Lenawee Conservation District
"Your Land, Your Water, Your Michigan"
NATURAL RESOURCES
Chronic Wasting Disease Update for Hunters
CWD is a fatal nervous system disease found in deer, moose, and elk. It attacks the brain of infected animals creating small lesions in the brain, which result in death. There is no cure.
What can YOU do?
- keep hunting
- Get your deer checked and tested Find locations at mi.gov/deercheck
- Avoid long-distance movements with your deer carcass
- Handle and dispose of your carcass in a responsible manner
- If you hunt out-of-state, only bring back allowed parts
- Stay up-to-date on latest hunting regulations
Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine Repealed
Effective October 1, 2018, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) repeals its Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Interior Quarantine. The tree-killing pest has been found in all but four of Michigan’s 83 counties.
“Enacted in 2002, Michigan’s quarantine helped to slow the spread of EAB giving communities, land owners and managers the time to plan ahead of an EAB infestation to ensure diversity of their tree landscape,” said Gina Alessandri, director of MDARD’s Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division.
EAB was first identified in North America in southeast Michigan in 2002. Since then it has been detected in 35 states, the District of Columbia and five Canadian provinces and most likely came to the U.S. from Asia in solid wood packing materials.
Until now, Michigan’s interior quarantine regulated the movement of ash trees, ash logs, other ash tree parts and hardwood firewood from the Lower Peninsula into the Upper Peninsula, from the quarantined counties of the U.P. into the non-quarantined counties of the U.P., and from anywhere in Michigan to several Great Lakes islands.
The EAB interior quarantine meant businesses and individuals handling ash wood, untreated ash products and hardwood firewood had to sign agreements with MDARD on how they would reduce the risk of moving the pest into non-quarantined areas.
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Ag Mediation Program
The USDA’s Certified State Agricultural Mediation Program, which includes the MAMP, was established by the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 and has been reauthorized in subsequent farm bills. It provides mediation to resolve disputes between farmers and USDA agencies, lenders, and/or creditors. There is no cost to either disputing party and resolution rates are very high. To assure neutrality in mediating disputes between farmers and USDA agencies, the MAMP is administered by an independent not-for-profit organization in Lansing, Dispute Resolution Education Resources, Inc. The MAMP has offered services since 1997 and is one of 40 such programs across the country. For more information visit the MAMP website: http://agmediation.org
CISMA Facebook & Twitter Page Up
The Jackson, Lenawee and Washtenaw Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA) facebook page and twitter feed are up and running. Please visit the links below to let us know about any invasive species concerns or questions you may have! In addition to addressing your questions and concerns, we will be posting regular updates, educational information about various invasive species and what you can do to minimize their spread to new areas. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact JLW CISMA coordinator Dr. Shikha Singh at (517) 395 - 2089 or via email at shikha.singh@macd.org We look forward to helping stop the spread of invasive species!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JLWCISMA/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JLW_CISMA
Instagram: @jlw_cisma
USDA-National Resources Conservation Service Wetland Reserve Easements
Find out more about assistance with restoring and establishing wetland easements in an informational guide by clicking here.
USDA has financial and technical assistance to restore, protect and enhance wetlands. Find out more about the Tri-State Western Lake Erie Basin Wetland Reserve Easement assistance by clicking here.
Invasive Species Program Launched
Visit the Michigan Invasive Species website below regarding the new "Eyes on the Forest" program being launched by Michigan State University to help inform residents about the risk and impact of invasive forest pests:
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(Emeral Ash Borer Quarantine cont'd.)
Without the quarantine in effect, ash logs, ash lumber and hardwood firewood can be moved within Michigan.
It’s important to note that the federal quarantine remains in place. Businesses or travelers moving articles regulated by the federal EAB quarantine out of Michigan must continue to work with the United States Department of Agriculture to meet interstate requirements.
Firewood restrictions can still be enforced on private, state and federal lands. Campers and others are encouraged to know what rules are in place at their destinations before assuming they can take firewood there. The best course of action is to obtain firewood near campgrounds, cabins or other destinations where the wood will be burned, and to not take unused firewood home.
“MDARD is still asking people not to move firewood as it can carry other pests and diseases such as oak wilt to new areas, or even new pests or diseases that we are not even aware of yet,” Alessandri said.