IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WZMQ) – A new position was created at the Dickinson County Conservation District this year, and it was created to help grow yearly operational funding to tackle environmental issues that the county faces, including the management of invasive species.
Andrew Finkel started as the Dickinson Conservation District’s Fundraising Coordinator about a week and a half ago, and he has already hit the ground running with their biggest fundraiser of the year.
Finkel commented that the native plant and tree sale, which is going on right now through April, helps the Conservation District reach its goals by dealing with a problem from both ends.
“Participation in this fundraiser not only helps by increasing the volume of native species, but it funds efforts to deal with invasives,” he said.
All proceeds from the fundraiser go to yearly operational funding for the Conservation District, and help the district grow in capacity to manage the invasive species issues within Dickinson County.
Finkel noted a variety of conservation goals that the district hopes to achieve this year, but the invasive species issue was at the front-and-center of his priority list.
“Invasive species are absolutely a big concern, and especially as warmer temperatures become more the norm, more invasive species that are originally not native to this area are moving in, and we need to do more and more to defend our native species so that we can keep the biodiversity of our region,” declared Finkel.
“In terms of the creation of this position,” he went on, “we are proud that we’ve been so successful in the past with fundraisers that we were able to expand this, and have it be an entire position.”
In addition to managing invasive species, there are many other issues that the Conservation District has prioritized.
Improving recycling, the future of agriculture, educating people on environmental issues, and technical assistance for landowners were also mentioned as issues the district hopes to manage for the year.
To learn more about the Spring Tree Sale fundraiser and the Dickinson Conservation District, visit dickinsoncd.org/shop or call 906-774-1550.
