Contact Heidi Frei or Ed Golder, Michigan DNR

Oak wilt outbreaks are increasing in Michigan and the Department of Natural Resources has conducted treatment at several state parks to halt the spread of the disease.

Oak wilt is an introduced disease that causes rapid death of infected trees. The fungus is easily transported by beetles from infected wood to nearby wounded trees. Trees cannot be cured of oak wilt, and once a tree is infected the disease can rapidly spread to neighboring trees through underground root graft connections. The loss of large numbers of oak trees in parks can be dramatic, both for the park visitor experience and the ecology of the natural habitat.

Understanding the needs of northern Michigan businesses, organizations and individuals is important for any insurance agency. Providing the excellent service, advice and the most appropriate coverage for every situation is a lofty goal to reach for. For the Fischer Insurance Agency, it’s about more than these high benchmarks of success.

A sizable portion of CRA’s work takes place on road’s less travelled. Our goal on these roads is keeping our rivers and streams flowing underneath them. We recently completed a small timber bridge on Bancroft Creek, a tributary to the Boardman River. Located on private land, this project is a great example of how to make land management decisions that benefit both the landowner and environment.

The Nessen road/stream crossing, site #B-12, was an aging concrete bottomless box structure approximately 7½ feet wide over the Little Betsie River. The extremely narrow width created an unnaturally large scour pool downstream and increased velocity flows at the outlet. In addition large amounts of gravel from the roadway were being inputted into the stream along with crumbling material from the structure itself. Through this project partners designed and completed the installation of a 14’ wide, 22’ span timber bridge that accommodates the natural stream channel and allows the natural movement of substrate, fish and wildlife. Paved approaches and spillways were incorporated to channel road runoff away from the stream as well.