State Park Stewardship

The stewardship unit strives to balance resource protection with compatible recreational use. To accomplish this mission the unit seeks to lessen the impact of 23 million visitors each year on fragile park natural resources. Where natural habitats have been degraded by over use, or other causes, the Stewardship Program restores and enhances them. Protection of historic and archaeological sites, the invasion of weedy non-native plants, fragmentation (the breaking up of tracts of habitat), and the suppression of natural fire are just some of the many challenges involved in the stewardship of our natural resources.

The State Park Stewardship Program was established in 1995 and operates within the Parks and Recreation Division of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The following primary goals have been established.

• The comprehensive inventory of all natural and cultural resources within Michigan's state park system (over 100 state parks encompassing 280,000+ acres). The inventory attempts to identify and monitor unique, rare and endangered species as well as significant historic and archaeological sites.
• The protection of park natural and cultural resources
• The restoration and management of Michigan's native ecosystems and preservation of the native species within them

Michigan state parks and recreation areas contain an abundance of significant natural features fundamental to the natural heritage of our state. With diligent attention and continued effort focused on the protection of these riches within our state parks Michigan will continue to be like nowhere else on earth.

To accomplish our mission, we rely heavily on a network of dedicated volunteers to collect native prairie seed, remove non-native weeds, participate in our Volunteer Steward Program and help with a variety of other stewardship activities.

To learn about prescribed burning check out this information on prescribed burning in Michigan State Parks

Program Contacts Include:

Ray Fahlsing
Stewardship Unit Manager
517-335-4823 
FahlsingR@michigan.gov

Lisa Gamero
Stewardship Specialist
517-241-4789
GameroL@michigan.gov

Glenn Palmgren 
Ecologist
517-373-7844
PalmgrenG@michigan.gov

Bob Clancy
Ecological Restoration Specialist
517-241-2055
ClancyR@michigan.gov

Tom Tucker
Stewardship Ranger
517-202-1378
TuckerT2@michigan.gov

Laurel Malvitz-Draper
Natural Resource Steward, Southeast Michigan
248-359-9057
MalvitzL@michigan.gov

Heidi Frei
Natural Resource Steward, Southwest Michigan
269-685-6851 ext. 147
FreiH@michigan.gov

Alicia Selden
Stewardship Analyst
517-335-0883
SeldenA@michigan.gov