The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) is now accepting applications for the 2025–26 Invasive Species Mitigation (ISM) Weed Control Grant. This grant program supports projects in the State of Utah that aim to reduce the presence and impact of invasive plant species through coordinated detection, control, monitoring, and restoration efforts. Funding will be awarded to high-potential projects targeting priority species and working to prevent the expansion of outlier populations that threaten ecological health and land productivity.

The application period opens April 1, 2025, and closes at the end of business day on Friday, May 2, 2025. Eligible applicants include a wide range of entities such as universities, Cooperative Weed Management Areas (CWMAs), county weed boards, federal and state agencies, tribal governments, private landowners, conservation districts, nonprofit organizations, and other political subdivisions.

Grants may fund projects beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026, with the possibility of multi-year renewals depending on future funding availability. The maximum grant award is $75,000 per project. Multi-year project proposals are encouraged to include a 3–5 year management plan, robust monitoring, participation from multiple partners, and a clear restoration strategy.

Eligible activities for funding include early detection and rapid response to new invasive species threats, treatment of critical acres to protect larger landscapes, prevention of spread from small populations, rehabilitation of existing infestations, and research on invasive species management. All applicants are required to submit their proposals through the Submittable platform after first creating a UtahID and an EDDMapS account, which is also used to access the Utah SIIPA project modeling tool for spatial planning and project documentation.

Interested applicants must coordinate with Aaron Eagar at UDAF for SIIPA access (email: aeagar@utah.gov), and ensure that they monitor Submittable email notifications closely to manage their application status. Grant funds may be taxable, and UDAF recommends that recipients consult a tax professional.

For technical support with Submittable or UtahID, users can consult the Submitter Resource Center or the UtahID Help Desk. For questions about the grant itself, applicants can reach the department at (801) 982-2200 or agriculture@utah.gov. The UDAF’s business hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM MST.