State AIS funding cuts expected in 2027, Cook County plans to adjust outreach efforts

Cook County’s aquatic invasive species program is preparing for a significant reduction in state funding beginning in 2027, although local officials say core prevention efforts are expected to continue.

The state currently provides $10 million annually in Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Prevention Aid to Minnesota counties. Under a proposal approved during the 2025 budget process, that funding is scheduled to be cut in half to $5 million beginning in 2027.

Cook County Aquatic Invasive Species Supervisor Amanda Weberg said the reduction was originally proposed to take effect in 2025, but counties and other AIS advocates successfully pushed lawmakers to delay the cuts.

“We all in the AIS prevention world heard about it, and we flooded our representatives’ offices,” Weberg said. “They heard our voices, so they decided to postpone the delay.”

Weberg said, “Right now, we’re spending a lot of time revamping that campaign and seeing if we can postpone it again.”

AIS Prevention Aid is distributed by the Minnesota Department of Revenue based on the number of public water accesses and trailered parking spaces in each county.

Cook County currently receives about $200,000 annually through the program. By comparison, St. Louis County—the state’s largest county with hundreds of public water accesses receives roughly $710,000.

If the funding reduction takes effect as planned, counties across Minnesota would see approximately a 50% decrease in AIS Prevention Aid.

Weberg said Cook County is in a relatively strong position compared to many other counties because it has not experienced infestations of costly aquatic invasive species such as zebra mussels, Eurasian watermilfoil or starry stonewort.

“We are fortunate enough to not have zebra mussels or Eurasian milfoil or starry stonewort,” Weberg said. “Those invasive species create a lot of management costs.”

Instead of reducing AIS watercraft inspections or monitoring, Weberg said the county plans to scale back public outreach and marketing efforts to adapt to reduced state funding.

Cook County residents and visitors are less likely to see AIS billboards, gas pump advertising, and other promotional materials.

Weberg said the annual $200,000 in state funding has been “plenty for us” and the county is in “decent shape to weather this for the next few years.”

While Cook County may be in a good financial position heading into 2027, other counties will have to navigate the changes, which could have long-term consequences, Weberg said.

“If we decrease the AIS Prevention Aid, then there’s going to be less people at the boat accesses checking boats,” she said. “There’s a possibility for more lakes to become infested.”

An increase in infestations could permanently alter lake ecosystems, she said, affecting water quality, fish populations and recreational opportunities.

“They’re going to completely change the entire food system and the entire ecology of the lake,” Weberg said.

Weberg, who recently became chair of the statewide Aquatic Invasive Species Advisory Committee, said AIS managers across Minnesota have been preparing for the anticipated funding reduction by conserving portions of their budgets over the past two years.

“We knew that the funding was scheduled to be cut,” Weberg said. “We’re just saving some of it in reserves so that when our funding is cut next year, we’ll have a little bit left over to be able to boost our current programs.”

While the Minnesota DNR also operates aquatic invasive species programs, Weberg noted those efforts are funded separately and cannot replace county prevention programs supported through AIS Prevention Aid.

The AIS department is not seeking additional local levy dollars to offset the anticipated reduction and plans to continue operating within its reduced budget.

Cook County plans to continue several ongoing monitoring projects this summer, including volunteer AIS detector surveys for invasive plants and animals, rusty crayfish monitoring and work related to spiny water flea detection, including projects within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with Cook County Aquatic Invasive Species Supervisor Amanda Weberg about the reduction of state funding and what it means for Cook County. Audio below.

Kalli Hawkins July 8, 2026