The Department of Natural Resources today announced a series of meetings in September to provide information and receive public comment on proposed management areas for a Regional State Forest Management Plan for the Western Upper Peninsula Ecoregion.

The meetings will be held at four locations:

• Sept. 4, 7 p.m. EST - Small Conference Room, Ford Forestry Center, 21235 Alberta Ave., L'Anse. The focus of the meeting will be on the Baraga Forest Management Unit.
• Sept. 5, 7 p.m. EST - Charcoal Room, Don H. Bottum University Center, Northern Michigan University, 1401 Presque Isle Ave., Marquette. The focus of the meeting will be on the Gwinn Forest Management Unit.
• Sept. 8, 7 p.m. CST- Crystal Falls Township Hall, 1384 West US-2, Crystal Falls. The focus of the meeting will be on the Crystal Falls Forest Management Unit.
• Sept. 9, 7 p.m. EST - Room 952, Joseph Herman University Center, Bay De Noc Community College, 2001 North Lincoln Rd., Escanaba. The focus of the meeting will be on the Escanaba Forest Management Unit.

At each meeting, 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 Forest, Mineral 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 Western Upper 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 correspondence by Oct. 10, 2008, to DNR-WUP-Eco-Team@michigan.gov or by postal mail to: WUP Ecoteam, DNR Marquette OSC, US-41 South, Marquette, MI 49855.

Future public meetings will be scheduled when draft and final versions of the WUP Regional State Forest Management Plan 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 Michael Koss at 906-346-9201 a minimum of five business days before these meetings. Requests made less than five business days may not be accommodated.