State Forests

Michigan's forests are at a crossroads in their history. One hundred years ago, these forests were razed by timber barons, with no thought for the future. For the past century, these forests have been recovering from devastating logging. They are on the verge of recovering the beauty, grandeur, and biological diversity which was the norm in Michigan before they were decimated. We as a society must decide whether to let this recovery happen, or tragically to allow industrial pressure to set the clock back a century again.

Help Protect Michigan's Special Places!

The Sierra Club is offering members and others a chance to help the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) seek out, find, and designate the most special places in our Michigan State Forest system.

Michigan has approximately 4 million acres of State Forests, home to lakes, rivers, vernal pools, and other gems. Recently, the DNR has begun designating the most special of these areas as "High Value Conservation Forests". They have instituted a public nomination process which allows the public to identify, and then nominate, these special pieces of our forests for protected status.

The Sierra Club is beginning a program to help citizens identify and nominate these areas of our forests most deserving of protection. We will train folks in what the requirements are, ask you to scout out areas with which you are familiar, and help in completing the nominating form which will be submitted to the DNR for nomination.

The Sierra Club Forest Ecologist, Marvin Roberson, will be conducting the training and assisting with the nomination process. Chapter Coordinator Amanda Hightree will be coordinating volunteer involvement. This is your opportunity to get out in the woods and help protect the places you love!

Contact Amanda Hightree to get involved with this program, 517-484-2372 or amanda.hightree@sierraclub.org.

Michigan's forests face threats from many quarters:

The timber industry, which proposes turning these wonderful forests into nothing more than tree farms
Special interests who advocate managing for game species only, to the detriment of many sensitive species
Development, which will further fragment and destroy native habitat

Our Mission

Protect and restore the biodiversity and majesty of Michigan's forests that once were here, are now returning, and could be great again
Enhance public trust, give Michigan citizens input into management of the forests they own
Help threatened native wildlife

Our Priorities

Expand awareness among Michigan citizens of the importance of our Forest ecosystems
Increase the level of public participation in decisions regarding our Forests
Protect the rarest, most important places and species
Promote policies which move Michigan's Forests toward restoration of their native grandeur

Our Methods

We use all lawful advocacy methods, including activist training, litigation, and public input. The Michigan Forest Biodiversity Program has a 10 year history of innovative work, using multifaceted, strategic approaches, looking at the big picture long-term, including:

Integrating the work of volunteers and staff
Training activists in methods to participate in public forest management decisions
Securing more open public input processes for state forest management
Prompting the National Forests in Michigan to designate over 300,000 acres of Old Growth Forest.
Suing the US Fish and Wildlife Service for accountability in management of wildlife on 4 million acres of state lands in Michigan

Michigan's Wild Places