Category: Other

Invasive species are defined as plants or animals that are nonnative to an ecosystem and often have broad negative impacts on the environment when introduced. Feral swine (Sus scrofa) may be the ultimate invader. They are cryptic, opportunistic, efficient, and highly adaptable. Feral swine damage to habitats, predation on wildlife, and disease transmission can be linked to the decline of hundreds of native plants and animals in the United States 

The primary methods by which feral swine populations emerge on the landscape are through illegal transportation and release; domestic and agricultural escapes; and escapes from hunting preserves. Each of these pathways highlight the complex challenge in controlling feral swine populations. 

Wildlife Services and their partners continue to operate within the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) to implement on the ground control activities and promote outreach to prevent new introductions of feral swine in Michigan and Ohio. Increased monitoring efforts, coupled with rapid detection and early response, have lowered feral swine densities in Michigan. In Ohio, Wildlife Services has removed one emergent feral swine population and prevented two others from establishing themselves on the landscape.

Thorough surveillance, including the use of camera traps, helicopters, and public outreach has ensured these areas remain feral swine free. Dedicated wildlife damage management efforts like these by USDA Wildlife Services remain important to the conservation of habitat and promotion of native species biodiversity in the Great Lakes ecosystem.

Learn more about how USDA Wildlife Services is managing feral swine damage. 

Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced an updated action plan for federal agencies and their partners under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to restore and protect the Great Lakes over the next five years. The plan was informed by extensive public engagement and consultation with Great Lakes Tribes and states.

Last summer, EPA and its federal partners received more than 3,500 suggestions from the public on priorities for Action Plan IV through five public engagement sessions across the Great Lakes basin and two virtual engagement sessions. In addition, EPA released a draft of the GLRI Action Plan IV for public input earlier this year. Over 40 sets of public input from organizations and individuals were received and incorporated into GLRI Action Plan IV. 

Action Plan IV outlines the GLRI’s priorities and goals for 2025 to 2029 in five focus areas:

• Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern;
• Invasive Species;
• Nonpoint Source Pollution;
• Habitat and Species; and
• Foundations for Future Restoration Actions.

The GLRI has been a catalyst for unprecedented federal agency coordination that has accordingly produced unprecedented results. Six U.S. Areas of Concern have been delisted since GLRI’s start and the 24 remaining Areas of Concern have moved dramatically closer to their delisting. This activity reflects a major change from the 25 years before the GLRI, when only one Area of Concern was cleaned up and delisted. GLRI resources have also been used for projects that have prevented over 2.3 million pounds of phosphorus from entering the Great Lakes between 2015 and 2022 and have reduced the phosphorus runoff contribution to harmful algal blooms in western Lake Erie, Saginaw Bay and Green Bay. 

The GLRI also produces economic benefits — a 2018 University of Michigan study showed that every dollar of federal spending on GLRI projects between 2010 and 2016 will produce $3.35 in additional economic activity in the Great Lakes region through 2036.

 In the coming weeks, a web-version of Action Plan IV will be available.

The Great Lakes are vital, providing drinking water for millions of people, but cropland in the basin contributes to excess nutrients and phosphorus entering the lakes. Farmers care about protecting water quality, but they face challenges in adopting conservation practices due to tight profit margins, concerns about yield impacts, insecure leases, and complexities with integrating conservation into their current management systems. While these practices are crucial for improving soil health and reducing nutrient runoff, farmers also need to see them as practical and profitable to decide to implement them. Through this project, American Farmland Trust (AFT) aimed to encourage farmers in the Genesee River Watershed to adopt soil regenerative management systems. We accomplished this by expanding a farmer-to-farmer demonstration network, gathering and sharing data on the benefits of regenerative agriculture, and fostering better relationships between landowners and farmers. 

One highlight from this project was working with John Macauley of Macauley Farm – a multi-generation beef and crop farm stewarding 1,106 acres in the Genesee River watershed. Through their conservation practices of no-till, planting cover crops, and split fertilizer application, the Macauleys are saving around $72 per acre annually in machinery and labor expenses, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 69 percent. John is also happy to not be picking rocks anymore, which were kicked up by tillage. 

“I am focused on building my soil health and letting nature do some of the work for me,” John says. “I may not be setting records for high yields, but at the end of the day, I’ve got more money in my pocket instead of shelling it all out upfront.”

John believes that continuing to find ways to improve his soil health will provide even greater returns in the future as he experiments with cover crop mixes to supply nutrients, thereby reducing reliance on inorganic N, P, and micronutrients. American Farmland Trust is grateful to have Macauley Farm as a member of the Genesee River Demonstration Farms Network, where John shares his knowledge and experience with his peers to help spread the adoption of soil health practices throughout the watershed.  

To see more examples of economic case studies focused on soil health, and for more information on the Genesee River Demonstration Farm Network please visit our project webpage. 

Finger Lakes National Forest staff and partners were able to replace invasive grasses at Backbone Campground, Overlook Trailhead, and the parking area at Caywood Point with native species, thanks to funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. 

Partners were also key in restoring the areas for pollinators. The USDA Plant Materials Center provided short term seed storage prior to propagation, space to prepare seeds for planting, greenhouse space to grow about 2,000 plugs, and expertise in in the field. In addition, a crew Finger Lakes Community College and a crew from CorpsTHAT!, a program dedicated to connecting the Deaf Community and the outdoors through education, recreation, and careers, helped put the new plants in the ground.

The species of native forbs and grasses planted will provide pollinators with nectar through the growing season as well as habitat to overwinter in the stems and leaf litter of the newly planted species.  

Read the full story. 

This fall the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency completed a Drum Removal Pilot Study in the Hubbell Processing Area (HPA) of the Torch Lake Area of Concern (AOC). The work was performed as part of the Great Lakes Legacy Act sediment and drum remediation as a partnership between EPA and Honeywell International, in close coordination with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and other community stakeholders.  

As part of past evaluations and work performed by EPA and Honeywell, over 400 metal 55-gallon drums have been identified on the lakebed of Torch Lake in the HPA at various water depths, ranging from approximately 20 feet to over 70 feet in depth. Drums noted during underwater video surveys appear in various stages of deterioration with contaminated sediment present in the area of the drums.

EPA’s contractors removed approximately 100 drums as well as debris and contaminated sediment from three areas at differing water depths. 

Turbidity curtains and bubble curtains, which help control residual sediment movement during dredging, were in place throughout drum and sediment removal operations. Extensive monitoring was performed during dredging activities that will help in the development of a larger cleanup project. Drums, debris and sediment removed were temporarily staged prior to be transported to a disposal facility.

The in-water portion of the pilot study was completed in late September with material transportation to the landfill completed in early November. The Drum Removal Pilot Study will assist in the evaluation of drum removal and cleanup options at various water depths, which is a critical component of the ongoing Torch Lake HPA Feasibility Study. 

Learn more about remediation and restoration work in the Torch Lake AOC.