MARQUETTE — Local conservation organizations have been awarded grants for invasive species prevention and management projects.

“Protecting our water and preserving our environment are essential to ensuring our economy, families and communities succeed,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a news release.

The program — a cooperative managed by the Michigan departments of Agriculture and Rural Development; Environment, Great Lakes and Energy; and Natural Resources — addresses detection, prevention, eradication and control of aquatic and terrestrial invasive species in Michigan through four objectives:

≤ preventing the introduction of new invasive species;

≤ strengthening the statewide invasive species early detection and response network;

≤ limiting the spread of recently confirmed invasive species; and

≤ managing and controlling widespread, established invasive species.

Grants targeting aquatic invasive species include initiating a program in high schools in the northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula to develop student-led stewardship projects to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species, and expanding surveys and enhancing management of European frog-bit across all 15 counties in the U.P.

Funding that supports projects to manage terrestrial invasive species include developing a risk assessment to prioritize treatment of Japanese knotweed in the western U.P.

This year’s grants also will support 20 regional Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas, a network of partnership organizations working to manage and control invasive species and provide service to all 83 counties in the state.

CISMA projects include enhanced education and outreach, technical assistance to landowners, and survey and treatment of high-priority invasive species.

Various organizations in the U.P. were awarded grants.

The Marquette County Conservation District was awarded $60,000 to maintain the core functions of the Lake to Lake CISMA.

The Alger Conservation District was awarded $207,800 for central U.P. knotweed risk analysis and treatment prioritization and comparison.

The Lake to Lake CISMA and Keweenaw Invasive Species Management Area will use Geographic Information System-based risk assessment and other measures of ecological impact to prioritize treatment of knotweed species, monitor and assess integrated knotweed treatment methods, and create targeted and transferrable outreach materials for long-term knotweed management.

The Upper Peninsula Resources Conservation and Development Council was awarded $239,000 for management of European frog-bit. Surveys will occur on public and private lands along Great Lakes shorelines, coastal wetlands, inland lakes and other high-risk sites.

Lake Superior State University will receive $182,500 for the Invading Classrooms project to promote awareness and prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. Students will initiate stewardship projects in their communities to stop the transfer of invasive species between waterways.

LSSU also will receive $293,500 to learn to manage blooms of rock snot, an ecologically disruptive type of diatom — a single celled alga with a silica cell wall — Michigan waters.

The Iron Baraga Conservation District was awarded $60,000 for the WePIC program.

A statewide initiative involves the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network taking part in a variety of activities with its grant award of $231,900.

In 2014, the state Legislature designated $5 million in annual funding to address invasive species. According to the DNR, this support substantially enhanced Michigan’s Invasive Species Program for aquatic organisms, supported a formal program for terrestrial species and initiated the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program.

This cycle marks the seventh year of program funding. To date, more than $25 million has been awarded to support 173 projects by units of government, nonprofits and institutions. Because of Michigan’s Invasive Species Grant Program:

≤ More than 494,000 acres of land and water have been surveyed for invasive species.

≤ More than 38,500 acres have been treated for invasive terrestrial and aquatic plants.

≤ 206,000 people have been provided with information about invasive species through direct contact, including face-to-face interactions at boat washes, workshops, trainings and other events.

≤ An additional estimated 23.2 million people were reached through grantees’ indirect outreach efforts, including mail, newspapers, social media and handouts.

The program began accepting grant applications for this funding cycle in October. This year, 41 applications were received, with more than $5 million in support requested. Grant applicants were asked to commit to providing at least 10% of the total project cost in the form of a local match.

The full list of grant recipients, project descriptions and award amounts is available on the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program website at Michigan.gov/MISGP.

Christie Mastric can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net