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State forest planning
State forest planning
Working together toward the future success of Michigan's State Forests
Michigan has 19.3 million acres of public and private forestland, and 4 million of those acres are state forests managed by the DNR for public use and enjoyment, wildlife habitat, forest health and forest products. The Department of Natural Resources is committed to ensuring Michigan's forests are sustainably managed and healthy for centuries to come.
To guarantee the DNR is on the right path and as required by the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, every 10 years a new state management plan is created to guide and outline forest management activities. This draft plan was collaboratively developed by DNR forestry, wildlife, fisheries and recreation planning staff. The state forest management plan is part of an overall strategy outlined in the Statewide Forest Action Plan, a federally-required document with strategies for managing all 19.3 million acres of Michigan's public and private forests.
View the 2024 State Forest Management Plan in full (plan may take several moments to load) or in sections below:
- Introduction
- Executive Summary
- Mission Statements
- State Forest History
- Statewide and Regional Planning
- Management Area Planning
- Special Analysis Units
- Implementation
- Monitoring, Review and Revision
- Glossary
- References
- Appendices
Public input on the 2024 State Forest Management Plan must be submitted by December 31, 2024 to ForestPlanComments@Michigan.gov.
Watch Webinar
An online informational webinar was hosted on September 5 to review the draft plan and allow listeners to weigh-in and ask questions. Watch the full webinar recording here.
Month | Task |
September | Draft available to public, webinars, and in-person meetings to review draft |
Dec. 31 | Review phase closes |
January | Final document preparations |
March | Final DNR approval processes |
Comments or questions may be sent to ForestPlanComments@Michigan.gov.