Kent Conservation District details invasive-species response and habitat restoration

Jerry Miller, board chair of the Kent Conservation District, and program lead Ryan Wilminsky updated the Policy & Operations Committee on the district's annual work on April 28, highlighting invasive-species control, partnerships and restoration acreage.

Wilminsky said the invasive-species program focuses on early detection and rapid response and operates three strike teams covering West Michigan; the Kent strike team serves Kent and adjoining areas and responds to requests from public and private landowners. He reported that in 2025 the small team restored about 800 acres in their service area, with more than 400 acres on private land, work on gravel pits and right-of-way sites, and 83 no-cost site consultations funded by a grant.

The district partners with the Kent County Road Commission (treating nearly 97 right-of-way sites), Kent County Parks (about 117 acres treated in county parkland), and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources on wildlife habitat grants. Wilminsky described a high-priority problem plant: invasive bittersweet vine along riparian corridors, which "can strangle trees and kill them," threatening flood-buffering riparian forest and wildlife habitat.

Commissioners asked about reporting Japanese knotweed, insect pests (hemlock woolly adelgid) and service coverage gaps in parts of the county; Wilminsky said the district is request-based with limited funding for proactive surveys and encouraged property owners to report suspected invasives; he also noted training and outreach work with road crews and park staff.

Miller and staff framed the district's work as a cost-effective local partner to preserve natural assets and support farmers and drainage projects, and requested continued county support for operations.