In 1997, all the Divisions that make up the Michigan Department of Natural Resources formed a Statewide Council to begin applying ecosystem principles to the management of the state's natural resources. The primary goal of the Statewide Council (SWC) was to develop strategies for sustainable resource planning and management. The SWC identified eco-regions and assigned eco-unit teams to each of those eco-regions. The eco-unit teams were charged to define goals, principles, objectives and infrastructure required for sustainable ecosystems within their assigned eco-region.

Eco-regions are areas of relatively homogeneous ecological systems, and are usually based on patterns of land use, topography, present and potential natural vegetation and soils.

Eco-unit teams were established in 2000 for two eco-regions in Michigan, the Northern Lower Peninsula and the Eastern Upper Peninsula. In 2003, the Western Upper Peninsula eco-unit team was assigned. Additional teams will be added in the future to cover the rest of the state.

The eco-unit teams were appointed to guide resource assessments, planning and management in their eco-region. The core members of the eco-teams are the management unit supervisors from each DNR division. Each eco-team has professional and administrative support staff assigned to perform the functions of ecosystem management. The mission of the members of the eco-unit teams is: