ANN ARBOR, MI — Nearly $315,000 in federal funding is headed to local groups across the region to step up control of invasive phragmites, an aggressive reed that overwhelms shorelines and wetlands.

On Dec. 4, the Great Lakes Commission announced 21 grants to support management tactics — such as cutting and herbicide treatments, flooding and burning — while also feeding data into a regional model to pinpoint which methods work best under different conditions.

Michigan groups are set to receive $152,339 in total funding, which comes from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

They include Huron-Clinton Metroparks ($44,000), Macomb County Public Works ($36,233), Lake St. Clair CISMA ($19,800), Ionia Conservation District ($9,018), St. Clair County Parks ($9,174), Chikaming Open Lands ($

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