LOWELL, Mich. — Residents will vote on a proposal aimed at protecting trees from invasive species.
The outbreak of spongy moths in West Michigan continues with many trees falling victim to the invasive species over the past few years.
Lowell Charter Township is now asking residents to pass a millage that officials say will save the trees from further destruction.
"A three year infestation really can put the trees in danger of dying," Jerry Hale, Lowell Charter Township Supervisor said.
While the Michigan Department of Natural Resources says the spongy moth outbreak in the state has begun to decline, Hale says it continues to be a problem for him and his neighbors.
"I can't even go out and walk in my driveway because its slippery from all the poop from the moths…or I can't go out to my deck to my grill because its just covered with it…that type of thing and people worried about their trees," Hale said.
Before spongy moths become moths, their caterpillar stage is when they're the most destructive, consuming all or most of a tree's leaves.
The township was able to spray earlier this year in April. Hale is asking residents to pass a millage that would pay for enough pesticide to spray for the next two years.
"Really to get control we need to spray for the next two years also. And we just can't do it so we either need to pass a millage or to fund this or not spray which would endanger our trees," Hale said.
He says if they're not able to pass the millage, it would change the landscape of the township.
"How would our township look if all of these trees went away or a lot of them die… its to protect our parks, its to protect our green space," Hale said.
The proposal will cover the township for the next three years and cost the average homeowner around an additional $50 a year. The millage proposal will be on the November 4 ballot this fall.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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