Claire Peterson

The winter 2015/2016 edition of the AIS Current, Michigan’s Aquatic Invasive Species Newsletter, is now available giving you the latest news in both aquatic and terrestrial invasive species work across the state. Features in this edition include: Decontamination to stop the introduction and spread of invasive species Removal of a high-threat invasive plant from Michigan waters The confirmation of two new aquatic invasive species in Michigan waters Invasive species outreach at Michigan DNR Visitor Centers Illinois invasive carp removal exercise wrd-ais-newsletter-winter-2015-16_510514_7.pdf

Dates: Summer 2016, start and end dates flexible. Full-time. Location: Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing Position Description: We are seeking to fill one position to assist with Michigan’s volunteer lake monitoring program, the Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program. The majority of the work will focus on the Exotic Aquatic Plant Watch, a volunteer monitoring program for invasive plants in Michigan lakes. Activities will include: 1. Assisting volunteers who enrolled with in the Exotic Aquatic Plant Watch, including a. Helping with on-site training of volunteers on lakes across Michigan b. Responding to volunteer questions about survey methods and plant identification c. Assisting with data reporting and entry into the program database 2. Collecting and preparing aquatic plants for use in volunteer training 3. Preparing water quality samples collected by volunteers for laboratory analysis 4. Assisting with the launch of the CLMP’s new Score the Shore shoreline habitat assessment program 5. Preparing volunteer training materials 6. Assisting with Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program marketing and publicity, which may include development of materials, writing brief stories, interviewing volunteers, and use of social media 7. Data entry Opportunities for involvement in other aquatic outreach and education projects also are likely, including assisting with the Mobile Boat Wash boater education program to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. Qualifications desired: Availability to travel around the state to lake visits and training events, which may occur on weekends, and occasionally overnight. Valid drivers’ license and eligibility to drive University-owned vehicles (see http://www.rmi.msu.edu/form/employeedrivercertification.html ). Familiarity and comfort with using computers for research and communication. Coursework in aquatic ecology or related field. Interest in public outreach and freshwater management. Knowledge of aquatic plants is advantageous, but not required. Thorough training will be provided. Being comfortable around water and on boats/kayaks/canoes is recommended. Position Dates: Approximately 40 hours per week from mid-May through mid-August; specific start and end dates negotiable. Pay: $10 - $12/hour, depending on experience. Housing is not provided. To Apply: Send your current resume and a 1-2 page cover letter explaining your interest in the position to the contact below. Electronic submissions preferred. Application Deadline: March 18, 2016. Contact: Angela D. Dow depalmad@msu.edu (517) 353-3234

Announcements from the Michigan Clean Water Corps | February 16, 2016 Volunteer Stream Monitoring Grants Available for 2016 The Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps), a network of volunteer monitoring programs in Michigan, is pleased to announce $35,000 in grant funds available for two types of volunteer stream monitoring in Michigan. The Volunteer Stream Monitoring Grant Program is now accepting funding proposals under two different topical areas as part of MiCorps. Local units of government and nonprofit organizations are eligible to receive funding under both of the following two areas: · The Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Survey grants support volunteer work to monitor benthic macroinvertebrate communities and habitat characteristics in wadeable streams and rivers. The funds support training and water quality data collection helping state and local efforts to protect and manage water resources. The grants may be used to fund a local monitoring coordinator and/or purchase water quality monitoring supplies. There is a maximum dollar amount of $14,000 per grant award for two-year projects under this funding area. · The Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Survey start-up grants are for newly forming volunteer monitoring groups. Funds assist with designing a local monitoring program and strategy, or for development of a full proposal for a future Volunteer Stream Monitoring Grant Program cycle. Start-up grant recipients have access to MiCorps resources and training. There is a maximum dollar amount of $3,000 per grant award for one-year projects under this funding area. Now in its 12th year, the MiCorps program was established to assist the Michigan DEQ in collecting and sharing water quality data for use in water resources management and protection programs. MiCorps has awarded nearly $574,000 in Clean Michigan Initiative grant funds to volunteer organizations to assist in water quality assessments. For more information on the MiCorps program or these grant opportunities, please visit the MiCorps website at: https://micorps.net. Grant application packages, which include grant information and application instructions, are available at: https://micorps.net/register/gap16.html and https://micorps.net/register/startup16.html. Grant applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on March 7, 2016. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered for funding. Questions about the grant application process should be directed to Dr. Paul Steen, Huron River Watershed Council, at 734-769-5123 or psteen@hrwc.org; or Ms. Marcy Knoll Wilmes, Water Resources Division, DEQ, at 517-284-5544 or knollm@michigan.gov. Interested in becoming a volunteer monitor? Please visit https://micorps.net for more information!

Greetings! ISN is excited to share that we are growing! We are currently hiring for several new positions as well as seasonal crew members for our busy (and quickly approaching) field season. In order to successfully complete several larger-scale projects in our service area, we need all hands on deck. ISN is seeking a Habitat Management Specialist (full-time) and Outreach Assistant (part-time). These positions will play an integral role in the function of the network and help us to control even more high-priority invasive species outbreaks in northwest Michigan. Additionally, six seasonal positions are available including a Field Crew Leader, Field Crew Members (3), and Survey Technicians (2). If you like to get your hands dirty and spend time outside, this is a wonderful opportunity. Visit ISN's employment page for additional information. You will find full job descriptions as well as application deadline dates. http://habitatmatters.org/about/employment/ Please share this information with anyone else you think may be interested - we are looking forward to working with some new faces! Yours in Conservation, The dedicated Partners of the Northwest Michigan Invasive Species Network.

You're welcome!

Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program will fund 19 projects across the state The Michigan departments of Natural Resources, Environmental Quality and Agriculture and Rural Development today announced the award of 19 grant projects totaling $3.6 million, under the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program. The program – a joint effort of the three departments – is part of a statewide initiative launched in 2014 to help prevent and control invasive species in Michigan. This grant program seeks to strengthen partners’ efforts in: Preventing, through outreach and education, new introductions of invasive species. Monitoring for the introduction of new invasive species and the expansion of current invasive species. Responding to and working to eradicate new findings and range expansions. Strategically managing and controlling key colonized species. Grant amounts range from approximately $35,000 to $350,000, and recipients include nonprofit organizations, universities, conservation districts and other units of government. Thefull list of grant recipients, project descriptions and grant amounts is available on the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program Web page. “Invasive species pose significant risk to Michigan’s world-class natural resources, and funding from this program is vital to our continued fight against these invaders,” said DNR Director Bill Moritz. “These important grant dollars will aid our partners in their efforts to battle invasive species. Their hard work will go a long way toward protecting our natural resources, as well as the many recreational and economic opportunities tied to Michigan’s woods and waters.” A portion of the funding supports Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas (CISMAs), including five new CISMAs that will provide local leadership for invasive species detection and management in 13 counties, as well as continuing CISMA efforts in seven counties. Several projects are designed to reduce the introduction and spread of invasive species via pathways such as firewood, recreational travel and ship ballast water. Outreach campaigns targeting oak wilt, invasive plants and aquarium pets will help industries and consumers adopt strategies to prevent those species’ unintentional introduction and spread in Michigan. Funding will expand efforts to eradicate invasive phragmites from coastal areas and wetlands in Saginaw Bay and the Upper Peninsula through aggressive treatment, monitoring and strategic management and restoration planning. A host of technologies, including high-resolution satellite and drone imagery, radio telemetry and environmental DNA will assist in detecting and controlling populations of European frogbit, invasive phragmites and feral swine. The DNR began accepting grant applications for this funding cycle in July 2015. After the original call for pre-proposals (which yielded 55 applications seeking a total of $9.2 million), the department received 25 full proposals, requesting more than $5 million in support. Grant applicants were asked to commit to providing at least 10 percent of the total project cost in the form of a local match. Learn more about invasive species in Michigan at www.michigan.gov/invasivespecies. http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MIDNR/bulletins/135a395

Use of Imaging and LiDAR Technologies to Identify Invasive Species February 10th, Wednesday 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm (Eastern) Cost: Free! Tune in at www.stewardshipnetworkwebcast.org (this link will become live the day of the webcast) In order to eradicate a plant species you first have to know where it is. Although the best approach is to have an expert walk through the area of interest, this is costly and impractical because of the limited ability of people to survey large areas. Imaging technologies can help support the mapping of invasive the plant species of interest whether the purpose is to save them or eradicate them. This talk will present approaches to mapping invasive species and discuss considerations in determining what imagery or remote sensed data should be used in terms of spectral, spatial and temporal resolution. The presentation will review current publicly available airborne and satellite data, and show other options that can be used. Case studies showing the use of these technologies for invasive species management will be presented. Presenters: Andrew Brenner - Andrew Brenner is currently a Senior Program Director for Quantum Spatial out of their Ann Arbor Office. He has been in the geospatial arena for over twenty years. His interests are primarily in using geospatial tools to solve people's problems. To this end he works with imagery, LiDAR, and other sensors to create information that can be integrated with GIS decision making systems. Andrew's background is in natural resources and he has a Ph.D. in environmental physics, from Edinburgh University and an undergraduate in Agriculture. He ran the GIS and Remote Sensing Research Facility at the School of Natural Resources and Environment of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor for six years before joining the private sector in 1999. He has worked with federal, state, and local governments and private sector companies for both data acquisition and analysis and is a great supporter of creating collaboration between organizations for the common good. Lisa Brush - Lisa is the Executive Director of The Stewardship Network. Lisa has been leading collaborative conservation initiatives in the nonprofit environmental sector for over two decades. In her role as co-founder and Executive Director of The Stewardship Network she has engaged thousands of professionals and volunteers in identifying community and conservation needs of the 21st century and determining strategic support The Network can provide. She has managed and overseen grant projects from federal and state agencies, as well as family and private foundations. She has been involved in all aspects of organizational management including foundation/agency relationships, grant based project funding, budget tracking, contract negotiation, implementation, accountability, project reporting and staff and board development. Lisa has facilitated strategic planning sessions, focus groups, citizen task forces, community visioning sessions, and public involvement and feedback meetings with groups ranging in size from four to four hundred. Lisa emphasizes tried and true in-person methods of bringing people together augmented by the use of cutting edge online technology. Lisa serves on numerous boards of directors, has a BA in Science in Society from Wesleyan University, an MS from University of Michigan's School of Natural Resources and Environment, and is a graduate of Michigan State University's Great Lakes Leadership Academy.

Lake Michigan Partner News, 02-02-2016-1.pdf

The Saginaw Bay Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area is currently seeking applicants for the Project Coordinator position. The position covers the 17 counties within the Saginaw Bay watershed and is based out of the Saginaw Conservation District office. It will be the role of the Project Coordinator to maintain communication with partners involved in the SB-CISMA, especially those involved with SB-CISMA projects. The Project Coordinator will ensure that current projects are being implemented successfully, which includes: deliverables reporting, reviewing budget vs actual expense reports, growing partnerships within the SB-CISMA, implementing SB-CISMA goals, working closely with grant fiduciaries, etc. This position provides a great opportunity to work on cutting edge invasive species projects, to play a major role in organizing and building a relatively young organization, and to network with a large number and variety of “like-minded” organizations within the SB-CISMA area! Please read the full job posting attached for further details. CISMA_job_coordinator.pdf

Lake Michigan Partner News, 01-06-16-1.pdf

UPIC eNews January-February 2016.pdf