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DNR seeks public input on Duck Lake State Park management plan; online survey available through Sept. 30

To help create a roadmap for future planning at Duck Lake State Park in Muskegon County, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is asking for public input on a new general management plan for the park.

Visitors, community members, stakeholders and others interested in sharing their opinions, ideas and experiences are encouraged to participate in an online survey, available through Sept. 30. Links to both the online survey and the project website are available at Michigan.gov/DuckLake.

The DNR uses general management plans to define a long-range planning and management strategy that protects a park's natural and cultural resources, while also addressing recreation and educational needs and opportunities.

“Public input is a critical component of the planning process, and the draft general management plan will be developed in response to the valuable information learned during that process," said Debbie Jensen, DNR park management plan administrator. "The DNR will also host a public meeting in the spring of 2024, providing opportunities for people to review and provide comment on a draft plan for the park."

Duck Lake State Park is a popular day-use park located on the shores of Lake Michigan and Duck Lake, with a shallow channel connecting the two. The park features a boating access site, kayak rentals, a picnic area and shelter, and opportunities for paddling, fishing, hiking, hunting and cross-county skiing on the park’s 7 miles of natural-surface trails. Towering dunes on the lakeshore and a mixture of mature forests, pine plantations and pockets of open meadows inland make this park unique. The park's forest community provides critical stopover and nesting habitat for migratory birds, including the cerulean and hooded warblers.

Additional information on the DNR’s general management planning process is available at Michigan.gov/ParkManagementPlans.

For more about the public survey or proposed plan, contact Debbie Jensen at JensenD1@Michigan.gov or517-230-6837.

Note to editors: Accompanying photos are available below for download. All photos courtesy of Michigan DNR, with additional recognition to Morgan Liskey on one photo.