A complete list of all programs within the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE)
Community involvement and public participation are an essential part of EGLE’s mission, vision, and values.
Resources and information on utilizing RRD's data exchange and the Inventory of Facilities.
An interactive map displaying contaminated sites throughout Michigan regulated under Parts 213, 201, and 211.
This system allows water well drilling and pump installation contractors to submit water well records.
EGLE's interactive calendar is designed to provide timely information on decisions before the Director, proposed settlements of contested cases, administrative rules promulgation, public hearings, meetings and comment deadlines, and environmental conferences, workshops and training programs.
The Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provides all persons (except persons incarcerated in correctional facilities) with access to public records of public bodies. Requests to inspect or receive public records from EGLE must be in writing and describe the requested records with enough detail to enable the department to identify and locate the requested records. Some records are exempt from disclosure under the FOIA or another statute and thus will not be provided. A fee may be charged to process your request. Please note that many records are available that do not require a formal FOIA request.
Search is currently unavailable. Please try again later.
The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer.
December 23, 2024
Each year, Michiganders purchase millions of live Christmas trees. However, after the holidays pass, people often wonder if there are more beneficial uses for their tree rather than sending it to landfill. The answer is yes— there are many ways that your old Christmas tree can keep on giving as habitat, and it is important to think carefully about the best way to do so.
People often wonder whether their Christmas tree would make good habitat for fish. This is a great question, as many of Michigan’s lakes once had woody habitat, such as a fallen tree, every 5 to 50 feet! This woody habitat is important for fish, turtles, frogs, herons, and other animals, because it provides refuge from predators, an opportunity to bask in the sun, reduces wave energy that erodes shorelines, and encourages growth of aquatic plants. Harder-wood trees with an open branch structure provide high-quality habitat.
Panfish hide among the branches of a fallen tree in an inland Michigan lake. Credit: Eric Calabro, EGLE.
However, Christmas trees are classified as softwoods, and are typically species such as balsam fir, Douglas-fir, Fraser fir, noble fir, Scotch pine, Virginia pine and white pine. These softwoods break down relatively quickly in aquatic environments. The dense branches on Christmas trees that are perfect for holding ornaments are often too dense for many fish to use as habitat.
Additionally, pesticides applied to Christmas trees, leftover decorations, and anchors used to sink trees may introduce unwanted materials into our waters. So, if you’re thinking about sinking that tree in your favorite lake for fish habitat, we encourage you to consider an alternative.
OK, so what is the best use for that Christmas tree? Here are some options to consider:
If you’d like to improve your local lake’s woody habitat for fish, birds, turtles, and more, the best way to do it is by using the shoreline woody structure methods promoted by the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). These approaches, often called fish sticks or turtle logs, provide long-lasting benefits. Woody habitat should be placed in areas where it won’t impede navigation on the water and be secured to the shoreline or lake bottom to ensure that the habitat structure stays in place.
Woody habitat structures installed on a lake shoreline provide habitat for fish and wildlife alongside a swimming area and boat dock on a lakefront property. Credit: Mark Bugnaski Photography
Remember, regardless of the methods you use, you must secure a permit from EGLE when placing fish habitat structures or affecting the bottomlands on public waters in Michigan. EGLE has developed the Minor Project Category: Fish and Wildlife Habitat Structures permit to encourage creation of shoreline woody structures through a relatively easy and low-cost permit category and expedited process. If you’re interested in adding shoreline woody structure to your local waterbody, a quick meeting with your local EGLE district staff person is a great first step to ensure the project meets permitting criteria. Pre-application meetings can be requested through MiEnviro, EGLE’s permitting and compliance database, to discuss project design and regulatory standards.
If you own waterfront property, consider how woody habitat would naturally make its way into the water. Does your waterfront have trees planted near the shoreline? If they were to fall in, would you remove them or leave them in the water for fish and wildlife habitat? You might consider planting water-tolerant native tree species near the shoreline of your property and allowing fallen trees to remain in the water as a gift that keeps on giving back to the lake’s fish, turtles, birds, and other wildlife.
Eric Calabro
Inland Lakes Policy Analyst
517-243-5584
Joe Nohner
DNR
517-599-6825
MI Environment Team
517-284-9278
EGLE more than doubled its recruiting efforts in 2024.
This conference is a must-attend event for professionals committed to safeguarding the environment from potential threats and emergencies.
Michigan’s Filter First laws have been in place for one year.
The annual report explores major accomplishments, issues, initiatives, and challenges in 15 magazine-style articles.
Michiganders urged to test homes during Radon Action Month
In Fiscal Year 2024, EGLE received 19.6K FOIA requests.
It’s Radon Action Month, and EGLE and the EPA have tips for you.
If your New Year’s resolutions include decluttering, check out these tips.
The invasive pest has now been confirmed in nine Michigan counties.
Check out EGLE’s Top 10 most-read MI Environment stories published in 2024.
