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This twice-yearly newsletter from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Forest Utilization and Marketing Program shares information on DNR programs, economic reports, industry news, professional development opportunities and more. If you know of an event or opportunity that may be of interest to our partners or have questions, email timber sales and utilization manager Matt Watkeys, or visit us on the web.
Green Timber Consulting Foresters Inc. and Grossman Forestry Company Inc. earlier this month announced their merger.
Justin Miller, president of Green Timber, and Gerald Grossman, president of Grossman Forestry, have signed a memorandum of understanding to combine their two companies via the sale of Grossman Forestry to Green Timber with an anticipated closing date of Jan. 1, 2025.
Grossman Forestry has been serving landowners in the eastern Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula since 1991, while Green Timber has been tending to forests of the western Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin since 2001. Together, the two companies will manage more than 550,000 acres in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula. The collective staff of 17 professional foresters has more than 200 years of experience in forest management, timber harvest administration, geographic information systems, forest inventory, forest modeling and analysis, and certification auditing.
For questions contact Miller at 906-353-8584 or justin@greentimberforestry.com, or Grossman at 906-293-8707.
The National Hardwood Lumber Association has been awarded its second $500,000 matching grant from the USDA Forest Service Wood Innovations Program.
"By funding NHLA’s efforts to assist mills with higher wood utilization studies, the USDA Forest Service enables us to create healthier forests and encourage robust economies in rural communities," said NHLA’s executive director, Dallin Brooks.
This grant aims to support and expand production in historically low markets for the United States hardwood industry by enhancing wood utilization at sawmills and providing critical resources for architects, designers, and engineers.
With its first grant from the USDA Forest Service and collaboration with the Real American Hardwood Coalition, the NHLA launched the website RealAmericanHardwood.pro to create and distribute online content for architects, specifiers, designers and engineers. In the next phase, the NHLA will hire a technical director to assist architects and designers in specifying hardwood products for nonstructural applications.
Read the full press release.
Matt Watkeys is the new forest marketing and outreach specialist in the Michigan DNR's Forest Resources Division. His first day of work was July 8. Matt spent the previous three years as the Alger Conservation District manager in Munising. He also served 10 years as the Forestry Assistance Program forester for Alger and Marquette county conservation districts and has been a contingent faculty member at Northern Michigan University in Marquette and worked for forestry firms in Missouri and Michigan.
Matt has an associate degree in agriculture and natural resources from Vincennes University in Indiana and a bachelor’s degree in forestry from Michigan State University. He lives in Deerton (near Marquette) with his wife, Tina, and their current pack of four rescue dogs. In his free time, Matt enjoys hiking, camping, water and snow skiing, and continuing the creation of their 20-acre homestead.
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Hansen and Co. Woodworks is using industry-leading technology to seamlessly move cabinet parts through the production line with minimal human intervention until they reach the pre-assembly stage.
A 400% jump in capacity reflects an increase from 150 to 500 cabinets per day and can be attributed to revolutionizing the industry standard. The $20 million investment will inaugurate a state-of-the-art 92,000-square-foot facility.
By implementing new technologies, this facility is showcasing the adoption of state-of-the-art processes. Read the full release.
Unfortunate news from Besse Forest Products Group, which is closing Goodman Veneer and Lumber in Goodman, Wisconsin Veneer and Plywood in Mattoon, and Birchwood Manufacturing in Rice Lake. See the release: Nearly 140 jobs eliminated as Besse Forest subsidiaries in Wisconsin shut down.
Plant diagnostic services continue at Michigan State University’s Plant & Pest Diagnostics under the direction of Jan Byrne, following the retirement of Ray Hammerschmidt. He provided almost 42 years of service to MSU and the greater community, including over 20 years as the faculty coordinator for the MSU diagnostics lab and the director for the North Central Plant Diagnostic Network. Byrne has worked at MSU as the plant pathology diagnostician since 1999, after earning a B.S. in plant science from Cornell University and an M.S. and Ph.D. in plant pathology from MSU.
MSU has offered plant-related diagnostic services to the public and local and national agricultural communities for more than 25 years. Services include identification of plant pests and plant health analysis spanning pathology, entomology, nematology and abiotic issues. As the North Central Plant Diagnostic Regional Center for the North Central Plant Diagnostic Network, MSU has faculty and staff devoted to each of these diagnostic disciplines and continues to expand its capabilities through advances in molecular diagnostics. Read the full release.
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The DNR recently released a report on the economic contribution of the forest products industries in Michigan for the year 2022. In 2022, Michigan's forest products industries directly employed 40,449 people, resulting in $16.2 billion in direct output. Overall, these industries supported over 88,275 jobs, generated $6.4 billion in total labor income, contributed $9.9 billion in total value-added, and produced $26.5 billion in total output.
Additionally, the economic contributions of forest products industries by Michigan counties are also available on the Michigan DNR website. The contributions and economic indicators are reported foreach Michigan county over the year (2015 to 2022).
If you have any questions about the data, please contact Jagdish Poudel, Forest Economist, at poudelj@michigan.gov
A new detection of invasive hemlock woolly adelgid has been verified on trees on a private property in Leelanau Township in Leelanau County. Leelanau becomes the ninth county in the state with active hemlock woolly adelgid infestations, joining Allegan, Antrim, Benzie, Mason, Muskegon, Oceana, Ottawa, and Washtenaw counties.
Leelanau County has been added to the statewide hemlock woolly adelgid quarantine. The quarantine restricts the movement of hemlock nursery stock and unprocessed hemlock material from quarantined areas.
Hemlock woolly adelgids are small insects that use their long, siphoning mouthparts to extract sap from hemlock trees. Their feeding can cause needles and buds to die. Over time, canopies thin, trees take on a grayish-green appearance and growth slows. Without treatment, infested trees die within four to 10 years.
Look on the undersides of hemlock shoots for evidence of round, white ovisacs near the base of the needles to identify infected trees. Up close, ovisacs resemble cotton balls and may appear alone or in clusters. For assistance in identification, see the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s short video Hemlock Woolly Adelgid: Invasive Species in Michigan.
Report suspected infestations:
Be prepared to provide the location of infested trees and, whenever possible, take one or two pictures of infested branches to help confirm identification. Do not collect sample branches or twigs.
For more information on HWA and other invasive species, visit Michigan.gov/Invasives.
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 The Sustainable Forestry Initiative launched its new strategic direction, guided by an approach that articulates the change the organization wants to be part of. It welcomes others to join and provides a basis for measurement and learning for the future.
Some highlighted topics: supply chains and solutions to avoid deforestation, climate and fire resiliency, conserving species at risk, and building a diverse and resilient workforce. Find more information and make connections.
In the renewable energy sector, biomass still leads the way and is the largest single source of renewable energy in the United States and accounts for just under 50% of the renewable energy produced.
A study of the volume of biomass that might be sustainably obtainedon an annual basis for use in energy production resulted in the 2005 Billion Ton Report, so named because investigation revealed the potential for gleaning over one billion tons of biomass each year without detracting from current uses.
National Hardwood Lumber Association Inspector Training School: This eight-week program is a mix of hands-on training, testing, in-class lecturing, sawmill site visits, one-on-one training with the instructor, and more. Students who successfully fulfill all of the program requirements will receive a certificate of completion.
Prospective students must have a high school diploma, GED, or pass a test administered on the first day of class. Students must supply an official copy of their high school transcript(s) or equivalency certificate with scores that meet the state's minimum standards for passing.
Great Lakes Timber Products Professionals Logging and Heavy Equipment Expo: The three-day expo takes place Sept. 5-7 at the Resch Expo Complex in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Over 300 indoor and outdoor exhibitors attend each year to showcase the best of the best when it comes to log splitters, portable sawmills, compact tractors and logging equipment, chainsaw carving, wood/pellet stove dealers and more. For event updates and to receive an exhibitor contract, contact Laurie at 715-304-2871 or laurie@gltpa.org.
Michigan Society of American Foresters: The fall meeting takes place Oct. 10-11 at Northern Michigan University's Event Center, 1401 Presque Isle Ave., Marquette. Sign up for the event to network with peers, learn about forests and better serve society.
SAF National Convention, Sept. 17-20, Loveland, Colorado: The theme “The Resources We Manage” references all the considerations that forestry and natural resources professionals need to reflect on when planning and implementing decisions on the ground. As the field of forestry evolves, forestry professionals are expanding their management skillsets to include expertise in new technologies, emerging forest product markets, community outreach, and other areas.
Eastern and Western UP Citizen’s Advisory Council meetings
St. Ignace: 6 p.m. Aug. 28 at the Quality Inn Michigan Room, N561 Boulevard Drive.
Marquette: 3 p.m. Oct. 9, Location to be announced. (Joint meeting with WUPCAC)
Virtual/Zoom. December 2, 2024, 9 a.m. Join: www.michigan.gov/dnr/about/boards/up-citizens/upeast
Ontonagon: Sept. 19, 6 p.m. EDT, Location to be announced.
Marquette: Oct. 9, 3pm EDT, Location to be announced. (Joint meeting with EUPCAC) www.michigan.gov/dnr/about/boards/up-citizens/upwest
Compartment reviews
Check out the forest management input schedule for 2026 activities.
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