Michigan blazes a trail in federal climate investments

Michigan blazes a trail in federal climate investments

by | Jan 10, 2024 | Environmental
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 10, 2024
Contact: Jeff Johnston, EGLE Public Information Officer, [email protected], 517-231-9304

Michigan blazes a trail in federal climate investments and transformative clean energy policy

Annual MI Healthy Climate Plan Report details Michigan’s historic legislative victories and key efforts establishing Michigan as a national leader in clean energy and climate action

Michigan leads the nation in federal climate investments, strategic initiatives, and groundbreaking legislative victories that put our great state on track to achieve 100% clean energy by 2040 while creating thousands of jobs. Michigan’s commitment is exemplified by the MI Healthy Climate Plan 2023 Report, an annual report developed by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s (EGLE) Office of Climate and Energy (OCE). The report provides a summary of 2023 progress on the implementation of the State’s MI Healthy Climate Plan (MHCP).

“Michigan is leading the nation on clean energy and climate action,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “Last year, I signed a game-changing package of clean energy legislation including a 100% clean energy standard by 2040, efficiency upgrades to lower costs for consumers, and the strongest labor standards in the country so we build American energy using American workers. Our commitment to taking climate action while creating jobs and lowering costs will make a real difference in people’s lives. This report caps one of the most productive years in EGLE history. Together, let’s keep building a brighter future for Michigan.”

Anchored in legislative victories, state investment and action, and federal investments, the MHCP positions Michigan as a national leader in clean energy and climate action. By implementing policies that reduce costs; protect land, air, water, and public health; foster equity; and create family-sustaining jobs, Michigan is creating a blueprint for a more sustainable, just, and prosperous future for all.

According to the 2023 Clean Jobs Midwest report, Michigan was No. 1 in the Midwest for clean energy jobs, and the sector is growing twice as fast as the overall economy.

“Michigan’s investment in climate initiatives is not just about policy; it’s about creating a positive and lasting impact on the lives of Michiganders today and for generations to come,” said EGLE Director Phil Roos. “Through strategic investments outlined in the MI Healthy Climate Plan, we are charting a path toward a more sustainable future while ensuring real benefits for our communities. From creating high-quality jobs to reducing energy costs and improving the overall quality of life, these initiatives are a commitment to making Michigan a better place for everyone who calls it home.”

Michigan has an all-of-government approach to climate and has worked to incorporate climate into existing programs and launch new programs including the new MI Healthy Climate Corps and the EGLE climate liaisons. Below are some of the accomplishments and initiatives highlighted in the MI Healthy Climate Plan 2023 Report.

Legislative victories set Michigan on path to success

The passage of key legislation reflects a dedication to reducing carbon emissions and a comprehensive approach to fostering economic growth, job creation, and energy affordability.

Key legislative highlights include:

  • Michigan’s Clean Energy Leadership: Michigan’s commitment to a 100% clean energy standard by 2040 positions the state as a national leader, making it one of the most progressive states in the nation on clean energy and the strongest state on clean energy policy in the Midwest.
  • Historic Commitment to Renewable Energy: The new laws drive progress by establishing a 50% renewable energy standard by 2030 and 60% by 2035. They also streamline the siting process for large-scale wind, solar, and storage projects.
  • Increased Access to Rooftop Solar: The new law expands the cap for distributed generation to 10%, allowing more families and businesses to generate electricity with rooftop solar.
  • Lower Energy Costs: The new laws increase Michigan’s Energy Waste Reduction (EWR) standard to 1.5% and set a goal of 2% for electric and gas utilities. It is expected to save Michigan households an average of $145 annually in energy costs.
  • Environmental Justice and Equity: The new laws prioritize environmental justice and equity in clean energy programs, ensuring that the state’s utility regulator, the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), considers climate, environmental justice, and nondiscrimination in decision-making.
  • Connecting and Training Michiganders for Jobs of the Future: The new laws created the Office of Worker and Community Economic Transition. The new office will support workers and communities to ensure they can take full advantage of the good-paying clean-energy jobs of the future.

Strategic state funding for a sustainable future

Michigan is committed to a sustainable future and is working to implement the strategies and initiatives proposed in the MHCP. The combined FY 2023 supplemental and the FY 2024 budget allocated over a billion dollars on climate and clean energy-related initiatives, further solidifying Michigan’s position as a national leader. This comprehensive funding package covers deploying more clean energy, increasing access to clean transportation, repairing and upgrading homes, reducing disparities in environmental justice communities, and more, showcasing the state’s dedication to economy-wide decarbonization and a greener and equitable tomorrow.

Key funding initiatives will:

  • Clean the Electric Grid: $265 million in investments to generate clean energy, enhance the electric grid, and incentivize local communities to host utility-scale solar.
  • Electrify Vehicles and Increase Public Transit: $261 million for mobility upgrades, including helping school districts buy clean buses and expanding clean transportation options.
  • Repair and Decarbonize Homes and Businesses: $312 million invested in weatherizing homes, clean energy upgrades, and energy efficiency initiatives.
  • Protect Michigan’s Land and Water: $14.4 million invested to protect forests and wetlands and encourage the purchase of Michigan-grown and -raised products.
  • Commit to Environmental Justice and Pursue a Just Transition: $21 million for environmental justice initiatives, including improving air quality and expanding activities that reduce environmental impacts in frontline communities, or communities that experience the most immediate and worst impacts of climate change.
  • Foster Cross-Sector Collaborations: $383.1 million was invested in climate action initiatives, including $2.1 million to launch the MI Healthy Climate Corps, which will help communities take climate action while creating jobs.

Michigan: A national leader in clean energy

Michigan is a national leader in bringing federal tax dollars home – particularly on climate-related funding, surpassed only by California. The state has secured nearly $1.3 billion to help lower energy costs, reduce power outages, create thousands of jobs, and more. Under the Biden Administration, Michigan has invested $9.6 billion in public infrastructure and clean energy. According to a recent report by Climate Power, Michigan is No. 1 in the nation, with 24 new clean energy projects.

Find a link to the MI Healthy Climate Plan 2023 Report and more information on the plan’s hub page, https://mhcp-egle.hub.arcgis.com/.

Background

In 2020, Governor Whitmer issued Executive Directive 2020-10, which charged EGLE, through its OCE, with developing the MCHP. The MHCP committed Michigan to 100% carbon neutrality by 2050 with interim greenhouse gas emission reductions of 52% by 2030 and 26% by 2025 as compared to 2005 levels. The MHCP was released in April 2022, after extensive stakeholder engagement that included consultation with tribal governments; meetings with the Council on Climate Solutions, workgroup members, and key stakeholders; and consultation from the Michigan Advisory Council on Environmental Justice.
Michigan launches ‘Get Ahead of Lead’

Michigan launches ‘Get Ahead of Lead’

by | Nov 30, 2023 | Environmental

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Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 30, 2023

CONTACT: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112, Sutfinl1@michigan.gov

Michigan launches ‘Get Ahead of Lead,’ a new statewide strategy
to protect families most at risk of lead’s harmful effects 

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan continues to lead the nation in efforts to prevent lead exposure, and as part of that effort the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is announcing its Get Ahead of Lead statewide strategy to identify and take steps to prevent lead exposure from household plumbing.

To Get Ahead of Lead, MDHHS recommends Michigan households use a certified lead-reducing drinking water filter if your home has, or if you are uncertain if it has, one of the following:

  • Lead or galvanized plumbing.
  • A lead service line carrying water from the street to their residence. Contact your local water supply authority to determine if you have a lead service line.
  • Old faucets and fittings that were sold before 2014.

Residents should use the filter until they can remove sources of household lead plumbing.

“Michigan is committed to protecting families from lead exposure by working with communities across the state to reduce or eliminate all sources of lead in the home,” said MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel. “By following the recommendations of the Get Ahead of Lead initiative, families can be secure in the knowledge that they have one more layer of protection between themselves and lead.”

Get Ahead of Lead includes an education campaign about sources of lead; recommendations for prevention; filter safety net programs including filters for foster care families regardless of water source; and reminder support for communities with current filter programs due to action level exceedances for lead.

The initiative also includes a data-driven strategy designed to identify communities at high risk for elevated blood lead levels, as well as the identification of communities and children most at risk of lead exposure based on age of housing stock, poverty levels and other factors. This approach focuses on deploying additional resources based on community vulnerability. Communities receiving additional assistance are defined as Filter Safety Net Communities and Faucet and Filter Safety Net Communities.

Filter Safety Net Communities have a current or past lead action level exceedance or a 90th percentile over 10 parts per billion lead through Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) monitoring, as of Aug. 1, 2023. Households in these communities with Medicaid enrolled children or pregnant persons can receive the following upon request:

  • Filter and replacement cartridges.
  • This affects approximately 12,000 households in the following communities: Three Rivers, Dowagiac, Owosso, City of Wayne, Manistee, Eastpointe, Lapeer, Harper Woods and City of Grand Rapids.

Faucet and Filter Safety Net Communities are communities with less than $15,170 taxable value per capita and that are at 125% of the federal poverty line regardless of LCR status. Households in these communities with Medicaid enrolled children or pregnant persons can receive the following upon request:

  • Home visit and visual plumbing assessment.
  • Filter and replacement cartridges.
  • Single faucet replacement.
  • Assistance with sign up for Medicaid Lead Abatement program which will address plumbing.
  • This affects approximately 58,232 households in the following communities: Highland Park, Muskegon Heights, Albion, Saginaw, Detroit, Hamtramck, City of Benton Harbor, Flint, Pontiac, Inkster and Ecorse.

Households that previously received filters from MDHHS, but no longer qualify based on Safety Net criteria, will continue to receive replacement reminders.

Other low-income households who do not meet any of the safety net program criteria may seek support for faucet replacement or other lead abatement work from:

Lead exposure can come from many sources including paint in homes built before 1978, dust, soil, drinking water from older plumbing, jobs or hobbies that involve lead, and some imported goods.

Following are tips that everyone can use to help maintain your home’s drinking water quality.    

  • Keep your water moving by doing everyday activities such as:
    • Running a load of laundry.
    • Washing dishes.
    • Taking a shower.
    • Flushing the toilet.
  • Clean the aerators on your faucets at least once every six months to remove trapped lead and other particles.
  • Run your water until it is cold before using it for drinking, cooking and making baby formula.   

It’s important for parents and caretakers of children less than 6 years old to talk to their child’s health care provider about blood lead testing, especially if there is concern for lead exposure. Lead exposure early in life has been shown to cause problems with learning, behavior, hearing, and growth.

MDHHS operates the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, which coordinates local public health case management for families with a child with an elevated blood lead level. Case management assists families with reducing lead exposure and working with their health care providers. For more information, visit Michigan.gov/lead or call the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at 517-335-8885.

Visit Michigan.gov/GetAheadofLead for more information about the statewide strategy.

EGLE announces $10.8 million in MI Clean Water grants

EGLE announces $10.8 million in MI Clean Water grants

by | Nov 14, 2023 | Environmental

 
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 14, 2023
EGLE Media Office, [email protected], 517-284-9278

EGLE announces $10.8 million in MI Clean Water grants to help communities upgrade water infrastructure, protect health & environment

Upgrades to Beulah’s wastewater plant, disposal of PFAS-contaminated biosolids at K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base and removal of contaminated soils from a lagoon in Grand Rapids are among $10.8 million in Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) grants recently awarded to Michigan communities.

The MI Clean Water Plan grants, through EGLE’s Substantial Public Health Risk Project Program (SPHRPP) and Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) aim to help communities upgrade aging infrastructure to ensure healthy drinking water and protect Michigan’s environment.

Seventy percent of Michiganders are served by more than 1,000 community wastewater systems and a similar percentage get drinking water from community water systems. Those systems often struggle to find resources to address legacy issues like aging drinking water and stormwater facilities and emerging challenges like new standards for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) “forever chemicals.”

Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the Michigan Legislature, and federal agencies have ramped up funding for aging water infrastructure – a critical move to help ensure those water systems continue to protect public health and the environment, including Michigan’s unmatched freshwater resources.

More than half of EGLE’s budget has traditionally passed through to Michigan cities, towns, villages, and other local government agencies to finance critical improvements that help them better protect residents and our natural resources.

Grant roundup

Recent grants through the SPHRPP: 

  • Village of Beulah, $2 million for critical upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant, including a new headworks building, a new moving bed bioreactor system, tertiary filtering, a new center pivot spray irrigation system, and proper lagoon abandonment.
  • Marquette County (K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base), $1,289,828 for purchase and installation of equipment that will support infrastructure to treat for eventual disposal of biosolids contaminated with PFAS, which are currently stored on site. The work will help the Air Force base transition away from the land application of biosolids toward consolidating the biosolids and transporting them to a landfill for disposal. 

Recent grants through the CWSRF: 

  • City of Grand Rapids, $7.5 million for the remediation of contaminated soils at the Ash Lagoon, and reconfiguration of the wastewater treatment plant stormwater system to address first-flush contamination into the Grand River.

Descriptions of funding sources

Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF): Low-interest loan program to help public water systems finance the costs of replacement and repair of drinking water infrastructure to protect public health and achieve or maintain compliance with federal Safe Drinking Water Act requirements. The DWSRF provides loans to water systems for eligible infrastructure projects. As water systems repay their loans, the repayments and interest flow back into the DWSRF to support new loans. American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding operates as a grant and may be used in combination with loan dollars to reduce the financial burden on communities to pay for capital improvement debt. ARPA funded grants awarded this fiscal year: $218,398,719.

Clean Water State Revolving Fund: Used by local municipalities to finance construction of water pollution control projects. These projects include wastewater treatment plant upgrades and expansions, combined or sanitary sewer overflow abatement, new sewers designed to reduce existing sources of pollution, and other publicly owned wastewater treatment efforts that improve water quality. The CWSRF can also finance stormwater infrastructure projects to reduce nonpoint sources of water pollution caused by things like agricultural runoff to lakes, streams, and wetlands. As with the DWSRF, ARPA funds can be used in conjunction with CWSRF loan dollars, thereby reducing the debt communities pay for infrastructure improvements. ARPA-funded grants awarded this fiscal year: $137,982,009.

Drinking Water Asset Management Program: Provides grant funding to assist drinking water suppliers with asset management plan development and updates, and/or distribution system materials inventories as defined in Michigan’s revised Lead and Copper Rule. Awarded this fiscal year: $19,695,817.

Consolidation and Contamination Risk Reduction Program: Established to aid drinking water systems to help remove or reduce PFAS or other contaminants. Awarded this fiscal year: $20,336,215.

Substantial Public Health Risk Project Program: Protects public and environmental health by removing direct and continuous discharges of wastewater from surface or groundwater. Awarded this fiscal year: $8,000,000.

 

Additional Background

  • Since January 2019 the State of Michigan has invested over $4 billion to upgrade drinking water, stormwater, and wastewater facilities across the state, supporting over 57,000 jobs.
  • In 2022, Governor Whitmer signed a package of bills to help communities access funding for water infrastructure.
Clean Boats, Clean Waters grant applications now open

Clean Boats, Clean Waters grant applications now open

by | Oct 30, 2023 | Environmental

 
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News Release
The following news release was issued earlier this week by Michigan State University Extension.  

Contact: Kelsey Bockelman or Paige Filice, Michigan State University Extension

Michigan Clean Boats, Clean Waters grant applications now open!

$35,000 is available for Michigan organizations dedicated to aquatic invasive species education and outreach.

For the fourth year running, the Michigan Clean Boats, Clean Waters program has grant funding available to support aquatic invasive species outreach efforts. This opportunity is for Michigan organizations dedicated to the protection of our waterways including lake associations, local units of government, and non-profit organizations. This year, up to $35,000 is available to engage the Michigan boating community in invasive species prevention actions.

Seven people stand next to a sign on the edge of a parking lot preparing to cut a ribbon held in front of them.Funding requests can be up to $3,000 each and do not require local match or cost sharing. Clean Boats, Clean Waters grants can be used for a variety of activities including signage, invasive species supplies such as plant removal tools, sponges and towels, and staff time to perform watercraft inspections and demonstrations of boat cleaning techniques. Eligible applicants include lake associations, watershed groups, local or tribal units of government and non-profits. Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas (CISMAs) and organizations with a statewide impact are highly encouraged to support local groups or pursue Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program funds to perform boater outreach activities.

Interested groups can apply for a grant now on the Clean Boats, Clean Waters website. The deadline to apply is January 19, 2024. This is a competitive funding opportunity and complete applications will be ranked based on group eligibility, project significance, anticipated outcomes, and target audiences. Accepted grantees will be notified in March of their award.

Over the last three years Clean Boats, Clean Waters has awarded 31 grants to lake associations, watershed groups, high schools, local units of government, and nonprofit organizations to educate the public about aquatic invasive species. Below are some examples of their projects.

  • The Elk-Skegemog Lakes Association, located at the tripoint of Antrim, Grand Traverse, and Kalkaska Counties, installed Clean Boats, Clean Waters Decontamination Station signs and distributed education materials around Elk and Skegemog Lakes. The lake association hosted invasive species education events and partnered with the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council to host boat washing demonstrations.
  • The Alger Conservation District, in partnership with the Lake to Lake Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area and Burt and Au Train Townships, installed interpretive signs at public boat and kayak launches on the Au Train River and at the Burt Township Marina. In addition, a Clean Boats, Clean Waters Decontamination Station sign was installed at the marina for residents and visitors. The Conservation District and partners also hosted outreach events to educate the public about relevant invasive species and conducted boat and kayak decontamination demonstrations.
  • The Kalkaska Conservation District partnered with Coldsprings Township and Manistee Lake Association to install a Clean Boats, Clean Waters Decontamination Station sign and display educational messaging near the boat launch at Manistee Lake Sands Park. In addition, the Conservation District sponsored paid advertising about clean boating practices in local media and hosted outreach events during busy weekends.

Michigan Clean Boats, Clean Waters Program

Michigan State University Extension is leading the effort to implement the Clean Boats, Clean Waters program in cooperation with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. Since 2006 the Clean Boats, Clean Waters program has been educating Michigan boaters about aquatic invasive species with trained volunteer boat inspectors. The program has grown into a comprehensive aquatic invasive species boater outreach program thanks to funding from EGLE.

Clean Boats, Clean Waters promotes understanding of boat cleaning practices and regulations through the distribution of educational materials, an online resource library, boat washing demonstrations, grants, and partnerships. The program builds upon existing partnerships with statewide and local organizations including the Michigan Lakes and Streams Association, CISMAs, and lake associations and is actively seeking new opportunities and partners to share the clean, drain, dry message.

More information on Clean Boats, Clean Waters can be found on the MSU Extension website, Facebook (@MichiganCBCW), or Instagram (@michigan_cbcw).

Questions about the Clean Boats, Clean Waters program and this grant funding opportunity can be directed to Kelsey Bockelman.

An infographic announcing "Invasive Species Funding Available" below two lakefront photos.

Michigan’s Invasive Species Program is cooperatively implemented by the Michigan Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development; Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; and Natural Resources.

Note to editors: Accompanying photos are available below for download. Caption information follows.

High school: 2022 grantees show off parts of their grant projects from a few summers ago! East Jordan High School (Left) displays their new aquatic invasive species decontamination sign. Photo Credit: East Jordan High School.

Grant: CBCW grant announcement infographic available for use in publications or social media. Courtesy of MSU Extension.
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First Michigan detection of invasive hydrilla triggers response

First Michigan detection of invasive hydrilla triggers response

by | Oct 2, 2023 | Environmental

Michigan Invasive Species Program banner

News Release

Oct. 2, 2023
Contact: Bill Keiper, 517-342-4087, or Joanne Foreman, 517-284-5814

First Michigan detection of invasive hydrilla triggers response

Aquatic plant found in two West Michigan ponds

Hydrilla, considered one of the world’s most invasive aquatic plants, has been detected for the first time in Michigan. The Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy confirmed two small populations of the plant in adjacent private ponds on residential properties in Berrien Springs in Southwest Michigan.

A mass of invasive hydrilla, an aquatic plant, held just above the water's surface.The small patches of hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) were discovered during routine monitoring following treatment for another invasive plant, parrot feather, which was found in the pond in 2020. Both species are prohibited in Michigan, meaning it is unlawful to sell, possess or import them into the state, and both are on Michigan’s invasive species watch list due to their potential environmental threat.

Hydrilla has several ways of reproducing, allowing it to spread rapidly, outcompete native plants and quickly form dense single-species infestations. Root tubers, turions (buds) and even small plant fragments can develop into new plants, making it very easy for hydrilla to disperse through water or attach to ornamental plants sold for water gardens.

“It’s not clear how either plant made its way to this pond, but seeds or fragments of the invasive plants may have been attached to ornamental plants installed in past years,” said Bill Keiper, EGLE aquatic biologist. “Sediment core samples of the pond and genetic analysis of the plant material are planned to help determine how long the hydrilla has been here and where in the U.S. it might have originated.”

EGLE’s immediate response actions include surveying connected ponds, a receiving stream, and the St. Joseph River to ensure the full hydrilla population extent is known. Herbicide treatments are underway in the infested ponds, targeting hydrilla plants to prevent further tuber production this season. A response plan will focus on preventing the spread of hydrilla beyond its current location, with the long-term goal of eradication.

Why be concerned?

Hydrilla stems float at the water’s surface. Heavy infestations can block access to waterways. Hydrilla was introduced into Florida in the 1950s and has spread across the southeast. A separate strain was first detected in Delaware in 1976 and has since made its way through the Atlantic states and several Great Lakes states.

Hydrilla can thrive in both low- and high-quality waters and has been found in lakes, rivers, reservoirs, wetlands, ponds and streams. Plants are generally rooted in sediment in water depths up to 25 feet and remain submerged, with long, leaved stems floating near the surface. Because it outcompetes native plants, it can quickly fill a lake or pond, choking off recreational access.

Though hydrilla can be treated with herbicide, it is difficult to eradicate because tubers and turions can persist in the sediment for years, and plants can reproduce from even small fragments.

You can help

Early detection of hydrilla provides a better opportunity for successful control and eradication. Michigan’s Invasive Species Program relies on reports from the public to help in early detection and response efforts.

Identify hydrilla

An illustration showing hydrilla's characteristics including serrated leaves, generally in whorls of five, surrounding long stems.Look for long, slender stems floating near the water surface. Check for these characteristics:

  • Pointed, bright green leaves about 5/8 inch long with small teeth on the edges.
  • Leaves growing around the stem, generally in whorls of five, but they can range from four to eight.
  • Tiny, floating white flowers visible in late summer to fall.
  • Small, white to yellowish, potato-like tubers attached to the roots.

Be aware of look-alikes

Note that hydrilla’s long stems may look like common native and invasive aquatic plants in Michigan. Differences are found in the number of leaves per whorl and the smooth versus serrated leaf edges.

  • Native elodea (Elodea canadensis and Elodea nuttalli) has three (rarely four) leaves per whorl.
  • Mare’s tail (Hippuris vulgaris) has six to 12 leaves per whorl.
  • Brazilian elodea (invasive) leaves are smooth, not toothed at the edges.

Report suspected hydrilla

Any suspicious aquatic plants should be reported as soon as possible to [email protected]. Include close-up photos and provide the location of the detection in your report.

More information on identifying and reporting invasive aquatic plants can be found at Michigan.gov/Invasives.

Michigan’s Invasive Species Program is cooperatively implemented by the Michigan Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development; Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; and Natural Resources.

/Note to editors: Accompanying photos are available below for download. Caption information follows.

Hydrilla plants: Invasive hydrilla is considered one of the world’s most invasive aquatic plants. Photo courtesy of Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org.

Hydrilla infestation: Hydrilla stems float at the water’s surface. Heavy infestations can block access to waterways. Photo courtesy of Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org.

Hydrilla graphic: Hydrilla is characterized by serrated leaves, generally in whorls of five, surrounding long stems. Illustration by Bruce Kerr./

 
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Clean Boats, Clean Waters grant applications now open

Invasive Balsam woolly adelgid confirmed in Missaukee County

by | Sep 26, 2023 | Environmental
Michigan Invasive Species Program banner

News Release
The following news release was issued earlier today by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

For immediate release: September 26, 2023
Program contact: Rob Miller 517-614-0454
Media contact: Jennifer Holton, 517-284-5724

Invasive balsam woolly adelgid confirmed in Missaukee County

Second detection of this pest in Michigan

Lansing, MI – The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) verified the detection of invasive balsam woolly adelgid (BWA) at a residential property in Missaukee County. The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed a sample taken from the site as positive for balsam woolly adelgid, making Missaukee the second county in Michigan to have a confirmed infestation.

The trunk of a large fir tree with areas of small, white tufts indicating the presence of invasive balsam woolly adelgid.“The infestation was found by a consulting forester who was working with the landowner. We don’t known how balsam woolly adelgid was introduced to this site, but early detection is a fundamental component of successful response efforts,” said Mike Philip, Director of MDARD’s Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division. “MDARD and its partner agencies have begun survey work to determine the extent of the infestation.”

This is the second detection of balsam woolly adelgid in Michigan. The pest was found near Rockford in Kent County in 2021. The site was treated, and survey efforts are ongoing to ensure successful eradication.

Balsam woolly adelgid is a tiny, sap-feeding insect that attacks true fir trees, including balsam, Fraser and concolor (white) fir. The pest is on Michigan’s Invasive Species Watch List because repeated attacks from the pest weaken trees, cause twig gouting, kill branches and, over the course of many years, cause trees to decline or die.

Symptoms of balsam woolly adelgid infestation include:

  • Tiny one-to-two-millimeter white woolly tufts on the lower trunk of the tree and possibly on large branches in the spring and summer.
  • Swelling and distortion of the twigs, commonly called “gout.”
  • Flagging – A branch or branches that turn brick-red and die.
  • Tree crowns that become narrow and misshapen with few needles.

Although not native to Michigan, Fraser and concolor fir trees are often planted on home landscapes. Balsam fir is native to the Upper Peninsula and Northern Lower Peninsula but also found throughout the state in residential and park settings.

“This invasive insect is a significant threat to the nearly 1.9 billion balsam fir trees populating Michigan’s forests,” said Philip. “And, as the third largest Christmas tree-growing state in the country, Michigan produces nearly 13.5 million fir trees each year, which are susceptible to balsam woolly adelgid.”

In 2014, MDARD implemented a balsam woolly adelgid quarantine regulating the movement of potentially infested nursery stock into Michigan from areas in North America with known infestations.

“MDARD relies on the public to help be our extra eyes in the landscape for invasive species; early detection and response are crucial to our efforts to protect the state’s natural resources,” added Philip. “Michiganders can also help prevent the spread of invasive species by leaving firewood at home and buying it where you burn it, cleaning gear and vehicles before hitting the road, and reporting suspected invasive species.”

If Michiganders suspect this invasive pest is damaging fir trees, they should take photos, note the location, and report it to the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network or MDARD at [email protected] or call 800-292-3939. For more information on balsam woolly adelgid and other invasive species in Michigan, visit Michigan.gov/Invasives.

Michigan’s Invasive Species Program is cooperatively implemented by the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; the Department of Natural Resources; and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

/Note to editors: The accompanying photo is available below for download. Suggested caption follows.
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