Nearly three dozen projects aimed at fighting invasive species in Michigan will share $3.6 million in grant funding through the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program.
The program is meant to help with the prevention, detection, eradication, and control of invasive species in the state. 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.
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The funding will support the following response efforts for invasive species on the state’s watch list and response efforts:
- 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.
- Testing the effectiveness of household cleaners to decontaminate waders, boats and equipment exposed to didymo and New Zealand mudsnails.
- Training paddle sport enthusiasts to decontaminate boats between uses and to look for and report aquatic invasive species.
- Spreading the “Clean, Drain, Dry” message using a mobile boat wash at popular boating access sites in southeast Michigan.
- Evaluating nitidulid beetle and oak tree cycles in the Upper Peninsula to better predict risk periods for spreading oak wilt.
Program created in 2014
The state Legislature designated $5 million in annual funding to address invasive species in 2014.
This is the 9th year of program funding. So far, more than $32 million has been awarded to support 238 projects.
- More than 592,000 acres of land and water have been surveyed for invasive species.
- More than 51,000 acres have been treated for invasive terrestrial and aquatic plants.
- Through direct contact, including face-to-face interactions at boat washes, workshops, trainings and other events, 292,000 people have been reached with information about invasive species.
- An additional 41 million people were reached through grantees’ “passive impression” efforts, including mail, newspapers, social media and handouts.
This funding cycle saw a total of 42 applications.