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MI CBCW Website Screen Shot ImageMichigan Lake and Stream Associations (ML&SA) is pleased to announce that we have received a 2016 Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program award from the Departments of Natural Resources, Environmental Quality, and Agriculture and Rural Development administered program that will allow our water resources conservation focused organization to expand the operational footprint of the Michigan Clean Boats, Clean Waters (CBCW) program. The State of Michigan funded Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program provides funding to various statewide projects aimed at preventing, detecting, eradicating, and controlling both terrestrial and aquatic invasive plants and animals.

The recent grant award will allow ML&SA, and our primary collaborative project partner, MSU Extension, to continue various initiatives established since the inception of the program, and implement new strategies designed to enhance the self-sustaining nature and geographic scale of the Michigan Clean Boats, Clean Waters program. The MISGP funded project will allow us to use new materials, including a series of high quality training videos that were produced over the course of the last two years, to support additional AIS prevention leadership development events for volunteers and staff members representing regional Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas (CISMAs). In addition, the new funding source will allow the Michigan CBCW program to expand outreach activities that will include on-site AIS prevention training for county sheriff marine patrol unit personnel, and fishing tournament organizers and participants.

The Michigan Clean Boats, Clean Waters (CBCW) program is designed to promote water resource conservation by pro-actively supporting the efforts of citizen volunteers in helping to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) at local public boat launches. The program directly supports volunteer efforts by offering statewide volunteer training workshops, on-line volunteer leader development, and AIS prevention focused educational materials. CBCW program methods are well established, and are currently being implemented in several other Great Lakes region states, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, and New York. The CBCW program compliments other water resource protection focused efforts such as the Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps) Exotic Aquatic Plant Watch program, Clean Drain Dry Initiative, Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!, and the Michigan DEQ AIS Landing Blitz. The CBCW program message parallels the AIS prevention message used by these programs to provide complementary protection efforts that take place at popular boat launches, and other areas with high recreational boater traffic.

 To learn more about becoming a volunteer for the Michigan Clean Boats, Clean Waters program, visit our website at www.micbcw.org.

MNSP Shoreline Educator Network Training Opportunity Scheduled for Oakland County
Early Bird Shoreline and Shallows Conference Registration Ends on February 25th