The primary purpose of this award is to support the missoula county ecology extensions efforts to coordinate biocontrol efforts with national wildlife refuges, primarily by housing and staffing the…

The primary purpose of this award is to support the missoula county ecology extensions efforts to coordinate biocontrol efforts with national wildlife refuges, primarily by housing and staffing the montana biocontrol coordination project (mtbcp). Mtbcp is a grassroots effort initiated in 2013 by federal, state, county, non-profit, and private land managers throughout montana who saw a need for increased coordination within the states weed biocontrol program. Mtbcp strives to provide the leadership, coordination, and education that will enable land managers in the state of montana to successfully incorporate biological weed control as part of their noxious weed management program. This is accomplished by focusing on collecting and distributing insects, tracking release sites for potential future collection sites, monitoring to determine impacts of biocontrol, providing educational programs, supporting biocontrol research and development, coordinating with out of state partners, supporting biocontrol consortiums, and conducting surveys for partner needs. The annual deliverables of the mtbcp for this funding are: 1. Distribution of biological weed control agents to national wildlife refuges in need 2. Compiling all biocontrol agent release site locations to be stored in a database and create an associated map 3. Provide educational programs on biological weed control to and for national wildlife refuge staff and managers 4. Train and provide professional development for youth interested in the utilization of classical biological control and how to integrate IT into private and public land managers weed management programs.