More money to fight Northwoods invaders.
The Oneida County Aquatic Invasive Species program has been awarded a $25,000 AIS Education, Prevention and Planning grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources..
As Oneida County AIS coordinator Stephanie Boismenue says, the money will enable the Land and Water Conservation Department to hire three temporary employees to do work this summer...
"....they're going to be performing 625 hours of Clean Boats-Clean Waters craft inspection throughout the county . They will also lead student and adult educational events and workshops, distribute educational material and do water quality studies on at least 15 lakes in the county...."
Boismenue says the AIS team will also participate in the statewide AIS Drain Campaign, 4th of July Landing Blitz, AIS Snapshot Day, Bait Shop Initiative, and Waterfowl Campaign. Additionally, the AIS Team will provide AIS monitoring and management, Purple Loosestrife biocontrol,conduct Citizen Lake Monitoring Network AIS early detection, and other duties.
Boismenue says Oneida county's water bodies are threatened by aquatic invasives...
"....if we allow AIS to enter our water bodies it certainly will be devastating because Oneida county is dependent on its waters for recreation, industries and we live, work and play on water. It's very important we keep our water as healthy as possible. I'm not talking just lakes, but also our streams, rivers and wetlands as well...."
Boismenue says 18 individual lake associations and partners in Oneida County were recently awarded grant funding through the DNR’s AIS Grant Program
