Several state parks in southern Michigan will host volunteer stewardship workdays in September. Volunteers are needed to help with removing invasive plants that threaten high-quality ecosystems or collect native wildflower seeds for replanting.

Please note that registration is required for all volunteer workdays.

Workdays will take place:

• Saturday, Sept. 10, 9 a.m. to noon at Bald Mountain Recreation Area (Oakland County)
• Saturday, Sept. 10, 10 a.m. to noon at Warren Woods State Park (Berrien County)
• Sunday, Sept. 11, and Sunday, Sept. 25, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Fort Custer Recreation Area (Kalamazoo County)
• Saturday, Sept. 17, 9 a.m. to noon at Belle Isle Park (Wayne County)
• Saturday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m. to noon at Yankee Springs Recreation Area (Barry County)
• Saturday, Sept. 24, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Island Lake Recreation Area (Livingston County)

More details about each workday can be found on the DNR volunteer events calendar.

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. 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.

Units with open comment periods in September are:

• Grayling: Comment period is through Oct. 4; open house is Oct. 4; compartment review is Oct. 18. Contact?Thomas Barnes, 989-348-6371, ext. 7440.
• Gwinn: Comment period is through Sept. 20; open house is Sept. 20; compartment review is Oct. 11. Contact?Kristen Matson?at 906-346-9201, ext. 103.
• Newberry: Comment period is through Oct. 5; open house is Oct. 5; compartment review is Oct. 25. Contact?Keith Magnusson, 906-293-3293, ext. 4740.
• Sault Ste. Marie: Comment period is through Sept. 15; open house is Sept. 14; compartment review is Oct. 4. Contact?Karen Rodock, 906-477-6048, ext. 2040.
• Shingleton: Comment period is through Sept. 22; open house is Sept. 22; compartment review is Oct. 13. Contact?Bob Burnham, 906-452-6227, ext. 240.

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

Several state parks have in-progress management plans, which define a long-range planning and management strategy that protects the site's natural and cultural resources and provides access to public recreation and education opportunities. Public input is an integral part of developing these plans.

There are upcoming opportunities for public input on the following management plans:

Aloha State Park

A virtual meeting is scheduled from 6-7:30 p.m. Sept. 21 to gather public feedback for Aloha State Park in Cheboygan County. The meeting will begin with an overview of the planning process and draft plan, followed by an opportunity to share feedback and questions with DNR staff. The primary form of feedback collection will be an online survey shared at the end of the meeting. Register for the meeting or review the Aloha State Park draft general management plan.

Bass River Recreation Area

The DNR has begun the planning process for?Bass River Recreation Area?in Ottawa County.?It's expected to take about a year to complete. To help develop the draft plan, visitors, local community members, stakeholders and others interested in sharing their opinions, ideas and experiences are encouraged to participate in an online survey by Sept. 30.

Gete Mino Mshkiigan (Mullett Lake South) property

We are in the process of developing a plan for the new Gete Mino Mshkiigan property, formerly referred to as Mullett Lake South, in Cheboygan County. Learn more about the Gete Mino Mshkiigan draft general management plan and provide comments on the primary plan components via an interactive online survey available through Oct. 2.

Learn more about state park management planning.