Wild rice. Public domain, wikimedia

    While Native American tribes in the Wisconsin and Michigan areas have been restoring historic wild rice beds, local government officials are looking to get involved in the projects through a newly created "wild rice steering committee." "We fully recognize the tribes as experts and leaders in wild rice restoration and management," said Patrick Hanchin, tribal coordination unit manager for the fisheries division for the Department of Natural Resources. "We recognize that and want to be at the table with them."

     The committee is hoping to track the growth, expansion and decline of the wild rice stands throughout the state, while also finding out if nearby weed-killer applications have affected the stands.

     And there is a lot for the committee to discover; a lot the stands are not even widely known and the restoration efforts have often been undertaken by one individual, or one family. 

     To find out more about restoration efforts and the process of harvesting and preparing the rice, click here for the original article from greatlakesecho.org or on the link available below.