Soil & Water Conservation Districts announce new 2024 invasive species project
Newly assigned Invasive Species Specialist can provide services for landowners needing help with invasive species
As we begin a new year, the Martin, Daviess, and Orange County Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) are happy to announce the beginning of a new grant project. The Tri-County Invasive Species Specialist Project is a collaborative effort between the three counties, with support from a Clean Water Indiana grant from the Indiana State Department of Agriculture.
Invasives such as Honeysuckle, Autumn Olive, Poison Hemlock, and Emerald Ash Borer are significant resource concerns in Indiana. They impact agricultural and non-agricultural lands, degrade wildlife habitat, displace native plants, and disrupt soil and water microbiomes. Large economic impacts from uncontrolled invasive populations can lead to decreased land production, and control can be costly and complicated. The project will address this with a full-time Invasive Species Specialist to conduct invasive species education/outreach in the area and provide direct technical assistance for landowners.
This project will continue for Martin and Daviess counties and build upon two previous grants with the Dubois SWCD from 2018-2023. For the Orange SWCD, this offers a new opportunity to expand invasive species education at local events and provide increased technical assistance for landowners.
While the project does not currently offer financial assistance to control invasives, the specialist can provide one-on-one support in identifying plants, drafting control recommendations, and helping landowners prioritize invasive management on their property. The SWCDs can also refer landowners to funding programs from partner agencies and hope to secure additional grants to increase invasive control cost-share options as the project progresses.
Stepping into the role of SWCD Invasive Specialist is Emily Finch, who previously held this same position from 2019-2023 with the Dubois, Daviess, and Martin SWCDs. Originally from Wisconsin, Finch holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from Northland College in Ashland, Wisc., and sits on the board of the Midwest Invasive Plant Network.
She spent several years in Wisconsin and Michigan managing invasive species and coordinating a five-county Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA) before moving to Indiana in 2016. Since then, she has continued her passion for invasive species management by working for USDA Wildlife Services on their feral swine control project, and then as a Regional Specialist for the nonprofit State of Indiana Cooperative Invasives Management (SICIM), before joining the Dubois SWCD in 2019.
Finch lives near Patoka Lake with her husband, Brian, and their two dogs, Copper and Scout. While invasive species can seem overwhelming, she remains optimistic and enjoys working with landowners to find invasive management options that work for them.
To request a free invasive species site visit for your property, or for invasive ID and management questions, contact Finch at Emily.Finch@in.nacdnet.net, or 812-329-0048. Her main office is at the Martin SWCD (404 JFK Ave Loogootee, IN), but she is available to help landowners anywhere in Martin, Daviess, and Orange counties. Since invasive species education/outreach is another a major component of the project, you can also contact Finch for invasive species presentations and events, or to volunteer.
