Less than two miles past the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are dozens of cedars stripped of their bark and left to die.

“It is probably the most obscene thing I’ve witnessed,” said Renee Dillard, an elder of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians who recently discovered the damaged trees.

The post Desecrated cedar trees in Upper Peninsula lead to protections under Sault tribal code first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/03/25/desecrated-cedar-trees-in-upper-peninsula-lead-to-protections-under-sault-tribal-code/

Daniel Schoenherr

About 250 acres of Indiana wetlands have been lost in the two years since wetland protections were eased, according to the Hoosier Environmental Council. 

Since the 2021 law passed, mitigation requirements have decreased.

The post Indiana conservation groups defend state’s wetlands that lost protection first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/02/20/indiana-conservation-groups-defend-states-wetlands-that-lost-protection/

Guest Contributor

On July 2, 1999, 38-year-old Vicky Brockman set out with two friends down the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness’s Gunflint Trail in Minnesota.

Three days later, the group was stranded in the center of a storm with the strength of a hurricane. They rushed into their tents for shelter.

The post The Midwest’s “first climate change-driven disaster” is documented in a new book. Can we learn from it? first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/02/19/the-midwests-first-climate-change-driven-disaster-is-documented-in-a-new-book-can-we-learn-from-it/

Daniel Schoenherr

Researchers in Minnesota are creating a national map to identify peatlands - soggy areas of slowly decaying organic matter - and guides for how to restore them. 

The PeatRestore project is set to span several years. Restoration will begin by summer 2025.

The post Preserving Minnesota’s bogs could fight climate change first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2024/02/08/preserving-minnesotas-bogs-could-fight-climate-change/

Guest Contributor

Fertilizer is an essential resource for farmers, but as prices rise, paying for it makes their job more difficult.

A 2023 study by the MSU Agriculture Product Center showed that fertilizer accounts for the highest cost per acre compared to other products, such as seed and machinery repairs. 

The post High fertilizer costs hit Michigan farmers first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/12/11/high-fertilizer-costs-hit-michigan-farmers/

Guest Contributor

Seasonal weather patterns are changing and farmers are facing new challenges as a result, including how to handle their water management and irrigation practices.

Dennis Kellogg, a crop farmer in Ithaca, has felt the impacts of increased rain and longer droughts.

The post Changes in rain patterns create water challenges for farmers first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/11/28/changes-in-rain-patterns-create-water-challenges-for-farmers/

Guest Contributor

Northern Michigan is home to two unique land preserves, one in Harbor Springs and the other in Traverse City – both originating from golf courses. 

Golf has strong ties to Michigan, with around 650 courses. Enthusiasts have nicknamed it “America’s Summer Golf Capital,” according to The Travel Magazine. 

The post Michigan golf courses returned to their natural state first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/11/17/michigan-golf-courses-returned-to-their-natural-state/

Guest Contributor

An initiative to improve water quality throughout Ohio and Lake Erie is gaining ground — about a hundred acres to be exact. 

Wetlands have the potential to restore the water quality of the Great Lakes, though Navarro says that may take decades of dedicated wetland restoration.

The post Wetland restoration revives Ohio Lake first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/11/08/wetland-restoration-revives-ohio-lake/

Guest Contributor

The recent expansion of China-owned land in the U.S. is raising concerns about the food supply chain and affordable land in Michigan.

In the Midwest, Chinese entities own around 44,000 acres, which is about an eighth of such entity property holdings in the United States, according to the USDA.

The post Michigan eyeing foreign farmland ownership first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/10/26/michigan-eyeing-foreign-farmland-ownership/

Guest Contributor

Historical redlining of neighborhoods still poses health threats to present-day residents, such as increased risk of diabetes, hypertension and early death from heart disease, according to a recent study by the National Library of Medicine. 

While redlining practices are not legal anymore, the effects still linger in historically redlined areas that typically have a high concentration of minority residents.

The post Historical redlining impacts still felt nearly a century later first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/10/15/historical-redlining-impacts-still-felt-nearly-a-century-later/

Guest Contributor

The new signs use phrases in the Anishinabemowin language, show archaeological pictures from discovery of the petroglyphs and talk about the plants and animals that call the park home.

The post Petroglyph park near Cass City to use Native language first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2023/03/10/petroglyph-park-near-cass-city-to-use-native-language/

Guest Contributor

The initiative took a holistic approach in developing Kernza, thinking about how the plant could benefit farmers and the environment.

The post Perennial grains: great for beer, bread and the fight against climate change first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/12/19/perennial-grains-great-for-beer-bread-and-the-fight-against-climate-change/

Guest Contributor

A northern Wisconsin logger faces possible time behind bars on charges he illegally cut timber in an environmentally sensitive part of the 1.5 million-acre Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. A federal grand jury in Madison has indicted 40-year-old Jerod Hecimovich on charges of stealing, injuring,  cutting and removing live oak timber from an 88-acre parcel of national forestland in Bayfield County.

The post Logger could go to prison for illegally cutting trees in Wisconsin national forest first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/06/10/logger-could-go-to-prison-for-illegally-cutting-trees-in-wisconsin-national-forest/

Guest Contributor

Acknowledging Native American ties to the land that Michigan universities occupy can make a powerful statement honoring the traditional history and culture. A land acknowledgment is a formal statement that recognizes and respects Indigenous peoples as stewards of the land where an institution is located. Acknowledgments are often executed through signs on campuses, email signatures and statements read before organized events.

The post Universities link Native American homelands to campus sites first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/02/21/universities-link-native-american-homelands-to-campus-sites/

Guest Contributor

Michigan farmers across the state say that the use of drones could revolutionize farming, but researchers working with drones say federal laws fail to meet their needs.  

The post Federal regulations hinder farming with drones first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/12/09/federal-regulations-hinder-farming-with-drones/

Guest Contributor

Farmers are set to take on a growing number of challenges in the face of climate change.

The post Uncertainty among Michigan fruit growers drives climate-related adaptations first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/10/21/uncertainty-among-michigan-fruit-growers-drives-climate-related-adaptations/

Guest Contributor

The Adopt-a-Forest program is volunteer-driven and helps people engage with the outdoors and encourages them to keep public lands clean, the state Department of Natural Resources says.

The post ‘Adopt-a-Forest’ program encourages citizens to clean up public land first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/08/16/adopt-a-forest-program-encourages-citizens-to-clean-up-public-land/

Guest Contributor

Michigan-grown hay is traveling south to feed horses in Florida. 

The post Rising fuel prices might cause Southern horses to vote ‘neigh’ on Michigan hay first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/04/06/rising-fuel-prices-might-cause-southern-horses-to-vote-neigh-on-michigan-hay/

Guest Contributor

Michigan and other states need to collect more information about the enforcement of worker protection standards to protect farmworkers from pesticide exposure, according to a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan investigatory arm of Congress.

The post Farmworkers need information on pesticides, federal report says first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/24/farmworkers-need-information-on-pesticides-federal-report-says/

Guest Contributor

President Joe Biden’s recent “Buy American” executive order could provide future employment and economic growth for Michigan, food processors and agricultural industries, experts say.

The post Michigan food industries enthused about Biden “Buy American” order first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/18/michigan-food-industries-enthused-about-biden-buy-american-order/

Guest Contributor

Conventional farming practices have eroded much of the topsoil from a region of the Midwest known as the corn belt, according to a recent study.

The post As much as a third of the topsoil in the corn belt may be gone first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/17/as-much-as-a-third-of-the-topsoil-in-the-corn-belt-may-be-gone/

Guest Contributor

As farmworkers from other states and countries come to work in Michigan, the need for safe and affordable off-farm housing options is becoming increasingly important, a recent task force report said.

The post Farmworkers need more off-site housing, Michigan task force says first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/15/farmworkers-need-more-off-site-housing-michigan-task-force-says/

Guest Contributor

In 2020, Chapter 12 farm bankruptcy filings fell by 7 percent.

The post Higher prices, pandemic payments help Michigan farms stay afloat in 2020 first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/10/higher-prices-pandemic-payments-help-michigan-farms-stay-afloat-in-2020/

Guest Contributor

Growers worry that higher license and testing fees will push an already high cost of operation even higher. 

The post New state plan has Michigan hemp growers uncertain about the future first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/03/02/new-state-plan-has-michigan-hemp-growers-uncertain-about-the-future/

David Poulson

The idea is to showcase a vision of transforming communities in a way that prioritizes employees, children and the planet’s well-being, organizers say.

The post Chicago activists and artists color environmental justice first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/02/23/chicago-activists-and-artists-color-environmental-justice/

David Poulson

Foraging for medicinal and indigenous foods is a prehistoric practice that not only has boosts immune systems, but has gained increased attention due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The post Foraging for medicinal plants gains popularity first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2021/01/07/foraging-for-medicinal-plants-gains-popularity/

Guest Contributor

Fertilizer runoff from seasonal heavy rainfall on Midwestern farms is traveling down the Mississippi River and creating a “hypoxic zone,” or low oxygen zone in the Gulf of Mexico, a recent study by Iowa State University scientists warns.

The post Midwestern farms suffocating Gulf of Mexico ecosystems first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/12/31/midwestern-farms-suffocating-gulf-of-mexico-ecosystems/

Guest Contributor

A newly funded project in Ohio’s Ottawa Soil and Water Conservation District aims to reduce water nutrients and sediments that flow into Lake Erie, causing excessive growth of algae.

The post New nutrient trapping program takes off first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/12/14/new-nutrient-trapping-program-takes-off/

Guest Contributor

California has been in the news this wildfire season with millions of acres burned and orange skies that look like scenes from an apocalypse film. President Donald Trump says every year he gets a call that the Golden State is on fire. But wildfires are not just a problem in the West. 

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/11/11/wildfires-threaten-great-lakes-region-too/

Guest Contributor

You won’t find barns and silos in Detroit. Or herds of cattle. Or fields of soybeans, sugar beets or wheat. Even so, much of the city is now “ruralized,” a new study says, a phenomenon also visible in Flint, Pontiac and Saginaw.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/10/19/study-suggests-rural-strategies-help-economies-of-shrinking-cities/

Eric Freedman

Results from a nearly 30-year ongoing study published by researchers at Michigan State University's Kellogg Biological Station show that over the long-term, no-till agriculture produces improved crop yields.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://greatlakesecho.org/2020/08/07/msu-study-finds-no-till-farming-yields-long-term-economic-benefits/

Guest Contributor

The Traverse City-based Go Beyond Beauty program has received funding through two projects from the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program to tackle such plants as Japanese Barberry, baby's breath and blue lyme grass that are spread by people putting them in gardens.

Original Article

Great Lakes Echo

Great Lakes Echo

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GreatLakesEcho/~3/wQY_HQs0Nkg/

Guest Contributor