KISMA Projects

Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention

Funded by the National Park Service and USDA Forest Service

What we do

• Provide free mobile boat wash stations throughout Keweenaw, Houghton, and Baraga counties.
• Provide educational materials about aquatic invasive species to boaters and fishermen.
• Work to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.

Accomplishments to Date

• Over 600 people contacted at local boat wash events.
• Boat washes hosted at 15 different boat launches.
• Over 100 boats washed since 2021.

Terrestrial Invasive Species Crew

Funded by USDA Forest Service, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

What we do

• Assist private landowners and partners to create a plan and manage invasive species on their property.
• Terrestrial surveys for invasive species.
• Educate community members about invasive species
• Primarily use manual and biocontrol methods to remove and mitigate the impacts of priority invasive species.

Accomplishments to Date

• Over 72 acres treated for invasive species since 2022.
• Over 400 people contacted for invasive species education since 2022.
• Countless social media engagements and interactions.
• 5 volunteer events hosted since 2022.

Swedetown Trails Goat Project

Funded by USDA Forest Service, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

What we do

• Bring goats to browse glossy buckthorn at the Swedetown Trails in Calumet, MI. Goats are owned and managed by Jake and Brigid Williams of Regenerative Ruminants from Wisconsin
• Examine the impacts of goat browsing and the invasive glossy buckthorn on various ecological factors (soil, vegetation, moths and insect herbivory, and bird usage).
• Reseed the grazed areas with native plants.

Accomplishments to Date

• Goats browsed nearly 5.5 acres in 2023.
• Collected pre-browsing data on vegetation composition, insect herbivory, bird use, moth presence, and forest and soil floor carbon and nitrogen to compare once browsing is complete.
• Reached over 175 people at Greet the Goats events in 2023.

Upper Peninsula Invasive Phragmites

Funded by Environmental Protection Agency, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative through the Michigan Department of Natural Resources 

What we do

• Survey for invasive Phragmites throughout our management area.
• Manage known patches of invasive Phragmites in our management area.
• Educate community members about how invasive Phragmites spreads and impacts habitat.

Accomplishments to Date

• Nearly 800 linear miles of roads and shoreline surveyed.
• 2 acres of invasive Phragmites treated.
• 2 sites enrolled in the Phragmites Adaptive Management Framework.
• Over 30,000 people reached to spread the message about invasive Phragmites.
• No new patches of invasive Phragmites found in 2022 or 2023.

Knotweed Project

Funded in collaboration with Alger Conservation District, with funding provided by the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program. 

What we did

• Inventory of knotweed during the summer and fall months of 2021 and 2022.
• Treat knotweed using a variety of methods and track their effectiveness using scientific monitoring through 2023.
• Try to define risk factors that facilitate movement of knotweed, as well as determine the most effective methods for the control of knotweeds in our area.

Accomplishments

• Surveyed 91 knotweed sites.
• Released biocontrol psyllids at 6 sites.
• Manual management at 11 sites equating approximately 3.5 acres total every 3 weeks for years.
• Chemical management at 15 different sites for 2 years.
• Conducted outreach events and worked on a guidance document for landowners dealing with knotweed.

Note: Knotweed management is ongoing through other projects. 100 percent control of any known knotweed patches has not been successful as of 2024.

European Frog-bit Early Detection Rapid Response (EDRR) Project

Funded by a partnership with the National Park Service, part of a UP-wide collaboration with the Upper Peninsula Resource Conservation and Development Council with funding provided by the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program 

What we did

• Surveyed lake, stream, and river shoreline for European frog-bit and other Aquatic invasive species in similar habitats. 
• Educated the public about European frog-bit and how to prevent it.

To learn more about European frog-bit, visit KISMA's European frog-bit webpage.

Accomplishments

• Nearly 100 linear miles of Keweenaw waterways surveyed.
• Hosted 2 AIS Landing Blitz events- a regional project promoting Clean, Drain, Dry messaging.
• Contacted nearly 200 people at KISMA/NPS boatwash events in addition to boat inspections and cleaning.

Emerald Ash Borer Mitigation and Forest Restoration Project

Funded by USDA Forest Service, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

What we did

• Removed forest invasive woody plant species and replaced them with native shrubs and trees along ski trails and forest overstory loss from the invasive Emerald Ash Borer.
• Planted more than 1600 native trees and shrubs such as sugar and red maples, red and bur oaks, yellow birch, hemlock, northern white cedar, highbush cranberry, new jersey tea, red osier dogwood, willows etc. 

Accomplishments

• 1600+ native trees and shrubs planted on the Michigan Tech Trails.
• Engaged and educated students and community volunteers on invasive species and forest restoration.