We write with an important update on our efforts to combat Eurasian Water Milfoil (EWM). The news from the state DNR is disappointing—but we have a clear plan to move forward, and we need your support to make it happen.

State Grant Denied—Again

On February 4, 2026, we learned that our application for a Wisconsin DNR Large-Scale AIS Population Control Grant was not selected for funding. This is the second consecutive year our application has been denied. Our three-year project had a total cost of $154,000, of which we requested $116,000 from the state under their cost-share requirements.

The competition was fierce: 471 applications sought $7.4 million in funding.

The reality is clear: we cannot wait for state funding to address our milfoil crisis. The infestation now covers 257 acres—the worst since before 2014—and it is actively spreading. Our Clean Boats Clean Waters inspections documented 4,501 boat launches in just 46 days last summer. Every season we delay treatment, the problem grows.

At this critical juncture, and after a few months of conversation with the state, biologists, potential consultants, members, and others, the MFA Lake Management Committee has decided the highest and best use of our time, focus, and private fundraising is to attack milfoil with the herbicide ProcellaCOR.

Understanding the Two State Processes

Before we explain our path forward, it's important to understand that there are two separate and distinct state processes involved in lake management:

• Grant Application (Funding): This is a request for state money to help pay for treatment. Our grant application was denied. This means we do not have state funding—but it does not prevent us from pursuing treatment with private funds.
•  Permit Application (Permission): This is a completely separate request for DNR authorization to apply herbicides. Even with private funding secured, we cannot treat the lake without DNR permit approval. We remain at the state's discretion on whether herbicide treatment will be allowed.

The grant denial is a setback for funding. The permit application is the next hurdle—and it is the one that will determine whether we can treat the lake at all, regardless of how much money we raise.

A New Opening for Permit Approval

For much of the past decade, the DNR has effectively discouraged herbicide treatment on the Minong Flowage. Our last permitted treatment was in 2023, when we were allowed to apply 2,4-D in limited areas near the county park and in the channel by Pogo's. Before and since then, we have repeatedly been told not to even attempt permit applications—in large part due to wild rice protections that placed Serenity Bay and the North Basin off-limits, and a statewide position that ProcellaCOR would not be allowed on any lake with wild rice present. Last year's grant denial left us without the financial resources to pursue treatment independently.

That landscape has now changed. On January 16, 2026, Madi Johansen, the DNR's Aquatic Plant Management Team Leader, issued clarified guidance on the use of ProcellaCOR—a next-generation herbicide—in waters near wild rice. The key clarification: ProcellaCOR may be considered for use if flow data demonstrates that treated water will not reach wild rice beds.

We have that flow data. DNR-funded dye studies conducted in 2014 and 2015 in areas immediately adjacent to the wild rice beds confirmed that water flows downstream, away from the rice—with no dye entering the rice areas. Our proposed treatment zones are all downstream from the wild rice beds. We intend to submit this documentation with our permit application and push the DNR to approve treatment under their own clarified guidelines.

This is not a guaranteed approval. The DNR will review our application on a case-by-case basis, and the Voigt Task Force (the tribal consultation body) may request additional review. But for the first time in years, we have a viable pathway to permitted herbicide treatment—and we intend to pursue it aggressively since other means of attacking milfoil have shown mixed results for the cost.

Why ProcellaCOR?

ProcellaCOR (active ingredient: florpyrauxifen-benzyl) represents a significant advancement over traditional herbicides like 2,4-D. It was registered by the U.S. EPA in 2017 as a "reduced risk" herbicide—their lowest risk category—and has been used successfully on over 100 lakes in the northeastern United States, including more than 30 in New York alone.

• Highly effective: ProcellaCOR works systemically, killing the entire milfoil plant including roots. Results are visible within 1-2 weeks of application.
• Extremely low application rates: Applied at approximately 7 parts per billion—1,000 times less than older herbicides. For comparable treatment areas, we would need only 27 gallons of ProcellaCOR versus 700 gallons of 2,4-D.
• Rapid breakdown: Half-life of 2.6 days in water. The herbicide becomes undetectable within days of application.
• No activity restrictions: Unlike 2,4-D, ProcellaCOR has no restrictions on swimming, drinking water, or irrigation. You can use the lake normally during and after treatment.
• Extended impact zone: ProcellaCOR is expected to affect milfoil beyond the direct treatment boundaries as it moves through the water system, extending the benefit and area of each application.
• Compatible with rice cultivation: ProcellaCOR was originally developed for use in commercial rice paddies, demonstrating its selectivity. It primarily affects dicot plants (like milfoil) while monocots (like grasses and wild rice) are significantly less sensitive.

Our 2026 Plan: Test, Demonstrate, Expand

The Lake Management Committee has developed a phased approach for 2026:

Phase 1: Summer Test Application (Late June)

We will apply for a DNR permit to treat approximately 40 acres across five high-traffic test zones: DNR Bay, the south side of the North Basin channel, East Bay, and Southeast Bay. These are heavily-navigated areas where the community will be able to directly observe the treatment's effectiveness compared to untreated areas—and compared to the conditions we all experienced last summer.

Treatment would occur after June 15, when water temperatures optimize ProcellaCOR effectiveness. Results will be visible within 1-2 weeks, and we will monitor efficacy through July.

Phase 2: Fall Expansion (If Funding Permits)

If the summer application proves successful and we can raise additional funds, we plan to apply for a second permit to treat additional areas in the fall. This phased approach allows the community to see ProcellaCOR's effectiveness firsthand before committing to expanded treatment—and it gives us time to continue fundraising through the summer.

Funding This Effort

Without state grant funding, the Phase 1 treatment must be funded entirely through private contributions. The estimated cost for treating 40 acres in five test zones is $62,000, according to our lake biologist. Treatments to tackle additional portions of our 257-some-acre infestation will require significantly more funding.

We will be launching a formal fundraising campaign+membership drive by mid-March. MFA membership dues has never been sufficient alone (state law caps MFA membership dues), we have no tax base (we're a non-profit association, not a lake district) and thus, our only option short of other government funding, is to privately fundraise.

Watch for detailed information on how to contribute, sponsorship levels, and recognition opportunities. We will need participation from property owners across the flowage to make this summer's treatment a reality.

In the meantime, we encourage you to think about what healthy, navigable water is worth to you—and what continued inaction will cost all of us in property values, recreational enjoyment, and the character of our lake.

Other Updates

Clean Boats Clean Waters: The DNR did approve our 2026 CBCW grant, which funds boat inspections at public landings. This prevention program remains critical—it's far easier to keep new invasive species out than to remove them once established.

Tribal Coordination: We continue to seek productive dialogue with GLIFWC biologists and tribal representatives regarding herbicide treatment near wild rice waters. We believe the science supports careful, targeted treatment, and we are committed to demonstrating that milfoil control and wild rice protection can coexist.

The Path Forward

The state has declined to fund our work. The DNR has historically blocked our herbicide applications. But the regulatory landscape is shifting, the science is on our side, and the need has never been more urgent.

We are not waiting for someone else to solve this problem. We are moving forward—and we are asking you to move forward with us.

More information on the fundraising campaign will follow in March. In the meantime, if you have questions or would like to get involved, please reach out.

Thank you for your continued commitment to the Minong Flowage.

Sincerely,

Steve Johnson

Lake Management Committee Chair

Harlan Johnson

MFA President

QUESTIONS? Contact Steve Johnson (sjj8549@gmail.com) or attend our board meeting on at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at the Wascott Town Hall.

FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN: Details coming by mid-March.