Invasive Species Control Opportunity

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Pam Grassmick
Posts: 637
Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2008 4:07 pm
Location: Beaver Island

Invasive Species Control Opportunity

Post by Pam Grassmick »

Hundreds of thousands of dollars and a decade of extensive planning has gone into invasive species control efforts for the Beaver Island archipelago. In the Townships Recreation Plans for the island, hundreds of individuals identified that controlling and expanding the invasive species program were of the highest priority for our Island's natural resources.

In addition to Phragmites, invasive surveys have documented other harmful species that should be targeted for treatment such as Japanese knotweed, wild parsnips, purple loosestrife, European swamp thistle, reed canary, autumn olive, and more. Last year as part of the Sustain Our Great Lakes Grant (SOGL), the Conservation Resource Alliance paid to have the Beaver Island Phragmites areas treated-$14,000. This is the final year of SOGL funding to finish invasive species treatment. The island has the ability to target more than Phragmites with over $150,000 available for these efforts. Please contact our township boards and Cindy Ricksgers and let them know that island property owners support invasive species control efforts and appreciate the outside funding assistance. At risk could be our property values and the ways that we choose to enjoy our great outdoors.
McGrass
Pam Grassmick
Posts: 637
Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2008 4:07 pm
Location: Beaver Island

Conservation Resource Alliance

Post by Pam Grassmick »

Should people want an accurate view of the Conservation Resource Alliance's mission and actions for northern Michigan-here is their link-http://www.rivercare.org

This organization was started by Jim Haverman, a Beaver Island landowner, sportsman, and conservationist. The Conservation Resource Alliance was also the organization that raised the funds to pay for the Iron Ore Culvert replacement when the road commission and the townships did not have the funds. Clearly this organization has the island's best interests at heart.
McGrass
cindyr
Posts: 264
Joined: Fri May 18, 2007 1:04 pm
Location: Beaver Island

Post by cindyr »

One good comment at Wednesday's Peaine Township meeting was a suggestion by Julie Martin that more education regarding invasive species would be helpful. It does seem that we can all agree on the "enemies" that we know: Phragmites, zebra mussels, lamprey eel, whatever the invasive species is that is killing our beech trees...but the list provided by the Conservation Resource Alliance looks a little extreme and unfamiliar.
The Beaver Island Association put together an outstanding brochure - available at the Community Center and free for the taking - on Beaver Island's "Top Ten Invasive Species." Based on that information, I wrote a series of blogs on each of these plants last winter. That information can be found on my "Phragmites blog" at <www.stoptheinvasives.wordpress.com>
Cindy
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