Once a problem statement has been drafted for your water body, the next step is to come up with specific management goals. Management goals define what the community wants to achieve in response to the aquatic plant problems. Defining goals helps in selecting the best methods which form the heart of the Plan.

Goal-setting begins by identifying an initial set of goals that is reasonable and realistic for the community and the water body. These initial goals must address specific uses and be attainable.

It may be useful early on to set specific criteria to aid in goal-making, such as:

• If an exotic weed is present, give highest priority to reducing its growth.
• Give priority to keeping a particular area clear of weeds, especially where human safety is at risk.
• Limit community outlay to less than x dollars.
• Reduce costs by using volunteer labor where possible.

Matching what's desirable with what's practical

Setting goals involves balancing user desire with the natural limitations of the water body and the financial limits of the community. A goal of removing all native plants in a lake is, under most circumstances, a bad choice. A lake is an active, living system, not a sterile swimming pool. Lakes with deep, rich sediments will likely continue to support lots of plants unless aggressive measures are taken in the water body. Furthermore, some control measures are very effective, but may be very costly too.

If the community chooses not to do anything to manage nuisance plants, it is critical to understand the possible consequences. Will there be impacts on human safety, recreational uses, or aquatic life and habitat if problem conditions in the lake are allowed to continue? Consequences of the no action management goal become particularly important when a water body is infested with an invasive, nonnative weed. In a shallow lake, these invaders can wreak havoc on the environment, recreation, and ultimately finances. The establishment of desirable and acceptable management goals results from conducting well-planned community meetings backed by strong efforts to present all information and gain broad based support.

Example of Aquatic Plant Management Goals

Here is an example of management goals for Lake Tranquil: "The management goals are to maintain recreational and habitat used of the lake by removing milfoil from known locations, and to keep swimming areas clear of weeds for safety reasons". Additional goals are to choose appropriate plant control methods that are environmentally sensitive, and that reduce overall control costs by using volunteer labor when possible.