Jason Hill, Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
October 2013
For additional project information located on this site, click here.
Now in our third year, partnership efforts continue to achieve success in controlling invasive Phragmites and educating the stakeholders of Northern Lake St. Clair, Michigan. Project funding was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency via the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, with matching funds committed by Ducks Unlimited.
Spring Monitoring
In mid September, Ducks Unlimited, in cooperation with Wildlife and Wetlands Solutions and Michigan Department of Natural Resources, hired a helicopter and ground spaying contractor to spot treat and spray over 2,000 acres of Phragmites on Anchor Bay and the St. Clair Flats area. During this third and final herbicide application, additional acreage directly adjacent to existing Phragmites treatment areas was approved for spraying in an effort to reduce encroachment. All treatment areas located on Michigan DNR lands are scheduled to be burned by DNR crews in winter 2013-14. Fall monitoring was completed in early October and will continue in spring of 2014.
Outreach and education efforts are ongoing throughout the region and continue to be led by staff from Michigan State University – Extension, Sea Grant – Michigan staff, and the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. This project is slated for completion in June 2014, however the partnership understands the need to build on successes and continue the battle to control invasive Phragmites on Lake St. Clair. To that end and on behalf of the project partnership, Ducks Unlimited recently submitted a Phase II proposal to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for consideration.
Recently sprayed stand
Currently under review and if funded, this proposal will expand existing accomplishments and treat an additional 621 acres of Phragmites along key tributaries and coastal flats of the St. Clair River, Clinton River, and Anchor Bay. Education and outreach, as well as monitoring efforts also will be expanded should the proposal receive funding.
For more information about this project, contact:
Jason Hill – Manager of Conservation Programs
Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Office
jhill@ducks.org
734-623-2000