Michigan’s conservation districts are raising concerns as they face increasing financial challenges and potential cuts in federal funding. 

Officials from the Michigan Association of Conservation Districts are asking lawmakers in Lansing to boost state funding to help support the many environmental programs managed by these local groups. 

“The main goal of conservation districts is to provide locally led efforts to protect and manage natural resources in each community,” said Rivka Hodgkinson, director of the Michigan Association of Conservation Districts. “One of the strengths of these districts is that they can respond to the specific needs of their local areas.”

Michigan has 75 conservation districts that work to connect private landowners with state and federal resources. Their work covers urban areas, farmland, forests, and shoreline environments. Since more than half of Michigan’s forests are privately owned, educating and supporting landowners is very important.

For example, in the Herman Vogler Conservation Area along Lake Huron, forester Jacob Grochowski helps landowners manage their land responsibly. Grochowski says most of his time is spent talking with landowners.

“My main job involves visiting their land, discussing their goals, and exploring management options,” he said. “I then put together reports to help guide their decisions.” 

He also assists landowners in qualifying for programs like Michigan’s Qualified Forest Program, which offers tax benefits to landowners who manage their privately-owned forests in sustainable ways.

“This program gives a tax break and exemption from certain school taxes to encourage active management of their forests,” Grochowski said. “The idea is to make it more affordable for people to keep their land as forests rather than developing it.”

However, conservation districts often don’t have enough staff to do all the work they need. 

“I have my full-time job helping landowners with forest management, but I also try to handle other district tasks to keep services running,” Grochowski said.

Currently, districts get about $40,000 a year from the state to operate, but Hodgkinson says that’s not enough.

“Our biggest challenge is that we have a lot of work to do across the state, but not enough funding to do it,” she said. “We’re required to do this work, but there’s no guarantee we’ll get the money to cover it.”

There is also concern about funding cuts at the federal level, specifically from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). 

“Reducing staff at NRCS and USDA offices doesn’t reduce the need for conservation efforts in those communities,” Hodgkinson said. “Unless they receive more money to support their work, they’ll be asked to do more with less.”

In Lansing, Hodgkinson is pushing for an additional $10 million in state funding. 

“Having stable staffing in key positions would make conservation efforts more consistent and effective throughout the state,” she said. 

She warns that if support isn’t increased, there could be long-term problems. 

“If we don’t take early steps now to conserve resources voluntarily, we’ll face bigger costs in the future,” she said. “It’s cheaper to prevent problems now than to fix them later.”

This story is part of WDET’s ongoing series, The Detroit Tree Canopy Project.

National Pollinator Week — held annually in June — is a time dedicated to informing the public about the benefits and struggles of pollinators.

In Michigan, pollinators are essential for crops like apples, blueberries and more. They produce around $1 billion in crops each year for the state, according to a collaborative study between Wayne State and Michigan State universities.

Although pollinators provide many benefits, their populations are shrinking because of human activity. Insecticides kill off swaths of the bee population, and pollinators in general also deal with habitat loss and intense heat waves. 

One of the best ways to help save bees, birds, butterflies and other pollinators is planting a tree that will house and feed them for years to come.

The need for trees

Trees provide more than just flowers and nectar. According to Michigan-based Master Arborist Luke Brunner, several bee species depend on tree leaves for nourishment during their early stages. They also provide fruit that birds and other pollinators eat, as well as shelter.

Some of the native trees Brunner recommends to plant on behalf of pollinators include: 

• Eastern redbud
• Tulip tree
• Crabapple
• Hawthorn
• Northern Catalpa
• American basswood
• Black tupelo

These trees range in size and provide different benefits. Brunner notes that the Black tupelo isn’t seen much in Michigan these days. Its range lies mostly to the south, but it notably provides early spring blooms for pollinators to gather nectar from.

Right plant, right place

Brunner encourages planters to think about the size of the tree they’re placing years in the future to make sure they pick an appropriate space for it. Knowing the height of the species when it’s mature will help determine a good placement so that it can be enjoyed by people and pollinators for years to come.

There is a simple alternative for those who don’t have the room or ability to care for a tree but still want to help pollinators: put native flower and grass seeds in a pot and let them grow. 

“Just one square foot will hold a lot of flowers and you can put that on your porch, on your apartment balcony, in your backyard, just about anywhere,” Brunner said. “If you can do your part to plant some wildflowers or a small tree or something to bring them into your yard, it’s really going to help the environment.” 

This story is part of WDET’s ongoing series, The Detroit Tree Canopy Project.

Climate change is affecting the trees in metro Detroit.

The Eastern U.S. experienced an oppressive heat wave recently. There were also a handful of severe thunderstorms that inevitably brought down branches, limbs, or even whole trees across the region. 

In Detroit, fewer than 60% of households have air conditioning, according to American Forests. That makes shade a vital source of relief from the heat.

So how is Detroit’s tree canopy doing in the face of climate change? And if you want to plant your own tree, what species will be resilient for decades to come? To find out, Metro producer David Leins spoke with Lawrence Law, urban forester and partnership coordinator for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More stories from The Metro

Heat is now the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S. — with 12,000 lives claimed annually — and this number is expected to increase significantly by the turn of the century.

In large cities, temperatures in the summer can reach even higher than normal due to the “urban heat island” effect. 

New data compiled by the nonprofit American Forests and the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation identifies areas in cities across the United States that lack enough protection from the sun.  These areas are known as “shade deserts.” 

The new shade map covers more than 100 of the country’s biggest urban areas, including Detroit.

One effective way to stay cooler is by increasing shade, especially through planting trees, which can reduce the effects of high temps significantly. But according to American Forests a lack of shade in Detroit — especially at bus stops and along roadways — is harming thousands. 

Less than 60% of households in Detroit have air conditioning, said Chris David, vice president of GIS & Data Science at American Forests. Additionally, he says those using public and alternative transit are even more at risk of heat-related illness and death. 

“I think there’s about 5,000 bus stops in Detroit,” David said. “About 90% of those 5,000 bus stops have poor shade.” 

He says bus shelters provide “very little” sun protection, with only about 5% of bus stops in the city covered.  

“That means we estimated about 85,000 daily transit riders in Detroit….they’re left exposed to the sun when they’re waiting for the bus… and that can have dire effects,” David said.

David says Detroit will benefit from a strategic plan to increase the tree canopy, with groups like the Greening of Detroit working toward that goal in partnership with city government. 

You can view the American Forests/UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation shade map here. 

This story is part of WDET’s ongoing series, The Detroit Tree Canopy Project.