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DNR Get Involved - September 2018
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Here are a few ways to get involved in taking
care of Michigan’s natural resources in the coming month. For more
opportunities to volunteer, contribute and provide input, visit michigan.gov/dnrvolunteers.
Many aquatic invasive species – non-native plants and
animals that can disrupt the natural ecosystem, tourism and the economy – are
easily spread by boaters and anglers who use their equipment in multiple bodies
of water without properly cleaning it.
As part of efforts to manage aquatic invasive species, a
habitat enhancement project at Fort Custer Recreation Area in Augusta,
Michigan, recently kicked off. The DNR is working with Kieser & Associates,
an environmental science and engineering firm in Kalamazoo, on a plan to
enhance the recreation area’s habitat by managing aquatic invasive species in
its lakes. The project is funded through the Natural Resource Damage
Assessment as part of the settlement levied against Enbridge Energy in
connection with the July 2010 oil release on Line 6B into the Kalamazoo River.
In addition to aquatic plant surveys, which have found
invasive species in all of Fort Custer’s lakes, the three-year project will
include several different treatments to control these species. This will help
determine the best long-term, cost-effective options for invasive species
management in the lakes. The project also involves a public outreach and
educational component to help park visitors understand their role in preventing
the spread of aquatic invasive species.
You can help by following these simple steps:
- Clean boats, trailers and equipment.
- Drain live wells, bilges and all water from boats.
- Dry boats and equipment.
- Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash.
Learn more about preventing the spread of invasive species
at michigan.gov/invasives.
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Are you passionate about Michigan’s waters?
Consider joining a local public advisory council if you
live near one of Michigan’s “Areas of Concern” – waterways that are recovering
from historic pollution and environmental effects. Each area’s recovery is
supported by a group of community members who provide local expertise and
participate in volunteer activities.
In 1987, 14 Michigan sites were designated as Areas of
Concern under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Since then, federal,
state and local partners have restored two of the areas and are making progress
on the others. Local public advisory councils are key to restoring these
waters, and anyone can join.
Learn about efforts to restore these places on the Areas of Concern
webpage and connect with a local group through your state
coordinator.
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Michigan’s 4 million acres of state forest land require a lot of
careful planning to keep them healthy and thriving. That’s why the DNR
finalizes plans for each forest management unit two years in advance of when
any management activities – prescribed burns, timber harvests or tree thinning,
for example – will take place.
This
summer and fall, forest management recommendations for 2020 are being presented
at open houses within those forest management units, giving people the
opportunity to speak with foresters, wildlife biologists and other resource
professionals. Upcoming open houses include:
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Roscommon Forest
Management Unit – Sept. 12 in Roscommon
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Sault Ste. Marie
Forest Management Unit – Sept. 18 in Naubinway and
Sept. 19 in Kincheloe
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Gwinn Forest
Management Unit – Sept.
26 in Ishpeming
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Crystal Falls Forest
Management Unit – Oct. 3 in Crystal Falls
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Shingleton Forest
Management Unit – Oct.
4 in Shingleton
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Newberry Forest
Management Unit – Oct. 16 in Newberry
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Grayling Forest
Management Unit – Oct.
17 in Grayling
About a month after each forest management unit’s open house, a
public compartment review meeting also will take place. That’s where the foresters
will present their final decisions on management activities for that unit. Compartment review
meetings coming up include:
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Roscommon Forest
Management Unit – Sept. 27 in Roscommon
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Sault Ste. Marie Forest
Management Unit – Oct.
2 in Naubinway
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Gwinn Forest
Management Unit – Oct.
17 in Ishpeming
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Shingleton Forest
Management Unit – Oct.
23 in Shingleton
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Crystal Falls Forest
Management Unit – Oct.
25 in Crystal Falls
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Newberry Forest
Management Unit – Oct.
30 in Newberry
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Grayling Forest
Management Unit – Nov. 8
in Grayling
For
more information – including a link to the interactive forest map showing
details of forest management activities, and the forest open house and
compartment review schedules – visit the public input section of
the DNR’s michigan.gov/forestry webpage.
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Daffodil planting day on Detroit's Belle Isle
Help organizers reach their goal of 650,000 daffodils
planted on Belle Isle – one for every Detroit resident – by taking part in a daffodil
planting event Friday, Sept. 21. With volunteer support, this year the
group will plant the final bulb for this project that began in 2008.
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Forest cleanup in northern Lower Peninsula
Looking for a way to make an immediate, positive impact on
Michigan's natural resources? Volunteers
are needed Saturday, Sept. 15, to assist with cleaning up an illegal
dumpsite in the Pigeon River Country State Forest near Onaway as part of the Adopt-a-Forest
program.
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