Michigan Grant Funds Efforts to Control Invasive Species

The state of Michigan has announced $3.6 million in funding for 32 projects aimed at addressing aquatic and terrestrial invasive species through the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program. The grants will support efforts for prevention, detection, eradication, and control of invasive species, with several projects benefiting counties in northern Michigan, including Manistee and Benzie.

Notable projects include the Benzie Conservation District receiving $89,900 to monitor aquatic invasive species and use boater movement data to assess pathways in multiple counties. The Northwest Michigan Invasive Species Network will receive $82,000 to strengthen invasive species management in the region. Grand Valley State University was awarded $238,800 to expand its monitoring of the hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive pest affecting hemlock trees.

The grant program, which has awarded over $40 million since its inception, focuses on four key goals: preventing new species introductions, strengthening early detection networks, limiting the spread of recent invasions, and managing established species. This year’s funding supports 22 regional cooperative management areas and projects aimed at detecting invasive species like hemlock woolly adelgid and mile-a-minute weed, as well as efforts to prevent species spread, such as improving herbicide effectiveness for Eurasian watermilfoil.

In total, the program has surveyed over 678,000 acres and treated more than 56,000 acres for invasive species, with outreach efforts reaching hundreds of thousands of people through various channels.

Read the full story by Manistee News Advocate.