County Ag Inspector talks resources for managing invasive plants

Kirsten Wisniewski | May 5, 2025

Managing invasive and noxious plants is a challenge each growing season. Every year the Minnesota Department of Agriculture publishes a Noxious Weeds Notice, distributed by county Agricultural Inspectors, along with any additional plants that a county has opted to add to the list.

Agricultural Inspector & Environmental Specialist for the Highway Department and Coordinator for the Cook County Invasives Team Tia Parks will send out the Cook County edition of the Noxious Weeds Notice in mid-May. Last year’s notice included two new weeds for the county that were not on the state list, garden valerian and marsh thistle. Those weeds remain on the 2025 notice, but no additional plants were added.

Managing invasive species populations

Parks told WTIP that adding those weeds to the county notice has meant her team, which works across a variety of organizations and county departments, has been able to make a concerted effort to address their management. This year they plan to do even more, and focus on several additional known populations of those plants in the county. She added that marsh thistle is a rare plant, but has the potential to do major damage. It is included on the Cook County list, and not the state list, since Lake and Cook Counties are the only places in Minnesota where the thistle has been found, so far.

Cook County is seen at the state Department of Agriculture level as a “stronghold,” according to Parks. She said Cook and Lake Counties have worked closely to coordinate management efforts for a variety of invasive species. This has meant both keeping invasives from other parts of the state out, and containing those that are already present, slowing their spread to other counties.

While invasive species are always a concern, at this point, she said her team has a good handle on the local situation.

“We are definitely seeing really good results from the populations that we’ve been managing over the last three to four years,” said Parks. She added that often management efforts can take years, so changes can take some time to see.

Resources for property owners

For property owners who may be concerned about managing a weed in their area, especially one that has gotten out of control, Parks said her team can help. She encouraged those people to reach out to her to request assistance. The county can help formulate a management plan and connect property owners with resources. For plants like knotweed, which can take many years to get under control, and become a significant financial investment, Parks said her department is able to take over the management efforts on behalf of property owners.

“We have the funding to be able to take care of that, and we want to take care of it, because things like not weed can take over full hydrological systems. So an entire river could be taken over by it. It can actually decrease the value of your property because of how hard it is to treat,” said Parks, adding that some noxious weeds also pose threats to human health. “So there are certain species where we will just take the liberty to go and take care of that for you, year after year.”

Parks said anyone with concerns over an invasive species on their property can contact her by email, tia.parks@co.cook.mn.us, or by phone at (218) 387-3692.

Some county property owners may also be receiving communication from Parks, in the form of Ag Inspector letters, notifying them of the presence of a noxious weed on their property. She said that most recipients will have already had contact with her about the weeds on their land, but some may be hearing about the population for the first time. She said anyone with questions about their letter should reach out to her.

Funding for invasive species management

As the Invasives Team gears up for another season of population management, there are some questions about what the future might hold. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture changed their spongy moth management plan in April after delays in federal funding made one component of the plan impossible to execute this year. This has raised concerns for other MDA programs that rely on federal funds.

At the county level, Parks said her department has not yet felt the impact of funding delays or cancelations. She said the primary federally funded grant they receive is through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Largely that money is spent on outreach and education efforts.

She said potentially losing the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funds would largely impact the outreach elements of her team’s work. “The county has budgeted for the services that we already provide, and has been doing that for the last several years,” said Parks. “Ultimately we’ll be able to to get our work done, but we will definitely see some setbacks.”

WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke with Agricultural Inspector Tia Parks. Audio of that interview is below.