A trail at W.K. Kellogg Experimental Forest on Nov. 21, 2021. Most main trails are now open to the public after a long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beginning this Winter, MSU will join forces with the U.S. Geological Survey, or USGS to host a collaborative research unit focused on advancing the conservation and protection of Michigan’s natural resources.
The team will consist of two to five federal scientists, assisted by administrative specialists. Outside of their work on the project, the scientists will serve as faculty members at MSU, teaching graduate-level courses and conducting research with MSU students.
“The broad goal of cooperative research units is to generate knowledge to help improve how fish, wildlife and their habitats are conserved and managed now and into the future," professor and associate director of AgBioResearch Dr. Dana Infante said.
In their work, the team will collaborate with many state and federal organizations. Along with the USGS, partners include the Department of Interior, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Wildlife Management Institute.
Infante said the role of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is key to the collaboration.
"We wouldn't have made it to this stage without their support and interest in this partnership,” Infante said.
The MSU team will be the latest in an 87-year history of USGS Cooperative Research Units. Today, the program has 42 university partners in 40 states.
Infante said MSU’s stature as a large agricultural land-grant university made it a great fit to join the project.
“We have a long history of working with natural resource partners at the state and federal level in Michigan in the region," Infante said. "So, we have these relationships in place that will really help support the goal of the unit."
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