Michigan Department of Natural Resources

We are thrilled to announce our latest collaboration with Saugatuck Brewing Company to protect and restore our “living fossils” – the legendary lake sturgeon! These fish have been swimming our waters for more than 100 million years, making them a long-standing and vital aspect to healthy aquatic ecosystems here. Although their importance is clear, due to overfishing, pollution, and habitat loss and degradation, lake sturgeon populations in Michigan began to decline in the 1800s. To help rehabilitate lake sturgeon populations in the state, a portion of Saugatuck Brewing Company's Lake Street Light sales – starting April 2025 – will go toward DNR sturgeon restoration and protection projects. This collaboration comes on the heels of the successful Rainbow Rodeo IPA partnership, which has generated $10,000 for restoration projects!  Stay tuned for more information and ways to get involved! Press Release: https://lnkd.in/gSjvk4-s

Moose matter! Michigan DNR scientists kicked off a research project this week that will answer questions about factors limiting the growth of the moose population. Moose are an important species in Michigan's ecosystem, and studying them gives us insight into the health of the Upper Peninsula's wild places. This research will help us create better management strategies, ensuring that moose and the ecosystem at large can thrive.   Twenty moose have been fitted with collars to track and provide insight into their movement, lives and deaths. Michigan's moose population, which was restarted by the Moose Lift project in the 1980s, has seen minimal growth in recent years. Currently there are less than 500 moose estimated in the UP, and researchers are looking to learn more about the challenges they face.     Multiple factors may be at play, including parasites, disease, vehicle collisions and predators, which is why this study will be important in learning how to best manage for a thriving moose population. If you would like to learn more about the study, and Michigan's moose history, check out the recent Showcasing the DNR story: https://lnkd.in/gttm_rr6   Thank you to our partners, Northern Michigan University and Keweenaw Bay Indian Community for joining us on this research project.

So far this year, more than 300 dead wild birds have been discovered in five Michigan counties. Based on preliminary test results, the Michigan DNR suspects highly pathogenic avian influenza (bird flu). Ongoing disease surveillance indicates that HPAI is widespread in wild bird populations throughout the state.   Leave dead wild birds alone: Carcasses should be left to naturally decompose if they are difficult to reach, and people and domestic animals will not have contact with them. A fresh carcass can spread disease, but as the animal decomposes, the virus will die.   If you must clean up, do not use your bare hands: If dead wild birds are easily accessible and pose a risk, use personal protective equipment (gloves, eye protection, mask, etc.) to double bag the carcasses and dispose of them through normal trash pickup.   Learn more about our response to bird flu and how to protect yourself: https://lnkd.in/gNvUmsSu If you observe a die-off of six or more wild birds, report it at https://lnkd.in/gqKmieWS

We're hiring! Join our passionate state parks team this year with summer employment opportunities. These positions start at $15.25 an hour and are great to get experience, begin your career at the Michigan DNR or if you just want to work in the outdoors. Pass it along or apply yourself by visiting Michigan.gov/DNRJobs

Last week our Office of Public Lands co-sponsored MassTimber at MSU's 2024 Michigan Mass Timber Update at Adelaide Pointe, a new mass timber building in Muskegon, MI. Alongside the 26 industry speakers sharing exciting mass timber projects, on-going research & development, building code & zoning updates and more, was Scott Whitcomb, Director of the Office of Public Lands, announcing the release of the 2025 Mass Timber Catalyst Funds! This pilot project will provide grant opportunities to support early mass timber adopters and continue to drive the #MIMassTimberMomentum!  Read more about this event here: https://lnkd.in/gvY_d3Dp

We're hiring a Forest Legacy Program and Land Specialist. This is an amazing opportunity to get involved in Michigan's forestry program and help achieve goals for forest management and conservation.

Happy National Public Lands Day! Today we would like to take a moment to highlight the vital work our Office of Public Lands is doing to combat climate change through innovative solutions on our lands and infrastructure to ensure future generations can experience the beauty and wonder of our state.  We want to thank our dedicated team, and our wonderful partners who have made these initiatives possible. A few key achievements from this past year include:    Promoting Renewable Energy: We are increasing renewable energy, particularly solar, at DNR buildings, state parks, and fish hatcheries, our departments leading energy user, to pave the way and align with the MI Healthy Climate Plans energy goals. Read more about our energy transition: https://lnkd.in/gc_58X46    Expanding EV Infrastructure: State Parks across both peninsulas are beginning to see EV infrastructure to encourage sustainable travel to top recreation destinations. Our UP also welcomed the first EV infrastructure for ORV’s! Thanks to our partners at Polaris Inc., riders can now experience over 100 miles of trails powered by renewable energy! Learn more about these projects at: https://lnkd.in/gjr5-iYA & https://lnkd.in/gE8g794A   Habitat Restoration: By partnering with the local Saugatuck Brewing Company, we have been able to increase the states awareness to vital aquatic habitats and the necessary ongoing and future restoration efforts to protect them. This partnership is also working to provide funding for some of these projects as well as hands on opportunities for the public to help!  Learn more about this partnership: https://lnkd.in/g_TXVJb9   Public Engagement: One of the most important parts of any initiative is hearing from you all and increasing our project communication. Currently, our initiative towards the MI Healthy Climate Plan’s goals of protecting and conserving at least 30% of Michigan's lands and waters by 2030 is seeking your input. Find out ways to get involved at: https://lnkd.in/gG-qEEhH

With National Public Lands Day tomorrow, what better way to begin celebrating than by naming some of the things that make Michigan’s public lands so great! 🌳 28.1% of Michigan is public land, ranking it 15th in the nation with 4.6 million acres! 🏕 With this amount of public land, regardless of where you are in the state you are no more than 30 minutes away from one of the 103 state parks, 145 state forest campgrounds, or 13,000+ miles of state designated trail! 🌊 Michigan is of course known for its Great Lakes, which gives our beautiful state 3,300 miles of shoreline, more than any other state except Alaska, but did you know we also have 10,899 inland lakes that are 5 acres or larger in size?! This means you are never more than 6 miles from a body of water in Michigan!  🐟 Although we are a state of lakes, both Great and small, we also have over 52,000 miles of rivers and streams! Have you ever wondered where they flow to? 40% of our rivers feed into Lake Superior, 35% to Lake Michigan, and 25% to Lake Huron and Erie. 🦅 Our state also manages and protects over 400 species and has over 400,000 acres of state game areas, making wildlife viewing, hunting, and fishing some of the main recreational activities!     In case you needed more reasons to love and appreciate our beautiful state and all it has to offer, there it is! We encourage you all to get outside this weekend and celebrate this National Public Lands Day with us! 

UPDATE: We've postponed! Stay tuned for a future fall clean-up event.

Calling all West Michiganders! 📣 Join us, Saugatuck Brewing Company, Kalamazoo River Watershed Council and Saugatuck Township for a community clean-up event at River Bluff Park on October 5th! Did you know here in Michigan it is likely that trash will enter a waterway with more than 52,000 miles of river & streams across the state? A study also found that 22 million pounds of plastic make their way into the Great Lakes annually! Together, we can help clean-up our local habitats, protect our waterways and make a difference in our community and beyond! RSVP is not required but encouraged for an accurate supply count! Follow the link here to RSVP: ttps://https://lnkd.in/gCA9m77q This event provides a hands-on opportunity to support our ongoing partnership with Saugatuck Brewing Company to protect and restore vital habitat fish and wildlife rely on. Learn more about our partnership here: https://lnkd.in/gdrrwJre