The Department of Natural Resources today announced a series of public meetings to provide information and receive comments on proposed management areas, for a Regional State Forest Management Plan, for the Northern and Southern Lower Peninsula Eco-regions.

The meetings will be held at three locations:

• Tuesday, Aug. 12, 7 p.m. - DNR Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center, 103 Conservation Dr., Roscommon
• Wednesday, Aug. 13, 7p.m. - DNR Gaylord Operations Service Center, 1732 West M-32, Gaylord
• Thursday, Aug. 14, 7p.m. - Clam Lake Township Hall, 8809 East M-115, Cadillac

Before each meeting, there will be an open house from 4 to 7 p.m., where citizens can examine management area maps and discuss preliminary management concepts with DNR resource managers.

"Comments from stakeholder organizations and the public are an important part of this planning process," said Lynne Boyd, chief of the DNR's Forest, Minerals and Fire Management Division. "We welcome and need public engagement on how the state forest should be managed over the next 10-year period and beyond."

Management areas are groupings of existing state forest land compartments that have similar attributes, such as vegetation types, landforms or ownership patterns. Specific management direction for each management area will be incorporated into the Northern Lower Peninsula Regional State Forest Management Plan. This will help the DNR to provide landscape level analyses and direction that will guide operational decisions made at each forest management unit, through the existing compartment review process.

Additional information is available via the internet at www.michigan.gov/dnr. Persons not able to attend the meetings or wishing to respond in writing, may send an e-mail by Sept. 15, 2008, to DNR-NLP-Eco-Team@michigan.gov, or by postal mail to NLP Eco-team, DNR Gaylord OSC, 1732 West M-32, Gaylord, MI 49735.

In addition to these meetings to solicit input as the plan is being drafted, future public meetings will be scheduled when draft and final versions of the Regional State Forest Management plans are completed.

Individuals attending the meeting are requested to refrain from using heavily-scented personal care products, in order to enhance accessibility for everyone. Persons with disabilities needing accommodations for the meeting should contact John Pilon at 989-732-3541, ext. 5042, a minimum of five business days before these meetings. Requests made less than five business days may not be accommodated.