Vilas county's long-time Invasive Species Coordinator will be retiring next month and he says while progress has been made in fighting invasives, challenges remain.
Ted Ritter has been at the job for a little over 10 years. He says the majority of his job evolves around aquatic invasives. He says since 2004, the public knowledge of aquatic invasives has grown dramatically....
"...I'm happy to say after 10 years, public awareness of aquatic invasive species is now up through the roof and climbing...
He says invasives are an issue that is here to stay. He says the office hasn't stopped the spread of invasive species, but he says from other measureables they have been successful. He says a critical part of the job is sharing information in a timely manner. Ritter says the position has been state-funded and that funding might change. One agency is limiting funds to agricultural-related invasives.
He says the DNR grant has one year left to fund the position. He says the Vilas County Board will need to decide whether to fund the program for one year of solid funding with future funding up in the air.
Ritter says he has resort property in St. Germain to manage after his retirement next month.
