Public Land

Intro

Public Land Managed by the DNR

  • Forests, parks, trails, hunting land and more

    We manage over 4.6 million acres of public land owned by Michigan citizens. The quality of life we all value in our state is driven in large part by the sound management of these public lands. They impact the health of our families, the condition of our environment and the strength of our economy in positive, significant ways.  

    Snowmobile trails, waterway access, hunting areas, campgrounds, hiking trails, wetlands and historic parks are just some of the benefits provided by our public land.

    • State forests - over 3.8 million acres
    • State parks - 352,000 acres
    • State game areas - 360,000 acres

    Economic value of public lands

    DNR-managed public lands support:

    • A timber industry that generates $20 billion for Michigan’s economy
    • A $22.8 billion tourism industry
    • 680,000 hunters who pump $2.3 billion into our economy
    • 1.1 million anglers who generate $2.5 billion for Michigan’s economy
    • Oil and gas production, natural gas storage, and mineral development

Related Links

Public Act 240

Public Act 240 of 2012 (PA 240)

PA 240 required the development of a strategic plan for public land management, tying the amount of public land that we can manage to the Legislature's approval of the strategic plan which was created with input from the public and local units of government. The act also requires we post the number of acres of land we manage north and south of the Mason-Arenac line, in total for the state, and by program.

Payment in Lieu of Taxes

Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) are State of Michigan payments to local units of government in lieu of property taxes for the land owned by the State and administered by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
LEARN MORE ABOUT PILT