Latest news with #MichiganDepartmentofNaturalResources
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Ready to cast off for summer? Where to boat across Michigan in 2025
Summer boating season in Michigan is getting underway, and boaters are already hitting the water. A day out on clear, sparkling waters with loved ones offers a perfect summer getaway for Michigan boaters. The state is a boat lover's paradise, boasting four of the Great Lakes and 11,000 inland lakes, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. "In Michigan, you are never more than 6 miles away from a lake, river or stream, so you never have to travel far to find a boaters paradise," Pure Michigan says. Here's what to know. When the day on the lake is done, consider docking in these areas and checking out nearby cities. Charlevoix: This northwest Michigan city borders Lake Charlevoix, Round Lake, the Round Lake Channel and Lake Michigan. The Charlevoix City Marina is open for the season and features a boaters' lounge, floating docks, laundry facilities, a splash pad and restrooms. Nearby, the city features restaurants, hotels, a dog park and gardens. Detroit: The Motor City runs along an international border at the Detroit River. Among several docking options is the Riverside Marina, with the clubhouse featuring a jacuzzi, heated swimming pool, showers, locker room and laundry facilities. Downtown Detroit and nearby Midtown are packed with restaurants, museums, hotels, parks, theaters, shopping and sports venues. Holland: Holland borders Lake Macatawa and the Macatawa River, flowing toward Lake Michigan. Docking includes the Yacht Basin Marina, with a conference center and vacation rental units. The tourist town with Dutch heritage features tulip gardens, restaurants, a lighthouse, Dutch Village, museums, hotels and state parks. Higgins Lake State Park: North and South Higgins Lake State Park near Roscommon in northern Michigan are on Higgins Lake. The state parks provide boat launches, cabins, campgrounds, sandy beaches, a picnic area and hiking trails. Saginaw Bay: Along the bay on Lake Huron, cities in the thumb and central Michigan offer docking, including Bay City, Caseville, Au Gres and Linwood, among others. The region offers fishing, restaurants, parks, shopping and summer festivals, with Saginaw on the Saginaw River, and Frankenmuth short a drive farther inland. Here are six places to boat on in Michigan, according to Pure Michigan: Great Lakes: Enjoy boating on the vast waters of four Great Lakes bordering Michigan, Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. Lake Leelanau in Leland: This lake is split into two sections, North and South Lake Leelanau, featuring clear waters and a natural habitat of nearly 9,000 acres. Boaters can enjoy wildlife spotting and recreation, with nearby restaurants and vineyards for dining. in southeast Michigan: This popular metro Detroit lake connects Lake Erie, the Detroit River and Lake Huron. Lake St. Clair sees 3,000 freighters go through its shipping canal, and 150,000 boats registered in the area for recreation. Grand Lake in Alpena: In northeast Michigan, this over 8,900-acre lake features several small islands. The nearby Besser Museum for northeast Michigan highlights the region's wooden sailing and motorized boats. Gull Lake in Battle Creek: This lake in southwest Michigan offers regular sailboat racing with a yacht club, scuba diving, homes and cottages along the shores and a fishery. Torch Lake resembles the Caribbean in its deep, multi-tone color. At 18 miles in length, Torch is Michigan's longest inland lake. Its sand bars are so legendary that musician Kid Rock wrote a song about them. Torch also is the state's deepest lake. The village of Alden, on the lake's southeast curve, boasts one of the few public beaches. Michigan's "Inland Waterway" cuts across the tip of the mitten, starting north of Petoskey and ending at Cheboygan. Michigan's longest chain of rivers and lakes covers nearly 40 miles, including Pickerel Lake and Crooked Lake, the Crooked River, Burt Lake, the Indian River, Mullett Lake, the Cheboygan River, and finally into Lake Huron. The water trails connect seven state parks; numerous campgrounds, day-use parks, and resorts; 20 Little Traverse Conservancy Nature Preserves, and six communities. Boats must be registered and you can do so through the Michigan Department of State. Some boats also require a title if they're 20 feet long or longer, or have a permanently affixed engine. More: Planning a beach trip? These 10 Michigan beaches are worth checking out Registration is good for three years, expiring on March 31 of the third year, according to the state. Boat owners can renew online, via mail, at a self-service station or in-person at your local Secretary of State office. Check with your local boating access site for hours and rules. Most state-sponsored sites are closed from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., says the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Life jackets must be on board and the type and number depend on the type of boat you have and how many people are on board, the Michigan DNR says. If you plan to take a pet, check whether pets are allowed and how to handle them. In Michigan, pets must be kept on a 6-foot leash and under the owner's immediate control and you must clean up after them and prevent them from interacting with wildlife. More: New Motown Museum exhibit honors the life and career of musician-songwriter Hank Cosby If you plan to fish or water ski, be sure to check local regulations, some inland lakes prohibit certain activities. It's illegal to operate a boat in Michigan while under the influence of alcohol, according to state law. Boaters with a 0.08% blood alcohol content or higher could face civil penalties like fines and imprisonment. Some boating access sites in Michigan ban drinking alcohol, the Michigan DNR said. Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan boating in 2025. Inland waterway, great lakes, marinas, rules
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
A Massive Ice Storm in the Midwest Destroyed Millions of Acres of Public Forest. Here's What Happens Next
Michiganders can handle their share of winter weather. But the ice storm that hit the Lower Peninsula in late March was so severe and destructive that people have called it a 'generational storm.' With an inch or more of ice building on branches for days on end, entire stands of pine, oak, and aspen in Northern Michigan snapped or buckled under the weight — as did power lines, poles, and other infrastructure. The storm caused widespread blackouts and led Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to submit a disaster declaration asking for federal aid. Residents and state officials are still surveying the damage and working through the wreckage across millions of acres of northern woodlands, which are unrecognizable in some places and totally inaccessible in others. So what happens now? Because of the overwhelming scale of the destruction, land managers say there will be noticeable effects to forest health, including higher risks for intense wildfires. These altered habitats will affect wildlife populations as well, although some critters might actually benefit in the long run, according to biologists. The biggest and most immediate impacts, meanwhile, are on outdoor recreation. The state warns that hunters and other users will continue to encounter blocked roads, closed accesses, and treacherous woods. Recovery efforts, including salvage logging operations, are underway and will be for the foreseeable future. State officials say this will be costly, though, and as of May 20, the Trump Administration had not yet responded to Gov. Whitmer's request for help. Roughly 3 million acres of forest in 12 counties were affected by the 2025 Ice Storm, according to initial surveys by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. That included around 1 million acres of state forest land, or roughly a quarter of the entire state forest system. The closest historical comparison in the area was the damage wrought by the Great Michigan Fire of 1871, which burned about 2.5 million acres of forest. 'It's certainly the worst natural disaster that I've lived through,' says Michigan DNR public information officer Kerry Heckman, who lives in the affected area on an 80-acre wooded parcel that borders state forest land. 'And because it lasted so long, it was almost a week of hearing nothing but trees coming down and branches breaking, almost constantly. It was very unnerving to be outside, but it was also disconcerting inside. You almost felt like there wasn't a safe place to be.' At one point a white pine just missed their house. Heckman and her husband spent the week without power, relying instead on generators while helping their neighbors cut out driveways, and praying that more falling trees wouldn't hit their cabin. 'We wouldn't even go out without a hard hat on,' Heckman continues. 'You had to have a spotter, too, because if you have a chainsaw running, you might not hear a tree coming down right next to you.' Read Next: Beginner's Guide to Timber Stand Improvement: How to Manage Your Woods for Deer and Other Wildlife It has now been two months since the storm. Heckman says the DNR has so far been able to assess around 150,000 acres, or roughly 20 percent of the affected acreage on state forest land. Foresters are still gauging the severity of the damage as they plan salvage and thinning operations, and much of the floor is still covered with downed branches, debris, and half-fallen trees that are hinged or hanging down — what Heckman calls 'ladder fuels,' which can carry flames into the tree-tops and create hotter, faster-spreading wildfires. She says they'll have to monitor and mitigate these risks for the next five to 10 years. The agency's biggest priority at this point, though, is clearing the more than 3,000 miles of state forest roads that were blocked off or damaged during the ice storm. Heckman says the DNR has focused on roads in fire-prone areas 'because we don't want to have to respond to a wildfire and not be able to get to it.' But crews are also prioritizing the main access roads that are used heavily by hunters and other forest users. 'The last time I looked, we had over 1,000 miles [of road] that were impassable. That's like us needing to clear the roads from Mackinac City to Atlanta, Georgia.' These efforts will continue at least through 2025, Heckman says, but progress is slow. Even the heavy equipment crews using skid steers and bulldozers are only able to clear about two miles of forest road a day. Most of the state parks, campgrounds, and boat ramps that were closed as a result of the storm have since reopened. The MDNR's website has an updated digital map that shows this information. But Heckman says that cabin owners and other people who frequent these woods to hunt, fish, forage, and hike will likely encounter closed roads, hard-to-reach areas, and other hazards. 'Just walking through the forest is difficult in places. There's a lot of tree tops down, limbs down, and a lot of trees that are leaning,' says Heckman. 'And aside from just traversing the forest floor, there's also overhead hazards. There's still a lot of widowmakers out there — trees or limbs that are hanging or caught up and can come down without warning.' Those hazards could remain on the landscape through the fall deer season and into the winter months and beyond. And although public access will improve as more forest roads get cleared, hunters traveling off those main roads should remain wary. 'Whether you're out turkey hunting or picking morel mushrooms, just be careful,' Heckman says. 'Make sure you keep an eye on what you're standing under, and what you're trying to walk over.' Fortunately for turkey hunters and mushroom hunters, there are still plenty of both species in the affected zones. In some ways, wild game and forage might actually benefit from the aftermath of the ice storm. (More on this in a minute.) Heckman says she expects a bumper morel crop in the coming years as woody debris decomposes on the forest floor. This woody material will also help create new and beneficial habitat for fish in local rivers. Whenever historic storms like this strike, it often reminds locals of the last bad storm — and the damage it did. In one recent Michigan hunting forum, locals are retelling stories about winter storms in the 70s, and how they saw 'hundreds of dead birds including many pheasants' that died on their roosts, some with 'ice forming on their beaks.' That doesn't seem to be the case this year, according to Heckman, who has not heard any evidence from the field of wildlife dying in the storm. There were probably some animals caught under falling trees or that died of exposure, she says, but the idea of pheasants, deer, and other critters freezing in their beds and nests is more of a wives' tale than a scientific reality. There is some peer-reviewed research into the impacts that weather can have on Michigan's game populations. According to one such study, harsh winters are one of the main limiting factors for the state's deer herds. Read Next: Why Is Deer Hunting in the Northwoods on the Decline? And Will It Ever Rebound? However, MDNR biologist Shelby Adams told reporters in April that she thinks deer and elk populations in the area will actually benefit from the disturbance, which opens up the tree canopy and creates a flush of new growth. Along with whitetails, Northern Michigan is home to the largest free-range elk herd east of the Mississippi, and Adams said she expects to see even more of those elk in the areas damaged by the ice storm. 'We know there's tops hitting the ground so the elk are taking advantage of that opportunity for this brief amount of time,' Adams told MLive. 'As the forest regenerates in the next 10 to 15 years they really do thrive in that young forest landscape.' Game birds like turkeys, ruffed grouse, and woodcock could benefit for similar reasons, Heckman says. 'We're going to see a lot of those new plants and stump sprouts, especially from aspens. And that early successional habitat, ruffed grouse and woodcock love that. It's obviously beneficial for deer as well,' she explains. 'That's actually a lot of what we're trying to do when we do forest management, is mimicking that natural disturbance.' Fortunately for wild turkeys, the ice storm hit well before their breeding and nesting season. So Heckman doubts the birds were impacted much by the event. Unfortunately for her, she was too busy coordinating damage control this spring to do any turkey hunting herself. Judging from what she's seen on her own land, though, she has high hopes for next year. 'This is just anecdotal, but I actually saw more turkeys this spring than I have in a while,' she says. 'We're still seeing lots of wildlife in the area … we've seen deer on our game cameras, and I've actually had a bear and a bobcat on there as well since the storm.'
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Michigan has just 1 state park on Lake Erie. Why it's worth checking off your list
This summer, don't miss out on a trip to southeast Michigan to explore Lake Erie's shores at William C. Sterling State Park — Michigan's only state park located on the lake. The state park features 1 mile of sandy shoreline along the western coast of Lake Erie in Monroe County, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. A trip to the Sterling State Park offers a chance to camp out, fish, swim, hike and more. "The park protects more than 500 acres of Great Lakes marsh and restored lake plain prairie habitat, and is well known for its access to walleye and perch fisheries," Pure Michigan says. Here's what to know. William C. Sterling State Park is Michigan's only state park along the Lake Erie shoreline. The state park is located along the western coast of Lake Erie near the city of Monroe in southeast Michigan. The park is about an hour south of Detroit and less than 30 minutes north of the Ohio border. The park is just minutes from River Raisin National Battlefield Park and the Ford Marsh unit of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. The state park is connected to nearby River Raisin National Battlefield Park through the River Raisin Heritage Trail. The trail is currently undergoing upgrade work, set to finish in July 2025, the state park's website says. To visit the state park, you will need a Michigan recreation passport or a daily pass, the park's website says. Rates vary by vehicle type, and whether you're a Michigan resident or not. Recreation passports can be purchased when renewing your license plate registration at the Secretary of State or at a state park, recreation area or Michigan DNR customer service center, the DNR website says. If you're a Michigan library cardholder, you can also get a day trip to the park for free with the Michigan Activity Pass. This includes one night of camping for one vehicle, camping fees will still apply. At Sterling State Park, visitors can relax at sandy beaches and swim, paddle or kayak in Lake Erie. The park offers kayak rentals from Memorial Day until Labor Day. Vast nature offers opportunities for biking and hiking. You can reel in catches with shoreline or offshore fishing on Lake Erie, along with the Great Lake marsh and lagoons at the park, including walleye and perch. Hunting is available at the state park, though potential hunters should contact park officials for the rules, the park's website says. The park features a beach house with restrooms and changing stalls, a boat launch, fish cleaning station, observation platform on Marsh Trail, picnic area, picnic shelter and a playground. Recreational metal detecting is another option in part of the park, as long as its within state law and doesn't harm the park's natural and cultural resources. Park workers must look at any items found and may keep them for investigation. During the summer season, weekly nature programming takes place at the state park, with the 2025 schedule to be released soon. In the winter, the park offers snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. If you're looking for a longer stay, the state park includes the Sterling full-amenity cottages, 10 new cottages along the Lake Erie shoreline operated by Vista Recreation. The cottages sleep seven each, with bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen with supplies and appliances and more, though linen and towels are not provided. The Sterling modern campground provides a camping venue, with most sites paved and near the Lake Erie shoreline. Camping sites include 20 or 30 amp service and some 50 amp service, and sanitation stations. You can book your camping trip to Sterling State Park with online reservations through the Michigan DNR. Select Sterling as the park and pick the dates, number of people and equipment for your stay. Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Sterling State Park, Lake Erie: Michigan park worth visiting in 2025
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Au Train area campground is closing in June. What the DNR is saying about closure
The Forest Lake State Forest Campground, south of Au Train, will permanently close Monday, June 9, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The park, south of M-94 and east of M-67 on the Au Train/Cleveland Cliffs Basin in the Upper Peninsula, is closing because the property leased by the state has been foreclosed upon and taken over by a bank, making it no longer available for public recreation use, the DNR said in a release. Prior to becoming bank-owned, the state campground property was owned by a hydroelectric power company that was required to provide recreation as part of its federal energy license for the operation of a dam, the news release said. The property was leased and managed by the DNR, said Eric Cowing, district supervisor for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division in a news release. 'We've had an agreement in place to operate the facility for 70 years, through several dam ownership changes,' Cowing said. 'Unfortunately, due to recent foreclosure, we will no longer be able to continue providing camping, boating and other recreation opportunities at Forest Lake. It is our understanding that the new owners do not wish to operate a campground or continue public access.' In November, reported that the owners of a dam on the north end of the basin said they were out of money, in part because of repairs costs associated with work the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy was requiring to upgrade the structure. What to know about the park closure. The park will be open during Memorial Day weekend, through June 8, before the permanent closure takes effect. The rustic campground, managed by Indian Lake State Park, is located on the Au Train River's Au Train/Cleveland Cliffs Basin at the confluence of Slapneck Creek and has offered fishing, camping, boating, bird watching and paddling opportunities for more than 70 years. There are 26 sites for tent, small trailer and large trailer use at the site. Camping is limited to a 15-day maximum stay. The fee is $20 per night. Amenities include vault toilets and potable water from a hand-pump well. Nearby camping facilities operated by the U.S. Forest Service include Au Train Lake Campground, Hovey Lake Campground, Island Lake Campground and several others. Superior Time Resort & Campground, a private facility on Au Train Lake, provides campsites, cabins and watercraft rentals. Visit the DNR's Things to Do webpage to learn more. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: DNR says Forest Lake State Forest Campground to close in June
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DNR halts state land leases for utility-scale solar projects
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will continue its halt on any new utility-scale solar projects on state-managed forestlands as it works on a framework for how to consider such projects. The policy change was made quietly earlier this month, without a public announcement. DNR spokesman Ed Golder said the agency made the policy change known via a May 9 email from DNR Director Scott Bowen to "a number of interested groups and to legislators who have contacted us" about a controversial proposal to lease 420 acres of state-managed forest land near Gaylord for a solar development in Otsego County's Hayes Township. That project, which raised some public ire over the removal of acres of trees to make way for a private company's solar panels, was scuttled when the company involved, RWE Clean Energy out of San Diego, decided not to pursue additional development on the state land in Hayes Township. But the DNR in January proceeded to pursue a request for proposals to lease the land and evaluate its viability for solar, possibly with another company. In his May 9 email, Bowen announced that the DNR "will not move forward" with utility-scale solar development on the 420 acres in Hayes Township. "The DNR made this decision following a four-month public comment period, and consultation with legislators and interested groups," Bowen stated. "We heard a significant amount of concern from the public, stakeholders and some lawmakers regarding the prospect of siting solar panels on 420 acres of partially forested land." Bowen added that DNR "will maintain a pause on any new utility-scale solar projects on state forestlands" until the agency develops "a specific framework for decision making if leasing lands for additional solar development were to be considered in the future." "As part of this framework, the DNR will solicit input from local communities and lawmakers early in the process if solar development is being considered," he stated. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's MI Healthy Climate Plan, an effort to combat human-driven climate change enacted in 2020, calls for 100% carbon neutrality by 2050 and 60% renewable energy in Michigan by 2030. How reachable those goals will be without state land involvement to build large solar farms is uncertain. "I think there are potential avenues to meet those goals, but it certainly becomes a lot harder if you take these publicly managed lands off the table," said Ashley Rudzinski, climate and environment program director with the Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, a Traverse City-based nonprofit organization with goals to "protect the environment, strengthen the economy, and build thriving communities." The center on its website is urging Michigan residents to ask the state to continue support solar leasing on public lands. "There's a fairly strong precedent for using lands that are already disturbed or marginal lands," Rudzinski said. "We're not talking pristine forestlands here; we are talking areas that are adjacent to highways or industrial sites. "We have to recognize that for us to combat the challenges that are very real that we are facing with the climate crisis, we need to be able to make some of these challenging decisions ... including using some of these already disturbed lands for these types of practices." More: Democrats' clean energy legislation sets up battle over local land use control More: As some neighbors seek to close it, Wayne Disposal hazardous waste landfill looks to expand State Rep. Ken Borton, R-Gaylord, was among the first to sound public alarms over the proposed Hayes Township state forestland being used for utility-scale solar, prompting an outcry. He said DNR forestry officials contacted him in the days leading up to Bowen's May 9 email, and Borton said he was told the DNR was stopping solar project siting on state forest lands altogether. "The memo (DNR Director Bowen) made is nothing like what we talked about," Borton said. "I am extremely unhappy at this point, and I made it very clear to the department: There will be no more solar going up on publicly owned lands." The DNR manages 4.6 million acres of public land for uses including forestry, public recreation, hunting, fishing and wildlife habitat management. The agency historically has leased portions of public lands for a variety of perceived public goods, including industrial development. "Lands managed by the DNR host hydrocarbon processing facilities, pipelines and flowlines, mines, sand and gravel pits, an asphalt plant and cell phone towers," Bowen stated in his May 9 memo. The state has pledged to use no more than 4,000 acres of state-managed public land for solar development, and Bowen noted that some 350,000 acres of state-managed land is currently leased for gas an oil wells. Since 1928, more than 10,000 drilling permits have been issued on state-managed forestland. "With the state shifting toward more renewable energy options the DNR is seeking to be part of the state's transition to cleaner energy," Bowen stated. But oil and gas development and utility-scale solar farms are not analogous, Borton said. "I live in northern Michigan, there are gas sites all over, including next to the property I own," he said. "Those gas sites take up almost no property whatsoever. They are not fenced in; they are not blocked off. They do not stop wildlife from passing through." Borton said degraded state sites like brownfields or small solar projects at state fish hatcheries to provide energy to the facilities may still make sense. But "any industrial projects where they are coming in and clearing forest, I'm going to be opposed to it," he said. Two utility-scale solar projects already in the works on state-managed property will continue, Bowen stated: the Groveland mine tailings site, a 264-acre site in the Upper Peninsula's Dickinson County; and the Roscommon Conservation Airport site, on 1,050 acres of DNR-managed public land in Roscommon County's Higgins Township near Interstate 75 and the DNR Conservation Airport. The maximum buildable area for solar panels on that project would be 570 acres, DNR officials earlier said. Contact Keith Matheny: kmatheny@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: DNR halts state land leases for utility-scale solar projects
