As Michigan's war against invasive species ramps up, state officials have dropped a $3.6 million bounty to combat the green gremlins threatening the state's ecosystems. Nearly three dozen projects received grants through the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program, aimed at preventing, detecting, eradicating, and controlling these unwelcome invaders.
According to ClickOnDetroit, the program saw 50 hopefuls this cycle, whittling it down to 31 lucky programs. "Over the last 10 years, the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program has helped to build and sustain a statewide network of cooperative invasive species management areas, which fight invasive species in their local communities," stated DNR Director Scott Bowen. The grants this year, funneling funds toward early detection and response programs including the surveilling and treating of pests like the hemlock woolly adelgid, and the invasive mile-a-minute weed.
WoodTV reports that the hemlock woolly adelgid, notoriously noshing on the state's hemlocks, is getting top billing for management efforts. This pest, often identified by their white tell-tale ovisacs, has already punched tickets in six Michigan counties. Drew Hayner, a DNR expert, told WoodTV, "There's a lot of vectors," adding that even humans and wildlife brushing up against an infested tree can unwittingly contribute to the spread.
Ridding the state of these species isn't just about injecting chemicals into trees or ripping up invasive weeds. Efforts also include looking into non-chemical solutions. The DNR urges residents who spot a suspect tree, to resist the urge to play amateur ecologist and instead snap photos and report it instead, the agency noted in a statement obtained by ClickOnDetroit.
Since the inception of the grant program in 2014, more than $36 million has been slung at fighting the invasive species issue, with impressive stats like surveying over 644,000 acres of land and water, and treating over 53,000 acres for invasive terrestrial and aquatic plants. As per WHMI, every one of the state's 83 counties is now served by the network of regional cooperative invasive species management areas established because of this initiative, according to the WHMI article.
.jpg){kind=link}