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This week's stories may reflect how the Department of Natural Resources has adapted to meet customer needs and protect public health and safety. Follow our COVID-19 response page for updates on access to facilities and programs.
We'll continue to share news and information about the best ways to discover and enjoy Michigan's natural and heritage resources! Here's a look at some of this week's stories:
See other news releases, Showcasing the DNR stories, photos and other resources at Michigan.gov/DNRPressRoom.
PHOTO FOLDER: Larger, higher-res versions of the images used below, and others, are available in this folder.
 Want to see more pictures like this, taken by Michigan state parks photo ambassador Sarah Goodwin at Silver Lake State Park in Oceana County? Visit Instagram.com/MiStateParks to explore photos and learn more about the photo ambassadors! For more on the photo ambassador program, call Stephanie Yancer at 989-274-6182.
If your summer plans include time at your favorite lake, there’s an easy and rewarding way to show your lake some love: help the MiCorps Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program gather valuable information about water quality and fish habitat conditions.
The program is seeking volunteers who enjoy and want to help protect Michigan’s 11,000 inland lakes. Though there is still a lot we don’t know about many of our lakes, volunteering with MiCorps will connect you with a statewide network of people who are making a positive impact on these waters.
As a water monitor volunteer, you:
- Choose which lake to sample.
- Select which measurements to take. You can collect data on water quality (water clarity, nutrients, dissolved oxygen and algae), invasive species, native plants and shoreline conditions.
- Will get detailed instructions, training and equipment.
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There is a small fee to cover the costs of supplies and analyzing samples; volunteers often are able to collaborate with lake associations or other organizations to help pay for these costs.
All volunteer-gathered information is added to the MiCorps Data Exchange, a public database that includes Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program lake data back to 1974. This database is used by people, local communities and state agencies like the DNR to better protect and manage Michigan’s beautiful lakes and the fish and wildlife that live there.
Want to help?
Visit the CLMP enrollment webpage or contact Erick Elgin with Michigan State University Extension for more information.
The MiCorps Clean Lakes Monitoring Program is sponsored by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and is administered in partnership with MSU Extension, the Michigan Lakes and Streams Association and the Huron River Watershed Council.
Questions? Contact Joe Nohner (DNR), 517-599-6825 or Erick Elgin (MSU Extension), 231-928-1053.
If you haven’t visited the DNR website recently, things will look a bit different next time you’re there: a new look, with different colors and page formats, that’s all a part of the state of Michigan’s effort to build a more unified brand. Our new site went live Friday evening.
Though the look and feel are different, some things will stay the same:
- The navigation should look familiar, and you should be able to find things the way you did before.
- You can still search for events, but the options are now more robust and include the ability to search by event type, location and date range.
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Shortcuts to your favorite pages (those easier-to-remember website addresses like Michigan.gov/Fishing and Michigan.gov/Hunting) will still work and should go to their correct pages. However, with a total site overhaul there are bound to be some broken links. We are working to correct those over time.
Once you’ve had a chance to check out the new website, we’d love to hear what you think. Your feedback via this brief survey will ensure we continue to improve the website for all users. If you can take a few moments to complete it, thank you!
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If you’re looking for resources to help your community protect a local body of water from invasive species, mark your calendar for 9-10 a.m. Thursday, March 24. In case you missed it, the latest installment in the state of Michigan’s NotMiSpecies webinar series focuses on the Clean Boats, Clean Waters program, which provides grants between $1,000 and $3,000 for groups that want to prevent aquatic invasive species through increased boater education and awareness.
Kelsey Bockelman and Paige Filice from MSU Extension and Kevin Walters from the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy will reveal 2022 Clean Boats, Clean Waters grant recipients, share information on past projects and help your group prepare to apply for a grant in 2023.
Sign up for the webinar and follow Michigan.gov/Invasives for program news, updates and opportunities to help.
Questions? Contact Joanne Foreman at 517-284-5814.
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Staff recommendations on whether to keep, exchange or sell state-managed land in 10 counties are nearing DNR director approval, but there’s still plenty of time to review and share feedback.
The counties in this stage of the DNR's ongoing state land review process include Gratiot, Huron, Isabella, Lapeer, Lenawee, Marquette, Monroe, Roscommon, Sanilac and Washtenaw. The updated, interactive web map reflects the latest staff recommendations since the initial public comment period closed, making it easy for people to see what has changed. The state land review was implemented as part of the 2013 Managed Public Land Strategy and involves the review of DNR-managed lands that are 200 acres or less in size or that, due to an irregular boundary, may be difficult to manage.
“This county-by-county review process gives us the opportunity to evaluate and make decisions about how well the current land portfolio supports our mission of protecting natural resources while providing broad public access to quality outdoor recreation opportunities,” said DNR forest land administrator Kerry Heckman. “It’s critical that people who enjoy and use these lands are part of the discussion, and we appreciate everyone who has taken the time to get involved so far.”
Comments left on the interactive web map or emailed to DNR-StateLandReview@Michigan.gov by May 11 will be compiled and provided to the DNR director. A final decision on recommendations is expected at the May 12 meeting of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission.
Follow the latest updates on the state land review process at Michigan.gov/PublicLands.
Questions? Contact Kerry Heckman at HeckmanK1@Michigan.gov.
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