Crown Land Pasture Association Invasive Weed Program

The purpose of the Crown Land Pasture Association Invasive Weed Program is to provide financial assistance to pasture associations on agricultural Crown land. The program supports costs to undertake and coordinate the control of prohibited weeds as well as specific noxious weeds that are persistent and problematic invasive plants. This program requires a rangeland health assessment and/or a weed management plan developed by a professional agrologist (PAg). Controlling and preventing the spread of invasive weeds is a priority for the Ministry of Agriculture.

Applicant Eligibility

• Pasture associations on agricultural Crown land. The Crown land pasture association must be the applicant (the applicant cannot be an individual pasture patron).
• Have a recent rangeland health assessment or weed management plan developed by a professional agrologist (PAg). The weed management plan must be approved by a Ministry of Agriculture land management specialist.
• Eligible Crown land pasture associations must receive pre-approval.

Reimbursement Details

Eligible Crown land pasture associations may receive a maximum of $50,000 for the 2024-25 program year for control measures. Crown land pasture associations will be reimbursed at 80 per cent, and will be eligible to receive funding in future program years, if additional treatments are required. Details on future year funding will be made available at a later date.

Crown Land pasture associations that applied under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership will be eligible under this program.

The minimum program payment is $250.

Applications must be pre-approved.

Producers who own, lease or rent property where livestock and poultry are grown, bred, kept, raised, displayed, assembled or disposed of, require a Saskatchewan Premises Identification (PID) number.

Crown land pasture associations participating in this program will not be eligible to participate in the Invasive Plant Control Program under the Pest Biosecurity Program administered by the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM).

Crown land pasture association board members, patrons, employees or contractors must have the proper licensing.

Eligible Items or Expenses

• Eligible herbicides as listed in Appendix A.
• Third-party costs associated with weed management, including spray equipment rental, chemicals and the cost of hiring of a licensed applicator.
• One-time purchase of small applicator equipment (e.g., spot sprayers, ATV-mounted sprayer equipment).
• Crown land pasture board members, patrons and employees may include up to 40 hours at a rate of $22/hour of labour associated with controlling provincially-listed noxious/invasive weed species (refer to Appendix A) as in-kind contribution.
• The pesticide applicator course fee to a maximum of two Crown land pasture association board members, patrons or employees.
• Costs related to the development of a weed management plan by a professional agrologist registered by the Saskatchewan Institute of Agrologists up to a maximum of $2,500.

Ineligible Costs

• Purchases made prior to April 1, 2023.
• Non-registered pesticides/pesticides applied other than the label rate.
• Large sprayer equipment.
• Pesticide licence fees.
• Mileage and per diem associated with the pesticide applicator course.
• Claims for pesticide application completed by an unlicensed applicator.
• Costs claimed for expenses/activities which may receive funding under other Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership programs, or any other government grant, rebate or assistance program.

Apply

This program requires pre-approval before work is started. Applicants must contact their Ministry of Agriculture Land Management Specialist to complete a pre-approval application form. Work started before applying for pre-approval is at the applicants own risk and funding is not guaranteed. Producers are required to submit a pre-approval application before they can submit a claim form. Please visit our Crown Lands section or call the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1-866-457-2377 to connect with your district Land Management Specialist.

As a condition to access program funding, applicants are required to review the Agri-Environmental Risk Assessment before beginning their project.

Pre-approval and claims applications can be submitted to Programs Branch or by mail to:
Ministry of Agriculture, Programs Branch
329 - 3085 Albert Street
Regina, SK  S4S 0B1

If Crown land pasture associations do not have a current weed management plan it is recommended to obtain the services of a professional Agrologists (PAg) registered by the Saskatchewan Institute of Agrologists.