DRAFT ACTION PLAN

The draft Action Plan for addressing Eurasian Milfoil was created under the expert guidance of the above detailed Blue Lakes Committee consultations and shared with the Board and MPOA members in various 2022/2023 emails, in the Spring 2023 and at the July 2023 AGM.

March-April 2023: Recommendations have been made to the MPOA Board seeking approval for the following:

• Purchase Transport Canada markers to delineate patches and stop various forms of water traffic over patches, as it spreads the weeds by creating new cuttings that quickly colonize.
• Retain a professional drone operator to generate orthomosaic mapping (mapping is a requirement for the submission of grant and permit applications. Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry permits are required for nearly all types of mitigation measures)

July 2023: Launch the new (forthcoming) Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) Eurasian Milfoil property owner and Lake Association Best Practices guides through mixed platforms (e-distribution, our AGM, social media, etc.)

July 2023: Distribute said Transport Canada approved caution markers throughout the affected areas on the Lake.

Aug 2023: Launch Drone flights to establish orthomosaic mapping discussed above

Aug 2023 - Dec 2023: Prepare and submit Grant applications, once the mapping is completed and the affected area is known

Aug 2023 - March 2024: Prepare and submit Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Permit applications once the mapping is completed

July/Aug - Sept 2024: Deploy mitigation measures (must be outside of fish spawning season - more info to follow)

We will continue to update MPOA members about the Eurasian Milfoil issue as our Action Plan continues to evolve over the coming season. Although the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and the MVCA do not provide funding or ‘boots on the ground’ resources to manage invasive aquatic plants in Ontario’s waters, the government agencies require us to abide by standard regulations stemming from different Acts. Please do not attempt to remove the Eurasian Milfoil, should you find it along your shoreline except in accordance with the MVCA's Best Practices Guidelines, dated May 2023 (refer to the documents section of the Eurasian Milfoil tab on our website.