DNR Get Involved: Help a park, join a committee, give suggestions

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DNR Get Involved - September 2022

closeup of tatooed arm carry invasive plant branch

Here are a few ways to get involved in taking care of Michigan’s natural resources in September. For more opportunities to volunteer, contribute and provide input, visit Michigan.gov/DNRVolunteers.    


Help restore natural areas at state parks

three people collecting wildflower seeds in field

Several state parks in southern Michigan will host volunteer stewardship workdays in September. Volunteers are needed to help with removing invasive plants that threaten high-quality ecosystems or collect native wildflower seeds for replanting.

Please note that registration is required for all volunteer workdays.

Workdays will take place:

  • Saturday, Sept. 10, 9 a.m. to noon at Bald Mountain Recreation Area (Oakland County)
  • Saturday, Sept. 10, 10 a.m. to noon at Warren Woods State Park (Berrien County)
  • Sunday, Sept. 11, and Sunday, Sept. 25, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Fort Custer Recreation Area (Kalamazoo County)
  • Saturday, Sept. 17, 9 a.m. to noon at Belle Isle Park (Wayne County)
  • Saturday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m. to noon at Yankee Springs Recreation Area (Barry County)
  • Saturday, Sept. 24, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Island Lake Recreation Area (Livingston County)

More details about each workday can be found on the DNR volunteer events calendar.


Tell us what you think about your state forests

river flowing through fall forest

It’s time to talk about your state forests.

Prescribed burns, timber harvests and other activities are carefully planned to keep Michigan’s nearly 4 million acres of state forest healthy and thriving.

Plans for these activities are currently being made for 2024, but public comment is welcome now, before those plans are finalized. In-person open houses were suspended during 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many forest management units are returning to in-person open houses this season; you may also comment online or in writing.

To find out what activities are planned for the forest, choose the geographic area you are interested in and take a look at the planned activities on the interactive map. Submit online comments through the map during designated 30-day periods. If you’d prefer to attend an open house in person, scheduled dates are listed below.

Once public comment has been received, a meeting called a compartment review is held. That’s where plans are finalized. Contact the unit manager for details on how to attend an in-person open house or compartment review. The DNR’s Forest Resources Division welcomes public comment on all forest activities.

Units with open comment periods in September are:

  • Grayling: Comment period is through Oct. 4; open house is Oct. 4; compartment review is Oct. 18. Contact Thomas Barnes, 989-348-6371, ext. 7440.
  • Gwinn: Comment period is through Sept. 20; open house is Sept. 20; compartment review is Oct. 11. Contact Kristen Matson at 906-346-9201, ext. 103.
  • Newberry: Comment period is through Oct. 5; open house is Oct. 5; compartment review is Oct. 25. Contact Keith Magnusson, 906-293-3293, ext. 4740.
  • Sault Ste. Marie: Comment period is through Sept. 15; open house is Sept. 14; compartment review is Oct. 4. Contact Karen Rodock, 906-477-6048, ext. 2040.
  • Shingleton: Comment period is through Sept. 22; open house is Sept. 22; compartment review is Oct. 13. Contact Bob Burnham, 906-452-6227, ext. 240.

See all scheduled comment periods, open houses and compartment review meetings for the 2022 season.


Give input on state park management plans

boat with Aloha State Park printed on it resting upside-down on beach at sunset

Several state parks have in-progress management plans, which define a long-range planning and management strategy that protects the site's natural and cultural resources and provides access to public recreation and education opportunities. Public input is an integral part of developing these plans.

There are upcoming opportunities for public input on the following management plans:

Aloha State Park

A virtual meeting is scheduled from 6-7:30 p.m. Sept. 21 to gather public feedback for Aloha State Park in Cheboygan County. The meeting will begin with an overview of the planning process and draft plan, followed by an opportunity to share feedback and questions with DNR staff. The primary form of feedback collection will be an online survey shared at the end of the meeting. Register for the meeting or review the Aloha State Park draft general management plan.

Bass River Recreation Area

The DNR has begun the planning process for Bass River Recreation Area in Ottawa County. It's expected to take about a year to complete. To help develop the draft plan, visitors, local community members, stakeholders and others interested in sharing their opinions, ideas and experiences are encouraged to participate in an online survey by Sept. 30.

Gete Mino Mshkiigan (Mullett Lake South) property

We are in the process of developing a plan for the new Gete Mino Mshkiigan property, formerly referred to as Mullett Lake South, in Cheboygan County. Learn more about the Gete Mino Mshkiigan draft general management plan and provide comments on the primary plan components via an interactive online survey available through Oct. 2.

Learn more about state park management planning.


Serve on Equine Trails Subcommittee

The Equine Trails Subcommittee is seeking two active equestrians interested in serving on the subcommittee of the Trails Advisory Council for a four-year term starting in January 2023, representing the central Michigan region or statewide equine tourism/industry. If you’re interested, complete the online application by Oct. 1. 

Join in Wolf Lake stewardship workdays

Volunteer stewardship workdays at Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery Visitor Center in Van Buren County continue in September and October. Learn plant ID, enjoy the outdoors and help protect natural resources by removing invasive species or collecting native wildflower seeds that will be replanted throughout the hatchery grounds.

We recently launched a new website, and we’d love to hear what you think via this brief survey. Thanks for helping us improve our site for all users!