Spartan Newsroom (https://news.jrn.msu.edu/category/news/environment/page/2/)
Great Lakes sand dunes, especially those on the Lake Michigan shoreline, are threatened by erosion and fluctuating water levels, but there’s disagreement on alternative approaches to effectively address the problems. We talk to the Michigan Environmental Council, Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy and an MSU professor. By Olivia O’Neill.
President Trump has ordered the U.S. Department of the Interior to consider removing the grey wolf from the federal Endangered Species List. If that happens, some Republican state lawmakers want Michigan to authorize a hunting and trapping season. Sponsors include lawmakers from Cedar River, Ludington, Hancock, Saginaw and Harbor Springs. The Michigan Environmental Council wants protections to stay in place. By Alexander Boesch.
The Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy has only two air quality monitors in the UP, one near Marquette and the other in Seney National Wildlife Refuge. The Michigan Environmental Council and other organizations say that’s too few to protect public health in light of worsening wildfires and wildfire smoke.
Stormwater runoff at data center sites is another environmental challenge developers are facing because it contains particulates harmful to the public and the ecosystem, critics say. Amidst growing public concerns about possible adverse climate effects of data centers, they say the lesser-known threat in stormwater runoff and waste could prove as dangerous. By Hannah Marsik.
Shade, cooler temperatures and improved air quality are among the reasons Lansing’s “Restoring Roots” project targets disadvantaged neighborhoods that have historically had less tree cover and greater exposure to heat. City officials are reviewing community feedback gathered through surveys, public meetings and outreach events before deciding where trees will be planted and what species to select. By Demonte Thomas.
Lansing-area residents and visitors will have access to a new nature trail come October. The Mid-Michigan Land Conservancy is nearing completion on the Ionia Natural Area Trail, which will be just under one mile long. By Demonte Thomas.
The DNR is warning the public to keep away from the eastern massasauga rattlesnake, Michigan’s only native venomous snake. It hasn’t killed anybody in the state in over a century, but a man was bitten this summer in Oakland County. By Anna Barnes.
By DEMONTE THOMAS
Capital News Service
LANSING — Michigan State University researchers have launched a long-term effort to combat the invasive scarlet lily beetle, using specialized wasps instead of pesticides to reduce populations of the destructive garden pest. The scarlet lily beetle is an invasive insect that feeds on lilies, damaging leaves, stems and flowers. Heavy infestations can completely defoliate plants in a matter of weeks, making the pest a growing concern for gardeners. To combat the beetles, more than 4,400 parasitoid wasps that lay eggs inside scarlet lily beetle larvae were released across Michigan. Parasitoids develop inside a host insect and ultimately kill it.
The state’s new budget includes $2 million for wetlands conservation efforts, double last year’s amount. The DNR, Audubon Great Lakes and Detroit Bird Alliance explain the importance of wetlands as critical habitat for numerous species, including marsh birds and migratory birds. By Akia Thrower.
A three-year project to remove algal mats from Lake St. Clair – a problem that has closed water access and worsened since the arrival of invasive mussels – begins this fall. Sponsors are from Harrison Township and St. Clair Shores. We hear from Macomb County Public Works and MSU Extension experts. By Anna Barnes.