Michigan DNR Marks 25 Years of Helping Private Forest Landowners

By Vanessa Torres

Michigan -(Ammoland.com)- For the past 25 years, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Forest Stewardship Program – which helps private forest landowners connect with a professional forester to develop a voluntary Forest Stewardship Plan – have helped private landowners manage, protect and enjoy their forests.

The program, funded by the U.S. Forest Service, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

“Unlike many other states, Michigan uses private-sector land managers, not government foresters, to write plans for its 400,000 private forest owners,” said Mike Smalligan, DNR Forest Stewardship program coordinator. “More than 130 professional foresters and wildlife biologists are trained and certified by the DNR to develop simple yet comprehensive Forest Stewardship Plans for landowners.

“In the last 25 years, more than 5,400 landowners in Michigan have developed their own unique Forest Stewardship Plans to help them manage over 875,000 acres of forest land.”

Michigan is home to more than 9 million acres of family forest land. Most of the properties in the program are between 40 and 80 acres in size, and all private forest land is …Read the Rest

Source:: AmmoLand