Thank you for taking the time to read this months edition of the Muskegon Conservation District Newsletter July Edition.
We have so much going on from macroinvertebrate sampling in designated drains to land clearing and invasive species treatments and so much more!
Hunting Parcel Permit Drawing – August 5
The annual drawing for hunting parcel permits will take place on Tuesday, August 5th at 8:00 AM at the Muskegon Conservation District office, located at 4735 Holton Road, Twin Lake, MI.
This year marks the first year in the three-year hunting lease cycle, which means many parcels have available permits for new applicants. Information about available parcels—including parcel numbers, permit availability, and specific parcel rules—can be found on the MCD website.
We encourage attendees to arrive early to secure a seat before the drawing begins! We hope to see you there!
From spring through fall, the Muskegon Conservation District (MCD) collects and studies macroinvertebrates in local county drains, streams, and creeks. This work is supported by various grants, including MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) funding, which helps protect and monitor water impacted by stormwater runoff. MCD also partners with the Muskegon County Drain Commissioner to better understand the health of designated county drains. While the Drain Commissioner’s main responsibility is to ensure proper water flow, maintaining clean water and healthy ecosystems is also a top priority.
Macroinvertebrates are small animals that live in water and can be seen without a microscope. These include aquatic sow bugs (similar to rolly polly bugs), aquatic worms, and insect larvae like mayflies or dragonflies that live in water during the early stages of life. Some macroinvertebrates live in the water their entire lives, while others are only aquatic during their egg or larval stages.
These creatures play an important role in the ecosystem because they are a food source for fish, birds, frogs, turtles, and other wildlife. They are also known as indicator species because they respond quickly to changes in water quality. Their presence, or absence, can tell us a lot about how clean or polluted a water body is. For example, if many pollution-sensitive species are found, it usually means the water is healthy. If only pollution-tolerant species are present, it may be a sign of poor water quality.
By studying which macroinvertebrates are present in a stream or creek, MCD can better understand the overall health of the water and the surrounding environment. This information helps guide efforts to protect and improve local water resources.
Pictured above: Allissa Conley, district Produce Safety Technician teaching participants at the Oceana CD Beginning Farmer Field Day event about easy and low-cost food safety practices they can implement on the farm.
Harvest season, although busy, is the perfect time to complete a Produce Safety Risk
Assessment (PSRA). The PSRA is a free, voluntary, and confidential program designed to
educate fresh fruit and vegetable producers of all sizes about food safety and to recognize those who implement produce safety management practices.
A portion of the PSRA looks at practices during harvest, and those practices are best observed vs. talked about. By observing practices in real time on the farm, our technician can give the best insight into what practices are working and what practices may need improvement. This is especially important for growers who will be receiving an audit or inspection this season, as the auditor and/or inspector will want to observe workers during harvest activities, among others, on the farm during their visit.
Producers who successfully complete the assessment and on-site farm review receive a
certificate of completion that they can share with their consumers and buyers, as well as usage rights to the Michigan On-Farm Produce Safety Participating Farm logo for marketing.
The Muskegon Conservation District is hard at work this summer managing invasive species across the west Michigan Area.
We’re continuing treatment for Hemlock Woolly Adelgid at Duck Creek Natural Area using funding from the Sustain Our Great Lakes (SOGL) program, along with additional treatments available on a for-hire basis.
We're also actively treating invasive knotweed and oriental bittersweet throughout the week, often in collaboration with local road and drain commissions, as well as private landowners who want to control these species on their properties.
Other invasive plants currently being treated, though less frequently, include autumn olive, tree of heaven, and cinnamon yam, among others.
If you're interested in having your property treated for invasive species, contact us at 231-828-5097 or muskegoncd@macd.org.
The Muskegon Conservation District (MCD) has the capacity to carry out native habitat restoration projects at nearly any scale. From small rain gardens and green spaces in residential yards to large expanses of public land. These projects typically begin with site preparation, which often involves addressing invasive species or overly aggressive native plants. This process usually includes an initial chemical treatment followed by mechanical removal using tools like brush cutters or brush hogs. Clearing out this vegetation helps reduce competition, allowing newly introduced native species to establish more successfully.
Summer is the primary season for site preparation, as many locations require invasive species treatment during this period. To further enhance restoration success, we also use equipment such as motorized thatchers, discs and harrows, or cultivators to expose the top layer of soil. This creates better seed-to-soil contact, improving germination rates and plant establishment.
Restoration strategies vary depending on the landscape. In sensitive areas like streambanks and lakeshores, erosion control is a key consideration. In these cases, we often implement bioengineering methods using coir logs, erosion control blankets, and similar materials. These tools help hold the soil in place while native vegetation takes root. As the plants mature, their root systems provide long-term erosion control and contribute to the overall health of the ecosystem.
Recent and ongoing restoration projects reflect this diverse approach. For example, several smaller-scale projects have involved stabilizing eroding banks on private properties. These efforts not only prevent further erosion but also establish native vegetation that supports pollinators and other wildlife. In another project, MCD planted over 1,000 tree seedlings including oaks, walnuts, and cherries—to reestablish a forested area. Native grasses and forbs were also seeded to create open areas around small ponds, enhancing habitat for pollinators and other species.
Additionally, MCD has supported week-long field operations focused on thinning dense oak stands in the Muskegon State Game Area. This work is part of a larger effort to restore and expand oak savanna habitats, which are essential for species like wild turkeys, deer, and the federally endangered Karner Blue Butterfly.
If you are interested in learning how to restore your property to be potential native habitat for species please reach out to our office at (231)-828-5097 or muskegoncd@macd.org.
Be on the Lookout for the Spotted Lanternfly!
The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), an invasive plant hopper from Southeast Asia. In Michigan, as of this date, the insect has been detected in Macomb, Monroe, Wayne, Lenawee, and Oakland counties. Detection and treatment activities are ongoing in Michigan. Unfortunately, it is expected to continue to spread.
The insect will seek out its primary host the non-native, invasive, Tree-of-Heaven (ToH), Ailanthus altissima. It highly prefers this host to complete its life cycle; however, it also feeds on a wide range of crops and plants, including grapes, hops, and hardwood trees. Typically, the insect will not kill trees, but the insect will create honeydew (sugary waste), this will attract wasps and ants. Eventually the honeydew waste will grow black sooty mold that can damage plants it develops on.
If you know the location of a ToH tree, this would be a good place to start looking for the pest. The ToH does well in very disturbed locations like along roads and railways. If SPL is nearby, they will want to use the tree. See www.michigan.gov/invasives/id-report/plants/trees/tree-of-heaven on how to identify the tree.
All living things die, which is too often perceived as a negative phenomenon. Yet, forest mortality yields an opportunity for both change and rejuvenation. These dynamics are wonderful to witness, and immensely satisfying to initiate and steward.
Foresters, and others, have been regenerating Lake States forests for generations. Monitoring management practices has provided innumerable lessons in how forests respond to disturbances. This acquired knowledge has been folded back into how forests are tended.
The same can be said with recovery following natural disturbances, such as fire, windstorms, ice storms, and insect epidemics. The process of learning by observing, and experimenting, also applies to the more gradual and subtle death of individual trees, which is less dramatic but no less informative.
Forest mortality in the Lake States has reached record levels, exceeding the harvest volume by 17 percent, according to Forest Service inventories. Harvest levels have not gone down but, rather, natural mortality has increased. Our forests are growing older, in general, so increased levels of mortality can be expected.
So, which species account for most of the mortality? Quaking aspen experienced 17 percent of the mortality across the three Lake States. The next top four species are balsam fir (8 percent), green ash (7 percent), paper birch (4 percent), and red maple (4 percent).
Aspen, paper birch, and red maple are short-lived species that have approached the end of their normal lifespan. Green ash has been hit by the exotic emerald ash borer. Balsam fir is another a shorter-lived species but it has also been worked-over by the spruce budworm during the past few years. The other two ashes, white and black, are in the top ten tree species with the highest natural mortality, as is American elm with Dutch elm disease.
Sugar maple is also in the top ten, but not because it is short-lived or has suffered from an insect outbreak. Sugar maple volumes are huge, so even a small percentage loss would spell a large volume compared to other species. Red maple is also a common forest species and its listing among the top ten may be for the same reason, along with its shorter lifespan.
Of course, natural mortality might beg the question about harvested volumes. Which species have the largest harvest volumes in the Lake States? The top five are quaking aspen, sugar maple, red pine, red maple, and red oak. Together, these five species account for sixty percent of the harvest.
Considering both natural mortality and harvest, the forest continues to accrue standing volume. Growth rates still exceed losses. With an idea to the “big picture”, we could be safely harvesting more volume to capture a portion of that which is lost to natural mortality.
Ecologically, dead and dying trees in the forest have much value. Such trees provide a range of microhabitats for many species of wildlife, from nesting and feeding cavities to large woody debris on the ground. Tree decomposition returns minerals and physical structure to forest soils. Decomposer species, such as fungi, are essential to forests.
Carbon is both sequestered and released, sometimes with more being released than sequestered. High mortality ratios may not be the wisest condition in regard to atmospheric carbon and climate change. A younger, more vigorous, forest typically experiences higher sequestration rates than older forests.
However, back to wood volume in a forest inventory, such volume is not necessarily available to the market. Ownership plays a large role. If forestowners do not wish to sell stumpage, then that wood is not on the market. Also, the species mix might not well match the requirements of wood-using mills in a particular area, or at a particular time. Without mill access, then wood cannot be sold. Mill capacity and variety can be increased over time, if a reasonable harvest expectation can be met.
So, if one looks at the natural mortality leaders, quaking aspen, balsam fir, green ash, paper birch, and red maple, how much of that volume might be offered for sale and how much could the current market absorb, before the trees die? This is a good question that does not have a definitive answer.
The supply chain for wood from forestowner to consumer-ready products is complex and variable by geography and time. However, with a “glut” of natural mortality, expanding markets may seem to be a good idea, both economically and environmentally. However, capturing more of that mortality will be a huge challenge.
The Rooted & Resilient Workshop is a collaborative event focused on helping participants make the most of their land—no matter the size. Hosted at Woven Trifecta in Whitehall, the workshop is geared toward homeowners, renters, and anyone interested in sustainable land use.
This will be an interactive workshop that will have a variety of speakers that will talk about the “Close-Loop” approach to your everyday life. Including ways to make the most of the land you have, regardless if it is a patio or several acres. Topics will include:
Samantha Otto, owner of Woven Trifecta, will share how she integrates conservation into her closed-loop farming operation through local, state, and federal programs.
Evert VanderBerg, North American Sustainability and EHS Lead at HiLite International, will discuss converting turf grass into native habitat, a project HiLite partnered on with the Muskegon Conservation District (MCD) to enhance pollinator support and reduce irrigation needs.
Andrew Booher, MAEAP Technician, will cover soil health and native plant establishment.
