April 17, 2007          

To List Or Delist: How To Decide About Invasive Species

EAST LANSING, MI. Will Michigan continue to prohibit the possession of Hydrilla verticillata? Will Eurasian ruffe and round goby be added to the state’s list of prohibited or restricted species? How will Michigan’s Invasive Species Advisory Council (ISAC) decide what species to recommend to the legislature for listing or delisting? 

Michigan Sea Grant will host a public meeting about a proposed process for developing such recommendations Monday, April 23, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Parlor C of the Michigan State University Union. The meeting is open to the public and is intended for those who are or will be affected by limitations on the possession, use, sale or distribution of prohibited and restricted species, and anyone else interested in proposing that a species be added to or removed from the state list.

To view copies of the ISAC’s draft process and information requirements, visit the Website.

ISAC representatives will be present at the meeting to explain the proposed process, answer questions about it and receive comments from participants. Written comments about the draft process and information requirements are welcome until April 30 and should be sent to ISAC c/o Michigan Sea Grant at cys@msu.edu or 334 Natural Resources Building, MSU, East Lansing, MI  48824-1222. Sea Grant will compile all written comments and present them to the ISAC in early May.

ISAC staff members developed the draft process and information requirements for nominating a species on the basis of  recommendations from a stakeholder workshop that Michigan Sea Grant conducted in September 2006. At that workshop, representatives of 50 governmental agencies, business/industry associations, conservation organizations and universities discussed what would ensure that such a process is scientifically sound, risk-based (not arbitrary), consistent, fair, and protective of Michigan's environment and economy.

In 2005, Michigan enacted several invasive species laws that created lists of restricted and prohibited species, rules of possession, penalties for intentional introduction and releases, and a permit program. The new laws also established the Invasive Species Advisory Council, which includes the directors of the departments of Natural Resources (DNR), Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Agriculture (MDA). Among other duties, the council is responsible for reviewing the lists and making recommendations to the legislature for additions or deletions.

Michigan Sea Grant is dedicated to the protection and sustainable use of Great Lakes and coastal resources through research, outreach and education. It is a cooperative program of Michigan State University and the University of Michigan and is part of the National Sea Grant College Program, supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

See: Directions to the MSU Union

Metered parking is available on West Circle Drive near the Union, as well as along the Abbot Road boulevard and in the new parking structure east of the Union (entrance from Grand River Avenue). The rate in the structure is $1.50/hour (U.S. quarters only) with a four-hour time limit. Other meters' time limits vary somewhat. Parking is also available in municipal lots and structures north of Grand River Avenue, accessible from Albert Street.

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