Japanese barberry and garlic mustard were the primary species treated in Shawano County by the Timberland Invasives Partnership in 2025.
The 14.3 acres treated for the two invasive species made up more than 50% of the 24.68 acres treated across the county, according to Brianna LeFebre, TIP coordinator.
Other invasive species treated in Shawano County were wild parsnip, thistles, spotted knapweed, roundleaf bittersweet, phragmites, knotweed (Japanese, giant, Bohemian and Himalayan), brush honeysuckles, burning bush, buckthorn (glossy and common), black swallowwort, black locust and bishops goutweed.
LeFebre replaced Abby Vogt as coordinator in May.
“We did a lot of phragmites control over there (Lake Sandia near Krakow),” LeFebre said. “There’s about 40-some landowners that participated. It was only a little over 2 acres, but it was a lot of juggling around.”
A DNR Weed Management Area Grant was used to inventory seven properties and controlling two of them.
“A landowner property in Tigerton was inventoried for autumn olive, Japanese barberry and buckthorn,” she said. “The landowner is controlling the autumn olive at this time, which is the biggest issue on his property.”
A Great Lakes Restoration Grant was used to control 3.85 Shawano County acres, most on private properties in Gresham, Shawano and Wittenberg areas, as well as select right-of-ways in the county.
A Landscape Scale Restoration Grant was used for controlling invasive on another 10.65 acres, most of that being private property.
“TIP relies a lot on these grants,” LeFebre said.
TIP is a cooperative invasive species management area that consists of Langlade, Menominee, Oconto and Shawano counties, along with the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and Stockbridge-Munsee Tribe of Wisconsin.
It is one of 14 management areas that cover most of the state and is based in the Conservation/Forestry/Zoning Department Office in Keshena.
Across its management area, TIP treated 151.94 acres.
More than half of its total control occurred in Oconto County, where 53.68 acres were treated.
Three Oconto County properties were part of the DNR Weed Management Area Grant.
“One property in Underhill was inventoried, finding common buckthorn, invasive bush honeysuckle and roundleaf bittersweet,” LeFebre wrote in her county report. “Two properties are being controlled, one in Gillett for autumn olive, the other in Oconto Falls for roundleaf bittersweet and black locust.”
In 2025, TIP received funding through the WMA Rapid Response program to treat a large population of the prohibited species black swallowwort. There are five Oconto County properties in Krakow that have this species present. This control work accounted for nearly 75% of acres treated in Oconto County.
In Menominee County, 12.35 acres were treated.
GLRI funding is used for general control work within public, private, and ROW lands throughout Menominee County and the TIP area. TIP controlled 10.2 acres in Menominee County under GLRI.
“Majority of this acreage accumulated from treating ROWs in northern Menominee County and Legend Lake area; boat launch ROWs were controlled; two private landowners on Honey Tree Ln were controlled,” LeFebre wrote in that county’s report. “Species include garlic mustard, spotted knapweed, bishop’s goutweed, leafy spurge, buckthorn, honeysuckle, round-leaf bittersweet, black locust, burning bush and one Japanese barberry.”
The TIP annual meeting will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Feb. 17 at Legend Lake Lodge in Keshena.
kpasson@newmedia-wi.com
