Certified Weed Management Area formalized for the Central Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Newly formed certified weed management area for the Hiawatha National Forest within Alger, Delta, Marquette and Schoolcraft Counties of Michigan pledge to combat invasive species.

What do the Nature Conservancy, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Seney National Wildlife Refuge, Alger County Conservation District, Marquette County Conservation District, Moosewood Nature Center, Central Lake Superior Land Conservancy, Superior Watershed Partnership, Borealist Seed Company and Hiawatha National Forest have in common?

Well for one thing, this same group of interested organizations, agencies and individuals have worked together for many years to control invasive species by hosting volunteer work days. In addition, they have offered educational workshops on invasive species beginning each year during National Invasive Species Awareness Week and have provided invasive species educational programs to groups such as the North Country Trail Association.

During these past years this group was known as the "Upper Peninsula Invasive Species Council" or UPIC. It was the group's intent to eventually formalize a Certified Weed Management Area (CWMA)and begin broader working relationships with other interested parties such as the State of Michigan, townships and counties. Finally during the summer of 2008 this process began with developing a formal working relationship under the Forest Service through a Memorandium of Understanding.

The need to establish the MOU at this time was spurred by the clear need to increase invasive species awareness in the central Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Central Upper Peninsula Certified Weed Management Area (CUPCWMA) MOU will strive to remove non-native invasive terrestrial and aquatic plants through volunteer workdays, mapping of known locations and providing a central place for data collection. The partners aim to increase public awareness through educational workshops and trainings on invasive species. The group's current goal is to control existing populations of invasive species and help reduce future spread. The coalition will be a leading force in invasive species education. Education is by far the most essential tool available to bring about the eventual control of invasive species.

Through the Forest Service volunteer program, members of UPIC and now the newly formed CUPCWMA group have worked on the Hiawatha National Forest helping the Forest meet its NNIS targets. During the summer of 2008, volunteers pulled weeds from approximately 200 acres at selected Forest sites such as Grand Island National Recreation Area and Lake Michigan's shoreline at Indian Point within piping plover habitat. In addition to removal of invasive species, volunteers from UPIC also helped restore nearly one acre of degraded Forest lands through the planting of native plants, enhancing existing pollinator species habitat on Grand Island NRA and existing monarch butterfly openings on the Stonington Peninsula.

Workdays and educational workshops for 2009 have already been planned. The group is also creating its own website. Funding for the website was provided by Central Lake Superior Land Conservancy. It is not currently up and running but in the near future you will find us at www.upicweeds.org, in addition to our page on the Forest website.