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Here are just a few of this week's stories from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources:
See other news releases, Showcasing the DNR stories, photos and other resources at Michigan.gov/DNRPressRoom.
PHOTO FOLDER: Larger, higher-res versions of some of the images used below, and others, are available in this folder.
 See more pictures captured by Michigan state parks photo ambassadors at Instagram.com/MiStateParks. For more on the program, call Stephanie Yancer at 989-274-6182. (This photo is by Jamie Ball, for the Michigan DNR.)
To help streamline camping and overnight lodging reservations in Michigan state parks and recreation areas, the DNR is shortening the reservation window from 12 to six months, in a gradual process that starts Nov. 1.
That means all campground sites and overnight lodging – geodesic domes, rustic cottages, safari-style tents, tiny houses, yurts and mini cabins – will be available to reserve up to six months in advance, once the process is fully implemented this spring.
The DNR is making the change because a large portion of customers already book overnight lodging within six months of their planned stay. Aligning all overnight reservations on the same calendar will make reservation policies more consistent, while also allowing the department to better plan for needed maintenance or construction projects that often require a longer timeline to secure funding, evaluate staff needs, line up crews and provide public notice.
“We’ve been watching booking patterns for some time now and have observed that most people book within six months of their stay," said Christa Sturtevant-Good, DNR reservation specialist. “We hope moving to the six-month window will help out customers who can’t always plan 365 days out.”
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To move to the new six-month window with as little disruption as possible, the “shrinking” booking window (reducing a month at a time) will begin Nov. 1 and fully go into effect May 1, 2024. Like campsites, the new lodging inventory will then be available to reserve six months to the date in advance of a planned stay, Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 9 a.m.
| Reservation made |
Latest arrival date |
Booking window |
| November 2023 |
Oct. 31, 2024 |
< 12 months |
| December 2023 |
Oct. 31, 2024 |
< 11 months |
| January 2024 |
Oct. 31, 2024 |
< 10 months |
| February 2024 |
Oct. 31, 2024 |
< 9 months |
| March 2024 |
Oct. 31, 2024 |
< 8 months |
| April 2024 |
Oct. 31, 2024 |
< 7 months |
| May 1, 2024** |
Nov. 1, 2024 |
6 months |
** Starts full implementation of six-month booking window.
For more information on all overnight lodging options, reservation dates and other resources, visit Michigan.gov/DNRLodging.
Questions? Contact DNR-Reservations@Michigan.gov.
The DNR manages thousands of miles of state forest roads so hikers, off-road vehicle riders, timber harvesters, tree planters and wildland firefighting crews have a path into the forest. To do this, forest managers need gravel, heavy equipment and, importantly, public input.
Updates are made yearly to state forest maps to ensure the forest road inventory is accurate and meets the requirements of the law. Public comments are invited on proposed updates to the forest road system through Dec. 1.
Proposed changes to forest road maps include:
- Adding roads that previously were unmapped and removing roads that no longer exist.
- Closing or opening roads to conventional vehicle use.
- Closing or opening roads to off-road vehicle use.
- Changing the seasonal status of roads.
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Proposal for Camp Grayling access
A proposal has been made to change the status of forest roads on a portion of property leased by the Camp Grayling National Guard facility from closed year-round to seasonally closed. This proposal would allow for recreational access except during seasonal military training operations. It includes 189.7 miles of forest roads located northeast of Grayling, south of County Road 612. When the area is used for training activities, roads would be gated off for public safety. Notice would be posted on the Camp Grayling Facebook page and shared on local radio stations. A similar proposal was approved in 2022, opening seasonal access to 94.8 miles of forest roads north of County Road 612.
Opportunities for input
Public input will be accepted online and via email. Comment on or view the locations of proposed changes on an interactive map or printable PDF maps at Michigan.gov/ForestRoads or email DNR-RoadInventoryProject@Michigan.gov.
Comments also will be accepted at upcoming Michigan Natural Resources Commission meetings in early 2024. State forest road proposals will be brought before the DNR director for information at the January meeting. At the February meeting, the DNR director is expected to make a formal decision on the proposed changes.
New maps will go into effect and be published online April 1, 2024.
Questions about state forest roads? Contact Jason Caron at 906-235-4361.
Cooler temperatures, cleaner air, healthier communities – the benefits trees bring to urban environments are seemingly unlimited. By earning Tree USA recognition, more municipalities, campuses, utilities and health care organizations can experience these benefits firsthand. In case you missed it, the end-of-year deadline to submit an application for Tree City, Tree Campus, Tree Campus Healthcare and Tree Line honors is right around the corner.
Michigan has a strong association with the program: More than 100 communities boast the Tree City USA designation, including some (Adrian, Ann Arbor and Big Rapids) that have held the moniker for 40-plus years, and newer additions (Kentwood, Harbor Springs and Romeo) that have come under the Tree City umbrella within the last five years.
Learn more and submit an application by Dec. 31.
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If you care about protecting, preserving and promoting Michigan’s natural and cultural resources, there are many ways to get involved in taking care of them. Here are some opportunities coming up in November.
Several state parks in southern Michigan will host volunteer stewardship workdays. Volunteers are needed to help restore natural areas by removing invasive plants that threaten high-quality ecosystems or collecting native wildflower and grass seeds. Workdays will take place:
- 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, at Highland Recreation Area (Oakland County).
- 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 4, at Yankee Springs Recreation Area (Barry County).
- 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5, and Sunday, Nov. 19, and 12:30 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, at Fort Custer Recreation Area (Kalamazoo County).
- 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 11, at Bald Mountain Recreation Area (Oakland County).
- 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12, at Island Lake Recreation Area (Livingston County).
- 10 a.m. to noon Sunday, Nov. 12, at Muskegon State Park (Muskegon County).
- 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 18, at Belle Isle Park (Wayne County).
- 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 18, at Warren Dunes State Park (Berrien County).
- 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 19, at Pinckney Recreation Area (Washtenaw County).
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More details about each workday and how to register can be found on the DNR volunteer events calendar.
Hunters can help hungry families in their community by donating deer to Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger, an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization that partners with the DNR to help connect donors, wild game processors and charities like food banks, pantries and shelters that help feed those in need. Hunters also can donate money to support venison processing when buying hunting licenses.
Support tree planting and forest protection efforts in state parks by signing up for the 2024 Run for the Trees: Happy Little 5K. You have between April 22 (Earth Day) and April 26 (Arbor Day) to complete your 5K on foot, or by bike, skate or paddle or using a mobility device. You pick the pace and the place, anywhere outdoors! Registration is $36 and includes a keepsake Happy Little T-shirt, finisher’s medal, commemorative bib number and shipping.
For more opportunities to volunteer, contribute and provide input, visit Michigan.gov/DNRVolunteers.
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