WePIC: Managing Invasive Species in Iron, Gogebic and Ontonagon counties

By Vicki Browne
Iron County Lakes & Streams Partnership
At the Western Peninsula Invasive Species Coalition (WePIC) summer meeting held at the Iron County courthouse on June 15, partners learned that in 2022 over 800 acres of land and water had been surveyed and over 500 acres of control work on invasive species had been completed. These are impressive results for an organization funded almost exclusively by grants.
WePIC was the first cooperative weed management area (CWMA) in Michigan. Begun in 2006 as the Western Upper Peninsula Cooperative Weed and Pest Management Area for Gogebic and Iron counties, the name was changed to WePIC when Ontonagon County was added in 2010.
WePIC is one of the 22 invasive species management areas that cover the state of Michigan. Although the work began as a way to combat invasive species that were causing agricultural crop damage, the scope now encompasses public and private lands, forests, lakes and streams.
This was the first in-person WePIC meeting since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Eight partners attended virtually and 12 partners were in the room. WePIC’s website lists over 40 partners from local governments, lake associations, academic institutions, state, federal and tribal agencies, and non-governmental organizations.
Statewide there are over 600 partners and almost as many volunteers who support the mission and work on various projects, but are not official partners.
The goal is to control invasive species that are already here and prevent their spread. From the WePIC 2018 strategic plan: “It is to our mutual benefit and interest to work cooperatively to inventory, monitor, reduce and prevent the spread of invasive species across jurisdictional boundaries and within the three counties.”
In a non-punitive way, WePIC partners and volunteers put boots on the ground and drones in the air to restore habitat, improve recreational activities, and protect natural resources and local economies impacted by invasive species.
In 2023 WePIC plans to work on 21 wood turtle beaches, four garlic mustard sites, two exotic honeysuckle sites on Golden Lake, Japanese barberry control on Lake Ottawa, ornamental water lily on Hagerman Lake, and Japanese knotweed and giant knotweed in the Ramsay area – just to name a few projects. Their goals include shoreline surveys of Lake Superior, 10 acres of invasive phragmites and purple loosestrife control, 100 acres of control work dedicated to disabled veterans in the area, and garlic mustard and wild parsnip control (121 13-gallon bags harvested already this spring). As always, outreach and educational efforts including Clean Boats, Clean Waters mobile boat wash sites.
The meeting included updates from the aquatic invasive species watchlist. Mute swans, Chinese mitten crabs, killer shrimp, invasive crawfish (yabby, rusty, red swamp and marbled), invasive carp (big head, black, grass and silver) and invasive fish (zander, goby, tench and stone moroko) were all discussed.
Carly DeVet, local Iron Baraga Conservation District forester, made a presentation about her work with local landowners who are either coping with invasive species or hoping to create a forest management plan. She shared that Iron County is the only one that has not succumbed to emerald ash borer, the invasive beetle that has been destroying ash trees in Michigan since 2002.
More information about WePIC is available online at upwepic.com. To become a partner, contact Jen Ricker-Feak at the Iron Baraga Conservation District at 906-875-3765. To connect with District Forester Carly DeVet, call 906-236-5108.