Skip to main content

Forest to Mi Faucet

Image of water flowing over Ocqueoc Falls with green forest in the background

Forest to Mi Faucet

Land cover map showing built areas in red, mostly southern MI, and areas with the most forest cover, mostly in the UP and northern lower MI

Vibrant forests, healthy waters

The DNR Forest Stewardship Program is leading a team of conservation partners on a new initiative called “Forest to Mi Faucet” to share information about the connections between healthy forests and clean drinking water.

The project builds on the national Forests to Faucets 2.0 analysis identifying priority watersheds for protecting surface drinking water in the United States.


Great Lake U.S. EPA condition Forest Cover Agricultural Use Urban Area
Lake Superior Good 91% 1% 2%
Lake Huron Good 67% 22% 6%
Lake Michigan Fair 49% 32% 10%
Lake Erie Poor 19% 61% 18%

Program priorities

The Forest to Mi Faucet initiative has five main components:

  1. Help municipal water utilities implement their source water protection plans.
  2. Inspire and empower landowners to manage and conserve their woodlands to protect drinking water.
  3. Plant 60,000 trees in riparian zones of urban and rural forests for water quality and reduced runoff.
  4. Educate people about connections between forests and their drinking water.
  5. The DNR will plant 750,000 trees on state forests to match USDA Forest Service investments.
A river, waterfall, and deep green forest

Partners

Project partners are working toward water quality goals in cohorts based on funding source. 

Partner Project Focus Contact
Superior Watershed Partnership
 Marquette, Dead River watershed, Lake Superior Kathleen Henry
Conservation Resource Alliance Traverse City, Boardman River watershed, Lake Michigan DJ Shook
Huron Pines Alpena, Thunder Bay River watershed, Lake Huron Samantha Nellis
Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds Grand Rapids, Grand River watershed, Lake Michigan Robert Cloy
Huron River Watershed Council Ann Arbor, Huron River watershed, Lake Erie Kris Olsson
Flint River Watershed Coalition
 Flint, Flint River watershed, Lake Huron Jennifer Raymond
Kalamazoo River Watershed Council
 Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo River watershed, groundwater and Lake Michigan Doug McLaughlin
Legacy Land Conservancy
 Conservation easements in Washtenaw, Jackson and Lenawee counties; Lake Michigan and Lake Erie Clint McGill
Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy
 Conservation easements in Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw and Wayne counties; Lake Huron and Lake Erie
 Jill Lewis
Mid-Michigan Land Conservancy Conservation easements in Hillsdale, Jackson, Ingham, Eaton, Shiawassee, Clinton, Ionia and Montcalm counties; Lake Michigan Jared Harmon
Michigan Association of Timbermen 25 new Michigan Master Loggers in the southern Lower Peninsula; Lake Michigan and Lake Erie Kari Divine
Michigan Forest Association 250 new members in the southern Lower Peninsula and 6 events for woodland owners; Lake Michigan and Lake Erie Amanda Curton

More information

Questions? Contact project coordinator Mike Smalligan, 517-449-5666 or project coordinator Meagan Hoffman.

Forest to Mi Faucet is a Michigan Department of Natural Resources program supported by the USDA Forest Service and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. All partners are equal opportunity providers.