The Shingleton Unit manages state forest lands in Alger, Delta and Schoolcraft Counties.

2010 YOE State Forest Compartment Reviews Schedule

2010 YOE State Forest Open House Schedule

The Shingleton Unit's open house for 2010 Year Of Entry (YOE) will be held on December 3, 2008 with the compartment review on December 18, 2008.

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

You can reach the Unit Manager, Jeff Stampfly at (906) 452-6227, or send an email to him at DNR-Shingleton-FMU@michigan.gov.

The Shingleton Management Unit administers roughly 380,000 acres of state-owned land in the Central Upper Peninsula. The Shingleton Field Office, locally known as the Cusino Wildlife Research Station, serves as the Unit's primary operations center, and there are two satellite offices. One is located in Manistique at the Wyman Nursery; and the other is in Seney, which is staffed only for fire control and recreation.

Our borders stretch northward to Grand Marais, on the shore of Lake Superior, and southward to Summer Island, which lies in Lake Michigan off the tip of the Garden Peninsula. The climatic differences caused by this geographic range (northern areas can have 2 to 3 times more snow than the southern areas) provide ecological diversity and require operational flexibility within the Unit.

The Shingleton Unit's ownership is very contiguous in the north with large blocks of state land. The southern portion of the Unit is more fragmented with private ownership. The Unit features many of the common forest cover types typical to Northern Michigan. It also features some that are less common throughout the state such as the marsh/pine ridge complex. These areas, as illustrated in the picture above, are generally poorly drained and wet, but periodically do become very dry. In 1976 a wildfire started by lightning on the Seney National Wildlife Refuge consumed over 74,000 acres with an estimated cost of 8 million dollars. Evidence of this fire is still visible in the Management Unit today.

The Kingston Plains is a unique area within the Unit. The area was entirely cut off in the logging days of the late 1800s and severe wildfires destroyed the soil. Much of the Kingston Plains was replanted and is now completely forested. Other areas, such as the picture to the right shows, remain void of trees despite over 100 years of time passing. These areas continue to be "stump fields"; a testament of past practices. Today's management of state forest land focuses on many amenities that the forest provides, not only for current generations, but for future generations as well.

Recreational opportunities abound within the Management Unit. Munising boasts of being the snowmobile capital of the world, and there are over 470 miles of groomed snowmobile trails within the Unit. These trails, such as the one to the left, will see hundreds of people snowmobiling a day during peak times of the season. Five hiking trails, including the Fox River Pathway and the North Country Trail, are available within the Unit. All-terrain vehicle riders can check out the Danaher O.R.V. Trail and skiers can enjoy the Indian Lake Ski Trail

The Unit maintains 11 state forest campgrounds, all having water access sites available to our many lakes and streams. This includes the Natural and Scenic Fox River and its associated tributaries. These campgrounds also offer fishing and canoeing possibilities. Recreational possibilities such as these are enhanced by our neighbors in the Hiawatha National Forest, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Seney National Wildlife Refuge, Indian Lake State Park, Palmsbook State Park and Fayette State Park. These partners work with us to offer even more opportunities to those who want an amazing out-of-doors experience.

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