SEWISC continues to encourage and support southeastern Wisconsin roadway maintenance crews in their efforts to control invasive plant populations which were mapped through the efforts of more than 150 resident volunteers.  Wild parsnip, common and cut-leaved teasel, Japanese knotweed and common reed grass populations were the target of these citizen science inventory efforts. 

SEWISC held meetings with key representatives in more than 100 cities, towns, and villages in our region.  The invasive species inventory data was shared with the local officials and roadway managers during those meetings along with methods to control those populations. Roadway managers expressed a need for additional funding to control the populations, so we set our sights on securing those funds.

Nearly $551,000 in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding through the Environmental Protection Agency was awarded to SEWISC for the control of 2,174 populations of our target inventory species along the roadways in Sheboygan, Ozaukee, Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha Counties. Local Roadway crews in those counties must use this funding for control efforts by September 30, 2020. Visit our Roadside Inventory and Management web page for more information and to view the map for your area. This is the final season for this funding so local governments must contact us soon for sub-awards details.