Upper Peninsula Resource Conservation And Development Counc

PROVIDE LOCAL LEADERSHIP FOR DEVELOPING AND CARRYING OUT A PLAN FOR THE ORDERLY CONSERVATION, IMPROVEMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND WISE USE OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES OF THE UPPER PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN.

MICHIGAN INVASIVE SPECIES GRANT PROGRAM--UPPER PENINSULA EUROPEAN FROG-BIT DETECTION INITIATIVE. THERE IS COLLABORATION WITH ALL 5 COOPERATIVE INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT AREAS (CISMA) ACROSS THE UP TO EXPAND DETECTION EFFORTS FOR THE AQUATIC MICHIGAN WATCH LIST SPECIES, EUROPEAN FROG-BIT. UTILIZING STANDARDIZED MAPPING PROTOCOLS. NEARING THE COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT, OVER 1,450 ACRES HAVE BEEN SURVEYED, 5 NEW DETECTIONS OF EFB HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED, 10 IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS HELD, 1 IN-PERSON TRAINING EVENTS HELD, 110 AIS LANDING BLITZ'S HELD, OVER 60,000 IMPRESSIONS FROM OUTREACH EFFORTS, AND UNIFORM EDUCATION COMPONENTS DISTRIBUTED UP-WIDE. PROJECT WILL END APRIL 30, 2023.

NATIONAL FISHERIES & WILDLIFE FOUNDATION SOGL--CONTROLLING PHRAGMITES THROUGH COASTAL WETLAND RESTORATION & LANDOWNER STEWARDSHIP--SINCE THE COMMENCEMENT OF THIS PROJECT, UP PHRAGMITES COALITION PARTNERS HAVE WORKED ON IMPLEMENTING ITS INVASIVE PHRAGMITES COST-SHARE PROGRAM WITH LANDOWNERS OF MICHIGAN AND WISCONSIN WITHIN THE LAKE MICHIGAN WATERSHED. PROJECT PARTNERS HAVE MAILED OUT OVER 2,100 LANDOWNER COST-SHARE LETTERS, PERFORMED OVER 320 SITE VISITS, AND SURVEYED MORE THAN 4,500 ACRES FOR PHRAGMITES ALONG LAKE MICHIGAN SHORELINE, COASTAL WETLANDS, AND PRIORITY INTERIOR SITES. AS A RESULT, 32.6 ACRES OF PHRAGMITES HAVE BEEN TREATED AND 77.4 ACRES OF RETREATMENTS HAVE OCCURRED IN MICHIGAN AND WISCONSIN. PROJECT WILL END JUNE 2023. FISHERIES HABITAT GRANT PROGRAM--TAHQUAMENON RIVER ROAD STREAM CROSSING INVENTORY UPDATE--HIRE STAFF TO COORDINATE & CONDUCT ROAD STREAM CROSSING INVENTORY ACTIVITIES AT OVER 82 SITES ACROSS THE TAHQUAMENON RIVER WATERSHED IN CHIPPEWA & LUCE COUNTIES. MANY MEASUREMENTS & VARIABLES ARE RECORDED AT EACH SITE INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO CONDITIONAL ASSESSMENT OF CULVERTS/BRIDGES, WATER QUALITY, FLOW RATE, EROSION/SEDIMENTATION NOTES, ETC. ALL DATA IS COLLECTED ELECTRONICALLY & UPLOADED TO A STATEWIDE DATABASE FOR STREAMLINE DATA SHARING & TO HELP PRIORITZE FUTURE MANAGEMENT PROJECTS IN THE REGION. PROJECT IS NEARING COMPLETION AND WILL CLOSE OUT MAY 2023. FISHERIES HABITAT GRANT PROGRAM--AUTRAIN LAKE COOPERATIVE HABITAT ENHANCEMENT INITIATIVE--THIS PROJECT PROPOSES TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH RIPARIAN LANDOWNERS FOUND ALONG THE SHORELINE OF AUTRAIN LAKE TO EDUCATE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SHORELINE VEGETATION AND IN-WATER HABITAT STRUCTURES. PROJECT PARTNERS WILL REINTRODUCE 90-330 COARSE WOODY DEBRIS STRUCTURES THROUGHOUT THE LAKE, RESULTING IN AQUATIC HABITAT ENHANCEMENT & BOOSTING FISH POPULATIONS. HNF SHARPTAIL & POLLINATOR ENHANCEMENT PA--THE PURPOSE OF THIS AGREEMENT IS TO UTILIZE GREAT LAKE RESTORATION INIATIVE (GLRI) FUNDS TO ENHANCE HABITAT FOR SHARP-TAILED GROUSE & POLLINATORS ACROSS THE HIAWATHA NATIONAL FOREST IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UPPER PENINSULA RESOURCE CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (UPRCD). SHARP-TAILED GROUSE NUMBER HAVE DECLINED STEADILY OVER THE LAST DECADE,THIS PROJECT WOULD UTILIZE STRATEGIC PRESCRIBED FIRE AS SITE PREPARATION FOR SUPPLEMENTAL PLANTING OF NATIVE WARM SEASON GRASSES TO IMPROVE BOTH COVER & FORAGING OPPORTUNITIES. ADDITIONALLY, NECTARING OPPORTUNITIES WOULD BE IMPROVED ALONG UTILITY CORRIDORS & OPENINGS TO PROVIDE CONNECTIVE CORRIDORS & IMPROVE MIGRATORY PATHWAYS FOR POLLINATORS. THIS AGREEMENT WOULD UTILIZE THIS PARTNERSHIP TO STRATEGICALLY TREAT 2,000 ACRES OF OPEN LAND HABITAT WITH PRESCRIBED FIRE & PLANT 300 ACRES WITH NATIVE WARM SEASON GRASSES ACROSS THE HIAWATHA NATIONAL FOREST & 7 ACRES OF UTILITY CORRIDOR & OPENINGS WITH WILDFLOWERS ON THE EAST ZONE. GLRI CWMA HIAWATHA NATIONAL FOREST PA--MANAGING INVASIVE PHRAGMITES ACROSS THE HIAWATHA NATIONAL FOREST--THE PURPOSE OF THIS AGREEMENT IS TO UTILIZE GREAT LAKE RESTORATION INITIATIVE (GLRI) FUNDS TO SUPPRESS NON-NATIVE PHRAGMITES IN PRIORITY AREAS ALONG THE GREAT LAKES COASTLINE OF THE HIAWATHA NATIONAL FOREST IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UPPER PENINSULA RESOURCE CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (UPRCD). PRISTINE GREAT LAKES COASTAL WETLANDS, SHORELINES,INLAND LAKES, STREAMS & FORESTS ARE THREATENED BY THE INVASION OF NON-NATIVE PHRAGMITES. THIS AGREEMENT WOULD UTILIZE THIS PARTNERSHIP TO STRATEGICALLY TREAT 60 ACRES OF INVASIVE PHRAGMITES & EXPAND DETECTION SURVEYS OVER 400 ACRES ACROSS THE HIAWATHA NATIONAL FOREST. GREAT LAKES COMMISSION--UPPER PENINSULA AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES EDUCATION COOPERATIVE--THE UPRCD SUCCESSFULLY HELD ALL 7 PLANNED AIS OUTREACH EVENTS. WE REACHED 175 PEOPLE VIA SITE IMPRESSIONS & 8,063 VIA SOCIAL MEDIA IMPRESSIONS. THIS WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY FOLLOWING THE APPROVED WORK PLAN.

MICHIGAN INVASIVE SPECIES GRANT PROGRAM:LIFE AFTER PHRAGMITES: WETLAND RESTORATION AND LANDOWNER STEWARDSHIP--THE UP PHRAGMITES COALITION WORKED IN 7 COUNTIES IN MICHIGAN'S UPPER PENINSULA TO PROVIDE STEWARDSHIP AND A SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM TO LANDOWNERS RESULTING IN 200 ACRES OF INVASIVE PHRAGMITES TREATED. THROUGH TARGETED ENGAGEMENT VIA PUBLIC WORKSHOPS, SITE VISITS, PUBLICATIONS, AND OUTREACH MATERIALS DEVELOPED, OVER 16,000 INDIVIDUALS WERE REACHED WITH A FOCUS ON EFFECTIVE PHRAGMITES MANAGEMENT AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTING THE UPPER PENINSULA'S NATURAL RESOURCES THAT BOTH RESIDENTS AND VISITORS SEEK TO ENJOY EVERY YEAR. SUCCESSFULLY CLOSED OUT GRANT IN NOVEMBER 2022.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY-GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE (EPA PHRAG)--EXPANDING PHRAGMITES MANAGEMENT IN MICHIGAN'S UPPER PENINSULA-- FACILITATED A UP WIDE EFFORT TO FUNCTIONALLY ERADICATE PHRAGMITES FROM MICHIGAN'S UPPER PENINSULA, IN PARTICULAR THE LAKE SUPERIOR WATERSHED THROUGH A JOINT PARTNERSHIP EFFORT WITH DNR FISHERIES DIVISION AND ALL 5 UP CISMAS TO SURVEY 8,750 LINEAR MILES AND TREAT 77 ACRES.