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7. 2105 AIS resolutionDate: 12/15/2014 Resolution for Action Required for Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention and Control in Big Marine Lake Whereas, Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) are non-native organisms that have present and future negative ramifications for Big Marine Lake and downstream lakes; and Whereas, the Big Marine Lake Association (BMLA) was established in spring, 2009 to specifically address the infestation of BML with one of those organisms, Eurasian water milfoil (EWM); and Whereas, the mission of the BMLA is to control EWM and educate BML lakeshore property owners and users about EWM; and Whereas, the BMLA has an active Board of 11 people who have participated in fundraising, surveyed the lake for EWM and other AIS, worked with governmental agencies, meet and exchanged information with other lake associations, attended numerous AIS seminars, spread the word on its activities to BML lakeshore owners, worked with herbicide applicators; and Whereas, all BML lakeshore property owners are designated as BMLA members and a large share make financial contributions to the BMLA; and Whereas, the Vet's Camp on BML contributes to the BMLA financially and also is a valuable partner with the BMLA in fundraising events; and Whereas, the Girl Scout Camp has given significant financial and moral support; and Whereas, the BMLA has kept the Big Marine Park Reserve continuously informed of our efforts and has been given promise of their help; and Whereas, the City of Scandia Comprehensive Plan designates BML as a City Park; and Whereas, BML HAS A HISTORY OF REGIONAL RECREATIONAL AVAILABILITY being a "High Value Lake" with its size, Washington County Park, good fishing and clear water; and Whereas, the BMLA has worked closely with the DNR and is the only lake association in the state to be given permission to perform spot treating (apply herbicide to small patches not easily treated by normal licensed applicators equipment) of EWM on our own; and Whereas, the DNR and the Carnelian, Marine, St. Croix Watershed District have recognized the BMLA AIS control program important enough to provide major grants for herbicide treatment; and Whereas, herbicide treatment has been effective but needs additional targeted scientific approaches; and Whereas, the BMLA switched to a new licensed herbicide applicator, PLM, in 2014 to attempt to better control EWM with new technology and more sophisticated equipment; and Whereas, the BMLA wants to prevent further spread of AIS in BML and also prevent AIS present in BML from flowing downstream to the uninfected Carnelian lakes to the south; and Whereas, the BMLA needs to learn more about the vulnerability of BML to AIS other than EWM; and Whereas, the services of Blue Water Sciences (Steve McComas) are needed to properly and systematically analyze lake sediments and perform an EWM delineation. A sediment analysis can pinpoint areas in the lake which are capable of supporting various AIS proliferation including Zebra Mussels. This, in turn, can allow us to direct control efforts to areas of the lake where they are most needed and not waste energies and funds on treatment in areas where AIS may not be a threat; and Whereas, the BMLA has determined that "adaptive management" techniques are needed to more effectively apply herbicides. The dilution of herbicides in some areas is hard to control and causes the normal methods of herbicide application to be marginal. We have found that too dilute an application only temporarily suppresses the EWM plant and does kill the entire plant, root and all. Normal applications at the safe dosage level are simply easily diluted by wind and other factors. The BMLA has proposed that herbicide application be done several times in one day to maintain the proper concentration of the herbicide for the proper time period in the water column. Our licensed applicator and Blue Water Science are eager to work with the BMLA to implement this new technique, in particular in the south end of the lake near the entrance to the downstream outlet to the Carnelian lakes. Whereas, the cost to analyze BML sediment and AIS capacity, the cost of a potentially more effective treatment protocol and the cost of post treatment assessment can be categorized as AIS prevention. Therefore, the BMLA requests a grant of $10800 from Washington County's portion of the State of Minnesota's Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Aid grant program for 2015. Our 2014 budget was about $15000. Blue Water Science and PLM have quoted an additional $10800 for the projects mentioned above.