Opportunities to get involved with the Michigan DNR for July 2022



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"DNR Get Involved - July 2022"
Aerial view of a forest with Manistee River flowing through it

Here are a few ways to get involved in taking care of Michigan?s natural resources in July. For more opportunities to volunteer, contribute and provide input, visit Michigan.gov/DNRVolunteers [ [link removed] ]. ?


* Help remove invasive species from state parks [ #link_4 ]
* Tell us what you think about your state forests [ #link_8 ]
* Join MUCC, DNR to clean up Michigan waters [ #link_1 ]
* Share details of muskie fishing trips [ #link_2 ]
* Protect natural areas from invasive species [ #link_3 ]
* Learn what?s new with Michigan?s wildlife [ #link_5 ]
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Help remove invasive species from state parks

group of young volunteers holding trash bags in a sandy dune area

Several state parks in southern Michigan will host volunteer stewardship workdays in July. Volunteers are needed to help with removing invasive plants that threaten high-quality ecosystems.

Please note that registration is required for all volunteer workdays.

Workdays will take place:


* Friday, July 8, *and* Sunday, July 24, 9 a.m. to noon at Fort Custer Recreation Area (Kalamazoo County).
* Saturday, July 9, *and* Saturday, July 30, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Island Lake Recreation Area (Livingston County).
* Saturday, July 9, *and* Saturday, July 23, 10 a.m. to noon at Muskegon State Park (Muskegon County).
* Saturday, July 16, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Waterloo Recreation Area (Washtenaw County).
* Sunday, July 17, 10 a.m. to noon at Hoffmaster State Park (Muskegon County).
* Saturday, July 23, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Pinckney Recreation Area (Washtenaw County).

More details about each workday can be found on the DNR volunteer events calendar [ [link removed] ].


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Tell us what you think about your state forests

Three people hiking in a sunlit forest

It?s time to talk about your state forests.

Prescribed burns, timber harvests and other activities are carefully planned to keep Michigan?s nearly 4 million acres of state forest healthy and thriving.

Plans for these activities are currently being made for 2024, but public comment is welcome now, before those plans are finalized. In-person open houses were suspended during 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many forest management units are returning to in-person open houses this season; you may also comment online or in writing.

To find out what activities are planned for the forest, choose the geographic area you are interested in and take a look at the planned activities on the interactive map [ [link removed] ]. Submit online comments through the map during designated 30-day periods. If you?d prefer to attend an open house in person, scheduled dates are listed below.

Once public comment has been received, a meeting called a compartment review is held. That?s where plans are finalized. Contact the unit manager for details on how to attend an in-person open house or compartment review. The DNR?s Forest Resources Division welcomes public comment on all forest activities [ [link removed] ].

Units with comment periods in July are:


* *Atlanta*: Comment period is June 12-July 12; open house is July 12; compartment review is Aug. 4. Contact?Cody Stevens <[email protected]>, 989-785-4251.
* *Cadillac*: Comment period is July 4-Aug. 4; open house is Aug. 4; compartment review is Sept. 6. Contact?Dave Fisher <[email protected]>, 231-745-4651, ext. 6946.
* *Escanaba*: Comment period is July 9-Aug. 9; open house is Aug. 9; compartment review is Aug. 30. Contact?Eric Thompson <[email protected]>, 906-786-2354, ext. 142.
* *Gladwin*: Comment period is June 13-July 13; open house is July 13; compartment review is July 19. Contact?Patrick Mohney <[email protected]>, 989-426-9205, ext. 7640.
* *Pigeon River*: Comment period is June 20-July 20; open house is July 20; compartment review is Aug. 16. Contact?Mark Monroe <[email protected]>, 989-983-4101.
* *Roscommon*: Comment period is July 17-Aug. 17; open house is Aug. 17; compartment review is Sept. 13. Contact?Doug Bates <[email protected]>, 989-275-4622.
* *Traverse City*: Comment period June 6-July 7; open house is 3-7 p.m. July 6 in Traverse City and 3-7 p.m. July 7 in Kalkaska; compartment review is July 12. Contact?Dave Lemmien <[email protected]>, 231-922-5280.

See all scheduled comment periods, open houses and compartment review meetings for the 2022 season [ [link removed] ].


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Join MUCC, DNR to clean up Michigan waters

Group of volunteers holding On the Ground banner

Volunteers are needed to help clean up the Mainstee River as part of On the Ground [ [link removed] ], Michigan United Conservation Clubs? volunteer wildlife habitat improvement program in partnership with the DNR.

Saturday, July 16, On the Ground will partner with Steelhead Manifesto for the annual cleanup of the Manistee River in Manistee County.

The event will begin at 9 a.m., and volunteers will meet at the High Bridge Boat Launch in Brethren and then head out on the water by boat to clean up large stretches of the river and remove garbage to improve the aquatic ecosystem.?All equipment will be provided, including gloves, trash bags and grabbers.

The Manistee River is one of Michigan?s National Wild and Scenic Rivers and a very popular location for anglers, paddlers and other outdoor enthusiasts.

All registered volunteers will receive lunch and a volunteer gift.

Register for a fun day of volunteering on the Manistee River [ [link removed] ].

If you have any questions, please reach out to MUCC habitat volunteer coordinator Kristina Kennedy <[email protected]>.


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Share details of muskie fishing trips

angler on a boat holding a muskie

If you're fishing for muskellunge this year, we want to hear from you. We?re asking people who fish for muskie to help with our ongoing efforts to investigate these fish by reporting through the DNR's online muskellunge angler survey [ [link removed] ].

Since 2014, this survey has gathered information about muskie angler demographics and catch data, such as length of fish caught, angler effort, body of water fished and methods used. Fisheries managers have used this data to recommend fishing regulation changes to the Michigan Natural Resources Commission, evaluate the muskellunge stocking program and understand more about self-sustaining populations.

The reports we get from anglers are essential because muskellunge are so elusive in the DNR?s sampling efforts. The reports help us make future fisheries management decisions and understand more about their populations.

Whether or not your trip resulted in a catch, you can offer valuable information about your fishing experience. You fill out one survey per person, per trip and are encouraged to complete a survey for each muskellunge fishing trip you make.

View the current survey and past survey data [ [link removed] ].

As a reminder, anglers are limited to taking only one muskellunge per license year and are required to register their harvest by calling 888-636-7778 or online at Michigan.gov/RegisterFish [ [link removed] ].


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Protect natural areas from invasive species

Michigan's natural areas are under threat from invasive species, but you can help protect our land and water resources while you?re enjoying the outdoors. Invasive species are difficult, sometimes even impossible, to eradicate once they become established. Preventing the spread of invasive species is the easiest solution to the problem. Whether you?re boating, fishing, camping, hunting, exploring trails or working on your land, garden, pond or aquarium, you can make a difference by knowing what you can do to keep invasive species from spreading [ [link removed] ].




Learn what?s new with Michigan?s wildlife

Learn more about all things habitat, feathers and fur, and have a little fun, too, with the DNR?s ?Wildtalk? podcast, released on the first of each month. In each episode, DNR Wildlife Division staffers interview guests, cover wildlife habitat work going on throughout the state, highlight one of Michigan's wildlife species and answer listener questions. You could even win a ?Wildtalk? mug ? listen to find out how! Listen to the newest episode and catch up on past episodes at Michigan.gov/DNRWildtalk [ [link removed] ], or on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.






We recently launched a?new website [ [link removed] ], and we?d love to hear what you think via this?brief survey [ [link removed] ]. Thanks for helping us improve our site for all users!



*DNR COVID-19 RESPONSE:* For details on affected DNR facilities and services, visit this webpage [ [link removed] ]. Follow state actions and guidelines at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus [ [link removed] ].

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