Project | Expanding Phragmites Management in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
Ryan standing next to a dense stand of phragmites.
The UPRCD has been in combat against invasive phragmites since 2015. This has been possible because of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding by the EPA. Our goal is to sustain these management efforts and continue long-term phragmites management and education.
The Upper Peninsula Phragmites Coalition is made up of local, state, federal, tribal, non-profit and other organizations committed to the education and on going management efforts of non-native phragmites.
Our partners for this specific project are the Michigan DNR, Dickinson, Iron/Baraga, Marquette, Chippewa/Luce/Mackinac Conservation Districts, Michigan Tech and all 5 UP CISMA's. All the great work that has been done is a testament to these partnerships and the ability of the UP to band together for the good our our natural recourses and get the work done.
5 UP CISMA's (contact your local CISMA for information and other invasive species management questions)
This project has components of management that include surveys to map phragmites and other priority invasive plants across the UP, especially the shorelines of the great lakes where phragmites grows the most. Priority areas to survey are those where phragmites has been seen, areas with human disturbance like road ways and any new development, recreational sites, and areas with federally listed threatened and endangered species.
GIS map
The mapping protocols is a uniform system across the UP which makes the mapping very sound. We started with Survey 123 but realized that Field Maps was more user friendly and the data was able to transfer. So with the data from Survey 123 or now Field Maps it is uploaded to ArcGIS to create this map. We can take the raw data from this and upload it to MISIN which is a regional database.
Genetic testing for hybrid phragmites was available in this project because there have been a few genotypic crosses documented between native and invasive phragmites. It is really beneficial to this project to have that scientific testing available for the CISMA's across the UP.
Once these areas have been mapped we can determine the treatment method best suited for each stand. Smaller infestations require a strike team to go in and larger infestations require the use of equipment like marsh masters or aerial spraying. Treatments that require spraying have MDARD- certified applicators to spray herbicide. Mowing is another method of control done in the winter (Jan-Mar), some stands require a combination of treatment methods.
We also have been enrolling sites across the UP into Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework (PAMF) through the Great Lakes Phragmites Collaborative which helps to inform phragmites management as a whole.
The success of this project relies heavily on education and outreach. This has been done through social media, door hangers, workshops etc. Training for field techs to collect data involved a set of standard surveying that was uniform across the UP. Non-native vs native phragmites ID was taught to educate field technicians, this included the key characteristics of native (like having red on the stems, more yellowish leaves and bare stems in the spring) and non-native phragmites how it has a reddish seed plume, green stems, and dark bluish green leaves) among other things. This method promoted consistency across the UP and was as easy and convenient as possible. Technicians are typically employed over the summer so to have a monitoring protocol that is easy to get the hang of to hit the ground running was a very important aspect so we can get more work done.
Interviews, webinars and other outreach has been conducted with Yooper troopers, MI wetlands association and will be at Upper Midwest Invasive Species Conference in November of this year. We think this is an excellent opportunity to share the work that has been done in the UP Phragmites Coalition- not to mention the wonderful networking we are able to do by hosting the UPIC. The UPIC was sort of a crown jewel for this project because it gives us a chance to get together and talk about the work, successes and challenges we have faced and plan for the future together finding BMPs and new ideas to grow.
Native phragmites new growth (red on stems is the indicator)
Some numbers to consider for this project are 12,943 linear miles surveyed, 53 acres treated, 193 social media posts, and 52,773 passive impressions from outreach, and we have another field season to go. This just goes to show how important strong partnerships can be. When the whole Upper Peninsula is working together for a goal a lot gets done because of the passion for the outdoors we all share.
If you are curious about phragmites and other invasive species, go to www.misin.mus.edu/browse to see the public data available. You can even map invasives yourself by their reporting tool.
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