the Invasive Phragmites Control Fund is to support coordinated, province-wide actions to advance landscape-level management and protect Ontario’s natural environment, economy and society from its negative impacts.
• The Fund will:
  • Encourage projects from Indigenous communities and groups
  • Accept proposals from across Ontario
  • Additional review points will be given to projects that support key program objectives and:
    • Are submitted in coordination with an active Phragmites Management Area working group or similar group that coordinates Phragmites mapping and control
    • Occur within Great Lakes coastal wetlands

Funding Information

• The Fund will support Phragmites projects that range from $2,500 to $25,000, with exceptional (e.g. multi-partner, landscape scale collaborations) projects up to $50,000.

Priority Activities

• Funding for multiple categories may be requested in one application.
  • Phragmites Mapping, Monitoring and Planning (e.g. mapping surveys, developing integrated plans for prevention, control and considering post-management restoration to prevent re-establishment, employing a regional approach to planning, consulting fees, budgets, partner engagement, landowner engagement, equipment etc.)
  • Phragmites Control Implementation (e.g. follow integrated pest management approach, prevention, spading, physical and mechanical removal, chemical removal, prescribed burns, cutting, rolling, biocontrol, equipment)
  • Phragmites Innovation (e.g. advancing the use of innovative prevention and control techniques available for use in Ontario

Eligibility Criteria

• The Fund will support:
  • Indigenous governments, communities or organizations
  • Municipalities and Conservation Authorities
  • Groups or organizations in Ontario including
    • Community Collaboratives
    • Non- profit and charitable organizations
• The Fund is unable to support:
  • Projects proposed by private individuals are not eligible for funding at this time
  • Provincial or federal government agencies
  • Projects outside Ontario
• Applicants working on multiple projects may submit a maximum of two applications, with only one application at the maximum funding request level.

For more information, visit Invasive Species Centre.