Mitigation is the action of reducing the severity of a problem. In addressing the problem of nitrate contamination, mitigation levels will be based on nitrate data collected from public wells.
IMPORTANT MANAGEMENT UPDATE
For decades, a partnership between the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), ten states, and the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) Forest Service, the national Slow the Spread (STS) program has effectively reduced the spread of spongy moth populations; an invasive and destructive forest pest, by greater than 60%. The MDA has used aerial spongy moth management to protect our state from devastating forest damage and significant economic losses.
Due to budget uncertainties and significant allocation delays within the USDA Forest Service, the MDA was notified that Minnesota would not receive the federal funding needed in time for proper implementation of Btk aerial management operations. This forced the MDA to cancel all Btk management for 2025, which was 12 high-priority spongy moth infestations in five Minnesota counties totaling 2,752 acres.
Specifically, these cuts affected treatments in Anoka, Carlton, Itasca, St. Louis, and Winona counties, and the cities of Coon Rapids, Grand Rapids, and Winona.
As a result, the MDA removed all proposed Btk management areas from our treatment map and closed all Btk email/text notification signups.
The MDA is still moving forward with all mating disruption (product SPLAT GM-O) treatments. The MDA will continue to work within our state program to monitor spongy moth populations and to advocate for the best possible management strategies in the future.
