(Marquette, MI) – The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is working with youth, Native American tribes and many groups to fight invasive plants – and restore indigenous vegetation that is best for pollinators like bees and butterflies Invasive (non-native) plants are choking out natural flora and fauna – and are one of many reasons that one-third of pollinators have disappeared On a cold wind-driven rainy fall day in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula just blocks from the roaring waves of Lake Superior, a conference was held for the many federal, state and local agencies and organizations that are on the front line of the fight to eradicate all forms of invasive species. The menace is as tricky as it is widespread and costly to stop – invasive species ride on the wind, float on the water and find all forms of human transportation to creep their way across the Midwest – and the entire country. From stubborn non-native weeds that travel with and on unsuspecting tourists to aquatic life like Zebra mussels that hitch a ride on ore boats and ocean freighters. USFS Eastern Region Botanist Jan Schultz was the keynote speaker on Tues., Oct. 16, 2012 at the Rapid Response Invasive Plant Intervention Team of the U.P.! (RIPP IT UP!) Third Annual Northern Great Lakes Conference named “A United Front against Invasive Species” in the Marquette Masonic Lodge and Center. The Marquette, Michigan presentation by Schultz titled “An Overview of Just How Far We’ve Come in the Battle against Invasive Species” was watched by many USFS employees and several groups assisting in the fight to stop invasive non-native weeds that are choking out all forms of wildlife. Schultz is the USFS Non-native Invasive Species and Special Forest Products Program Leader stationed in Milwaukee, WI. The hosts of the conference are one of the main northern Michigan groups fighting Invasives – and the group has a catching acronym for their long name: RIPP IT UP stands for Rapid Response Invasive Plant Intervention Team of the U.P. Rapid Response Invasive Plant Intervention Team of the U.P. (RIPP IT UP) www.abc10up.com/invasive-plants-conference Darcy Rutkowski 906-225-0215 darcy.rutkowski@uprcd.org Stephanie Blumer 906-643-7900 ext. 155 sblumer@fs.fed.us Tesha Zimmerman 906-632-5575 tzimmerman@saulttribe.net Lynn Steiner Wild Rivers Invasive Species Coordinator Dickinson Conservation District 102 North Hooper St. Kingsford, MI 49802-4548 906-239-2560 wildriverscwma@gmail.com FY 2011 Accomplishments Fighting Invasive Species USFS Eastern Region 9 Non-Native Invasive Species (NNIS) Report www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/invasives/documents/FY2011EasternRegionNNISReport.pdf www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5387670.pdf CWMA Map www.na.fs.fed.us/fhp/invasive_plants/cwma CWMA Cookbook: A Recipe for Success A Step-by-Step Guide: How to develop Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA) www.mipn.org/CWMACookbook2011.pdf USFS www.fs.fed.us www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers Larry Stritch USDA USFS National Botanist Washington, D.C. 202-205-1279 lstritch@fs.fed.us Jan Schultz, USFS E. Region 9 Botanist Milwaukee, WI 414-297-1189 jschultz@fs.fed.us Larry Heady R9 Tribal Relations Specialist 414-297-3777 lheady@fs.fed.us Stephanie Blumer R9 Botanist 906-643-7900 Ext. 155 sblumer@fs.fed.us Hiawatha National Forest Gladstone, MI 906-428-5800 HiawathaNF@fs.fed.us www.fs.usda.gov/hiawatha Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest Northwoods CWMA www.northwoodscwma.org Matt Bushman, district botanist 715-373-3667 Darienne McNamara, CWMA Coordinator darienne.mcnamara@gmail.com Hiawatha National Forest Central Upper Peninsula CWMA Chippewa East Mackinac Conservation District www.clmcd.org/weedmanagement_2.asp www.chipmackconservation.org www.upicweeds.org Nick Cassel, Coordinator Chippewa Luce Mackinac Conservation District Sault Ste. Marie, MI 906-635-1278 (wk) 906-430-0040 (cell) nick.cassel@macd.org Ottawa National Forest Western Peninsula Invasive Coalition (WePic) Gogebic County, MI/Iron County, WI www.invasiveplantsmi.org/hogweed/index.html www.fs.fed.us/r9/ottawa/forest_management/botany/cwpma_site Ian Shackleford USFS Botanist Noxious Weed Coordinator Ironwood, MI 896-932-1330 ishackleford@fs.fed.us Wild Rivers Invasive Species Coalition (WRISC) www.wrisc.org Ann Hruska Administrator/Proj. Mgr. Dickinson Conservation District Kingsford, MI 906-774-8441 wildriverscwma@gmail.com ann.hruska@mi.nacdnet.net Keweenaw Invasive Species Management Area (KISMA) www.kisma.org Janet Marr, Coordinator Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District Houghton, MI 906-337-5529 906-482-0214 jkmarr@mtu.edu sue.haralson@mi.nacdnet.net Huron Manistee National Forest Northwest Michigan CWMA www.garlic-mustard.org Carolyn Henne, USFS 231-723-2211 Robert Makowski, USFS 231-775-5023

• published: 01 Dec 2012
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