You can reach the Unit Manager, Bill Sterrett at 231-775-9727 or by e-mail at sterretw@michigan.gov

The Cadillac Unit manages over 235 thousand acres of state forest lands in Missaukee, Osceola, Lake, and Wexford Counties; provides wildfire protection for over a million acres of state and private land in the above counties as well as portions of Mason, Oceana, Newaygo and Mecosta Counties.

2010 YOE State Forest Compartment Reviews Schedule

2010 YOE State Forest Open House Schedule

The Cadillac Unit's open houses for 2010 Year Of Entry (YOE) will be held on October 28, 2008 for the Baldwin field office and October 29, 2008 for the Manton field office. The compartment review will be held on December 4, 2008.

Compartments with treatment decisions now approved for 2009 are shown on the Cadillac Locator Map.

The Cadillac Unit Headquaters is at the Cadillac Operations Service Center and is open to the public. Two field offices staffed with foresters and fire officers are located in Manton and Baldwin. The Manton Field office services Wexford and Missaukee Counties while the Baldwin Field Office services Oceana and Lake Counties. Additional fire offices are located in Evart and Oceana and are staffed by full time fire officers.

The Cadillac Management Unit contains the watersheds of four major rivers: the Pine, Manistee, Pere Marquette, and Muskegon Rivers. Along with the numerous lakes and clear-running streams, they provide the back drop for a myriad of recreational opportunities in 13 state forest campgrounds. The Pine, Upper Manistee, and Pere Marquette Rivers are designated as Michigan Natural Rivers. The Michigan Natural Rivers Program was developed to preserve, protect and enhance our state's finest river systems for the use and enjoyment of current and future generations by allowing property owners their right to reasonable development, while protecting Michigan's unique river resources.

As you might imagine, camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, and trapping are popular outdoor pursuits in the Unit.

Non motorized recreational opportunities include portions of the North Country Trail and the Cadillac Pathway which are located within the boundaries of the Cadillac Management Unit. Various horse trails and camps including portions of the Shore to Shore riding trail are located within the Unit for riders to use.

Winter brings numerous snowmobiling, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing opportunities along miles of groomed trails. Ice fishing is also popular on many of the inland lakes.

The Missaukee Junction Motorcycle Trail, Leota, Lincoln Hills, Tin Cup Spring, Little Manistee, Evart Motorcycle Trail, Long Lake Wexford, and North Missaukee ORV trail/routes run through the Unit providing opportunities for ATV and motorcycle riders.

The Highbanks rollway located on the steep banks of the Manistee River is a popular spot for hikers and sightseers alike. The rollway dates back to the early 1900's when logs were piled up along the banks of the river during the winter and then released to roll down into the river once spring thaw had occurred and the logs could be floated down the river to the mills. The rollway region was also used extensively by the local Native Americans as a hunting and fishing area. The Unit is dotted with history from settlement to pre-settlement times.

The Unit is diverse in its abundance and variety of forests, ranging from jack pine plains and oak barrens to rich northern hardwoods with a broad cross-section of just about every forest type in between from cedar swamps to pine plantations to aspen to old growth stands of white pine and hardwoods. This mosaic of forestland provides a wellspring of wildlife and timber management opportunities. The forest visitor here finds a healthy, working forest that varies in treatments from clear-cuts for early sucessional species such as aspen to shelterwoods and thinnings for oaks, pine and hardwoods that provide a broad range of habitats for plants and animals. Riparian zones along rivers and streams, as well as old growth areas, provide needed ecosystems for water quality, genetic reserves as well as living examples of rare or endangered plant and animal communities.

Every year, staff inventory 10% of the state forest land in the Unit and prepare treatments and strategies for managing the forest for its recreational, wildlife, timber and mineral resources. These are arranged in compartments with compartments scattered through-out the Unit for a broad distribution of treatments.

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