Thanks to some dedicated efforts put forth by our hemlock crew, Grant, Zach, and Bri, we covered a lot of ground in search of the invasive insect, hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA). In total, they surveyed 162 properties covering 4,915 acres throughout Mason & Oceana Counties. Thank you to everyone who had us out on their properties this winter!
Through these surveys, HWA was found at fourteen new locations throughout Mason & Oceana Counties. The good news is that all property owners with infestations have agreed to have trees treated in efforts to control this pest. Through our grant funds from the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources Invasive Species Grant Program, Mason-Lake Conservation District is launching our HWA treatment program this spring and will join Ottawa Conservation District to treat thousands of trees in these infested locations. HWA has only been found within a few miles of the Lake Michigan shoreline and has not yet been detected any further north than Hamlin Lake. HWA has been found up to 4 miles inland along stream corridors such as Upper Hamlin Lake/Sable River and the Lincoln River.
Next season we will be continuing to focus on surveying areas in Mason County north of Hamlin Lake and west of Stiles and Quarterline Rd. If you have property or friends with property in these areas, please contact us for a free survey!
If you have us out to visit, there is no cost and no commitment to any action. Our partner CISMAs (Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas) to the north will continue winter detection surveys as well, enabling a quick management response if HWA is found in new areas.
