The state of Michigan has announced that 35 projects will share $3.6 million in grants through the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program.
The program – cooperatively implemented by the Michigan departments of Agriculture and Rural Development; Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; and Natural Resources – addresses prevention, detection, eradication and control of aquatic (water-based) and terrestrial (land-based) invasive species in Michigan.
According to a Michigan DNR news release, this year’s grantees have offered $532,300 in matching funds and services to support these projects, leveraging a total investment of $4,132,300.
Grant funds will support several early detection and response efforts for watch list invasive species:
- Continuing survey and treatment of hemlock woolly adelgid in Oceana, Mason, Benzie and other counties along the Lake Michigan shoreline
- Surveying and creating “trap trees” for spotted lanternfly across the Huron-Clinton Metroparks in Oakland and Macomb counties
- Refining the potential for early detection of didymo (rock snot) using environmental DNA and testing environmental variables that may lead to stalk-producing “blooms”
- Coordinating red swamp crayfish surveys across the Clinton and Rouge river watersheds
- Initiating outreach and monitoring for watch list tree pests and diseases on the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians’ tribal lands
- Treating known locations of mile-a-minute weed and expanding surveys in the vicinity of Albion in southwest Michigan
- Coordinating Himalayan balsam survey, removal and outreach across the Upper Peninsula
This year’s grants also support 21 regional cooperative invasive species management areas, the network of partnership organizations working to manage and control invasive species and provide service to all 83 counties in the state. Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas projects include enhanced education and outreach, technical assistance to landowners, and survey and treatment of high-priority invasive species.
In 2014 the state Legislature designated $5 million in annual funding to address invasive species. This support substantially enhanced Michigan’s Invasive Species Program for aquatic organisms, supported a formal program for terrestrial species and initiated the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program.
This cycle marks the ninth year of program funding. To date, over $32 million has been awarded to support 238 projects undertaken by units of government, nonprofits and institutions.
The full list of grant recipients, project descriptions and award amounts is available on the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program website at Michigan.gov/MISGP.
