Stupak announces $2,443,000 for Northern Michigan Forests

WASHINGTON, D. C. -- U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak announced five counties in Northern Michigan have received a total of $2,443,000 to restore forest health conditions in federal, state and private forests recovering from fires, forest insects and disease outbreak. Alger, Delta, Houghton, Mackinac and Schoolcraft Counties received the funding from the U.S. Forest Service as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

"Our vast forests contribute significantly to the economic well-being of our communities, whether through the timber and paper industries or through tourism," Stupak said. "This funding will generate economic activity in our communities while ensuring the long-term health and viability of millions of acres of forests across Northern Michigan. I am pleased the Forest Service continues to recognize the critical link between Northern Michigan’s forests and economic growth."

The ARRA funding will be used to complete high priority projects to restore forest health and resiliency by reducing insect and disease problems as well as controlling the spread of invasive plants. Funding will also help provide technical and financial assistance for the care of lands owned by states, local governments, private organizations and private individuals.

Projects in Northern Michigan are as follows:

The Forest Service will spend $200,000 in Alger County to restore native plants on Grand Island National Recreation Area in the Hiawatha National Forest. The funding will be used to carry out prescribed burning and mechanical treatments to prepare sites, plant native species and provide maintenance for one year to ensure the establishment of the newly planted areas.

The Forest Service will spend $2,243,000 in Delta, Houghton, Mackinac and Schoolcraft Counties to slow the loss of ash trees as a result of Emerald Ash Borer infestation in the Upper Peninsula.

The Forest Service also awarded $2,244,000 to six counties in Michigan and Ohio, including Keweenaw, Mackinac and Schoolcraft Counties, for Emerald Ash Borer containment and ecosystem restoration. Funds will be used for projects carried out on state and private lands and specific projects will be selected by the states.

Since the ARRA was enacted in February, all or portions of $34 million in Forest Service funding announcements have been awarded to projects in Michigan’s First Congressional District. A complete list of those projects can be found at http://www.fs.fed.us/recovery.