Invasive species, including noxious weeds and other undesirable plants, degrade the quality of public land, threaten agricultural production, interfere with ecosystem processes, and can be injurious…

The Department of the Army Corps of Engineers Engineering District Kansas City awarded a $250,000 cooperative agreement to the Missouri Department of Conservation on July 30, 2026, under the Management of Undesirable Plants on Federal Lands program (CFDA 12.012).

The award funds integrated pest management planning and implementation to control noxious weeds and other undesirable plants on USACE lands in Missouri through coordinated, watershed-scale efforts across jurisdictional boundaries. The Missouri Department of Conservation will develop and execute an annual plan of work, approved by USACE, employing an integrated approach to weed management including manual, mechanical, cultural, biological, and chemical treatment methods. Treatment protocols will align with Missouri State noxious weed control rules and lists, and no tactics shall conflict with USACE or State of Missouri directives. The Department will maintain detailed records of each treatment and provide notification prior to treatment activities.

Performance runs through July 29, 2031, with place of performance in Missouri. The cooperative agreement structure permits bilateral exercise of one-year option periods to extend the performance period, contingent on fund availability and mutual agreement of the parties.

Invasive species, including noxious weeds and other undesirable plants, degrade the quality of public land, threaten agricultural production, interfere with ecosystem processes, and can be injurious to human health. These species cannot be managed piecemeal, and various public laws and orders (e.g., executive order 13112 of february 3, 1999) recognize the need to coordinate and integrate their management across jurisdictional boundaries. Interagency coordination is the only way to effectively control noxious weeds on a watershed or ecosystem scale, and efforts on USACE land must be consistent with those on other jurisdictions. This agreement will enable USACE and the recipient to contribute to the planning and implementation of regionally agreed efforts to control noxious weeds and other undesirable plants. The recipient of this agreement will use an integrated approach to weed management considering all treatment methods including manual, mechanical, cultural, biological, and chemical. Appropriate treatment methods to be employed will be determined through collaboration of each party and stipulated through a USACE-approved annual plan of work. The appropriate level of treatment will align with the missouri state noxious weed control rules and list of noxious weeds. No weed management tactics shall conflict with USACE or the state of missouri directives.