Michigan DNR Invites Public Input on Forest Management in Northwestern Counties
OutdoorHub 10.06.11
The Department of Natural Resources will host an open house for the Cadillac Forest Management Unit on Wednesday, Nov. 9, to provide information and receive public comment on proposed forest management treatments for 2013 in the Cadillac Forest Management Unit. The open house will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Carl T. Johnson Center, located on M-115 adjacent to Mitchell State Park, in Cadillac.
Each year, DNR personnel inventory and evaluate one-tenth of the state forest. Information gathered includes the health, quality and quantity of all vegetation; wildlife and fisheries habitat and needs; archeological sites; minerals; recreational use; wildfire potential and social factors, including proximity to roads and neighborhoods; and use on adjacent lands, public and private. Proposed treatments, which may include timber harvesting, replanting and other management activities, then are designed to ensure the sustainability of the resources and ecosystems.
The open houses are an opportunity for the public to review proposed treatments and to provide input toward final decisions on those treatments. It also provides the public an opportunity to talk with foresters and biologists about issues of interest. Maps and information regarding the proposed treatments will be available at the open houses, and can be accessed at www.michigan.gov/forestplan under the Forests, Land & Water section.
Each management unit is divided into smaller units or compartments to facilitate better administration of the resources. Townships with compartments in Lake County include South Newkirk and Peacock; Osceola County includes Rose Lake Township; Wexford County includes Liberty, Hanover and Greenwood townships and Missaukee County includes Norwich, Butterfield, Holland and Pioneer townships. The formal compartment review to decide on prescriptions for these areas is scheduled for 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 30, at the Cadillac Public Library, 411 South Lake St. in Cadillac.
Persons with disabilities needing accommodations for any of these meetings should contact David Fisher at 231-745-4651 extension 6946 a minimum of five (5) business days before this meeting. Requests made less than five business days before the meeting may not be accommodated.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.
