The Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program awarded $2.4 million across 27 projects that help address prevention, detection, eradication and control of aquatic and terrestrial invasive species. Funds will go to support each of Michigan’s 22 regional cooperative invasive species management areas, with each receiving $70,000 in annual support to provide education and technical assistance to landowners.
Grant funding will also support early detection and response efforts for watch list invasive species including surveying and treating hemlock woolly adelgid on the northern edge of the infestation in Benzie, Grand Traverse, Leelanau and Manistee counties along the Lake Michigan shoreline; conducting survey and treatment of mile-a-minute weed infestations in Calhoun County; and surveying for highly invasive hydrilla in southwest Michigan waters near the known infestation in Berrien County.
Efforts to prevent the spread of invasive species including support for Clean Boats Clean Waters program and public reporting on invasive species detections through the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network will also benefit from grant funding.
Since its start in 2014, the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program has provided funding across the state to help support prevention, detection and control of invasive species. In that time, over 720,000 acres of land and water have been surveyed, more than 60,000acres have been treated for invasive terrestrial and aquatic plants, and 531,000 people have been reached with information about invasive species.
To learn more, visit michigan.gov.
