It’s time to talk about your state forests.
Prescribed burns, timber harvests and other activities are carefully planned to keep Michigan’s nearly 4 million acres of state forest healthy and thriving.
Plans for these activities are currently being made for 2024, but public comment is welcome now, before those plans are finalized. In-person open houses were suspended during 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many forest management units are returning to in-person open houses this season; you may also comment online or in writing.
The first comment period of the year is for activity in the Baraga Forest Management Unit; it continues through May 19.
To find out what activities are planned for the forest, choose the geographic area you are interested in and take a look at the planned activities on the interactive map. Submit online comments through the map during designated 30-day periods. If you’d prefer to attend an open house in person, scheduled dates are listed below.
Once public comment has been received, a meeting called a compartment review is held. That’s where plans are finalized. Contact the unit manager for details on how to attend an in-person open house or compartment review. The DNR’s Forest Resources Division welcomes public comment on all forest activities.
Here are all scheduled comment periods, open houses and compartment review meetings for the 2022 season:
- Baraga: Comment period is April 19-May 19; open house is May 19; compartment review is June 9. Contact Brad Carlson, 906-201-4688.
- Crystal Falls: Comment period is Aug. 6-Sept. 6; open house is Sept. 6; compartment review is Sept. 27. Contact Dan McNamee, 906-875-5025.
- Escanaba: Comment period is July 9-Aug. 9; open house is Aug. 9; compartment review is Aug. 30. Contact Eric Thompson, 906-786-2354, ext. 142.
- Gwinn: Comment period is Aug. 20-Sept. 20; open house is Sept. 20; compartment review is Oct. 11. Contact Kristen Matson at 906-346-9201, ext. 103.
- Newberry: Comment period is Sept. 5-Oct. 5; open house is Oct. 5; compartment review is Oct. 25. Contact Keith Magnusson, 906-293-3293, ext. 4740.
- Sault Ste. Marie: Comment period is Aug. 15-Sept. 15; open house is Sept. 14; compartment review is Oct. 4. Contact Karen Rodock, 906-477-6048, ext. 2040.
- Shingleton: Comment period is Aug. 23-Sept. 22; open house is Sept. 22; compartment review is Oct. 13. Contact Bob Burnham, 906-452-6227, ext. 240.
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