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Monitoring reports

Forest health check hemlock woolly adelgid

Monitoring reports

Monitoring forests and forest management activities

Monitoring is conducted to assess state forest plan implementation. Monitoring also helps managers assess the condition of the forest, determine how management goals, objectives, and desired future conditions are being met, and understand the social and ecological effects of management activities.

Monitoring is also necessary for compliance with forest certification standards for sustainable management. The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) requires monitoring to measure and report performance metrics. This is addressed through the DNR Management Review System, a process for recording, evaluating and reporting nonconformance with forest certification standards and instructions.

This process has three components:

  • Internal Audits
  • Forest re-certification and annual forest certification surveillance audits
  • Annual management review reports

    Reports can be viewed on the audit results webpage
View DNR legislative reports, including timber summaries, on the About page

Management strategies and forest data

Information about forest plants, wildlife and trends is incorporated into long-term forest management planning. Explore state forest management plans to learn more about forest conditions and strategies the DNR uses to improve and maintain forest lands.

See DNR forest management plans and strategies

Forest managers protect rare species and ecologically-significant areas

Rare species

Rare, threatened and endangered species of plants and animals are protected under state and federal laws.

Natural areas

Places recognized as natural areas are outstanding examples of native landscapes, ecosystems and natural communities

Biological diversity interactive map

View data on forest structure and composition, native vegetation, protected areas and species diversity. 

Monitoring ecological values

Ecological information is collected in reports on local forest compartment areas, forest health reports and in natural community surveys conducted by the Michigan Natural Features Inventory. 

MI State Forest Map: compartment reviews

View the state forest public input map and see results and data from local compartment reviews.

State forest plans

Forest health reports and data

See watchlist species, report invasive species sightings and review an annual forest health report showing trends, status and survey results. 

Forest health data and reports