Forest Legacy

This is the largest FLA, with the most forest and the most public land. All counties, except for Keweenaw, produce significant pulpwood, and most produce large volumes of sawlogs. The economies of all counties, except for Baraga and Houghton, are at least 10 percent dependent on forests and wildland resources. While the pressures we commonly think of as threatening to forest values (i.e., urban sprawl, second home development) are not as prevalent in most of the UP as many other parts of the State, UP forests have unique features and qualities that make them well suited to the Forest Legacy Program. 

1. The UP is the only place in the State that supports wide-ranging species such as the gray wolf and the moose. It also supports larger populations of black bears and neotropical migratory songbirds. These features are in large part a direct result of the large, contiguous character of the forests in the UP. Fragmentation of the UP forests could result in losses of values or features that other parts of the State cannot support. 
2. The significant holdings of the commercial forest industry are unique to the Upper Peninsula. These holdings, in several cases totaling several hundred thousand acres, present the scenario of large blocks of land being put on the market at once, which could result in parcellation and forest fragmentation. This scenario has occurred in the northeast (e.g., in New York and Maine) and on a small scale in Michigan and is almost certain to occur in the future at a larger scale. 

The public will benefit from the Forest Legacy Program in several ways. First, the economy of the Upper Peninsula is closely tied to the forests. The forest products industry and tourism are both significant components of the economy and culture throughout the UP. Additionally, recreation associated with forests is important. By maintaining public access through FLP conservation easements, many traditional recreational activities including hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, hiking and bird watching will remain possible. Finally, the ecological benefits of having large, contiguous forests that support wide-ranging species and most of their potential biodiversity enhance the state for all. 

 In summary, the features of Upper Peninsula forests that could benefit from the Forest Legacy Program include: 

• Rare natural communities and rare and declining species
•  Wide-ranging species
• Other important wildlife habitat (e.g., areas of winter deer concentration)
• Forest and wildland-dependent economies
• Significantly productive forests
• Scenic forests
• Outstanding geologic features

To qualify for inclusion in the Forest Legacy Program, an identified Forest Legacy Area must meet the Eligibility Criteria as established by the state. In Michigan, the criteria are listed in Appendix III of the 2020 Forest Action Plan strategy. 

The Upper Peninsula FLA meets the Eligibility Criteria in the following ways: 

1. The forest products industry owns approximately 1.5 million acres of forest land. However, due to recent changes in the forest products industry, conversion of a portion of this forest land to non-forest uses is under way due to sell-off to development interests for residential and secondary home development. 
2. Consumer demand for forested areas near or on shorelines is rapidly increasing. This accrues a corresponding increase in property value, thereby making the sell-off of said lands more attractive to private individuals who own these lands now.
3. The above may result in increased fragmentation and a decrease in the amount of land available for traditional forest uses, as well as a negative impact on habitat for threatened and endangered species.
4. Important public values provided by the Upper Peninsula Forest Legacy Area:

• Scenic resources and public recreational opportunities: The UP FLA has over 1,700 miles of continuous as well as hundreds of miles of roads designated as part of Michigan’s fall color tour. Also, The UP FLA contains more than 500 miles the North Country National Scenic Trail (visit the Socio-Economic Benefits story map for details) which runs from the southeastern portion of the Upper Peninsula along the Lake Superior shoreline and through bedrock formation of the western UP.
• Fish and Wildlife Habitat: The DNR has designated over 200 miles of cold-water streams in the Upper Peninsula as Blue-Ribbon trout habitat. The Seney National Wildlife Refuge is located there as well. The large expanses of northern white cedar provide food and thermal cover for the thriving deer population. As stated above, the UP is the only place in Michigan that supports wide-ranging species such as the gray wolf and the moose, and it supports larger populations of black bears and neotropical migratory songbirds. These features are in large part a direct result of the large, contiguous character of UP forests.
• Habitat for Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species: With respect to mammals, the Upper Peninsula is home to the Canada lynx, which is listed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as a threatened species under the auspices of the Endangered Species Act. Also, this FLA contains a variety of threatened and endangered plants including dwarf lake iris, Houghton’s goldenrod and pitcher’s thistle.
• Traditional forest uses: The abundance of industrial/corporate-owned forests allows public access throughout these properties as a condition for enrolling in Michigan’s Commercial Forest Program, which provides tax breaks to participating forest landowners.
• Other ecological values: The UP FLA has more than 20,000 acres of coastal dune area and a variety of high-quality natural communities based on the habitat provided by Niagara Escarpment on the southern coastline of the Upper Peninsula. 

The Northeast Lower Peninsula FLA includes all lands (including islands) in the following counties: 

ALCONA, ALPENA, ARENAC, CHEBOYGAN, CRAWFORD, IOSCO, MONTMORENCY, OGEMAW, OSCODA, OTSEGO, PRESQUE ISLE, AND ROSCOMMON. 

Of the roughly 4.5 million acres in this proposed FLA, over 70% percent is forested. Like the Upper Peninsula, nearly 34% of the land is public, yet large forested areas exist in private ownership. Many of the features are like those of the UP, except for the wide-ranging species. The counties of this area produce large volumes of sawlogs or timber and are, in many cases, economically dependent on forests and wildlands. This FLA contains a large and important groundwater recharge zone in the Grayling Outwash Plain regional landscape ecosystem. There is greater pressure from development in this FLA than in the UP. 

Public benefits that would derive from implementation of the FLP in this area include buffering public lands and protecting groundwater recharge areas that feed many streams and lakes in the area. Continued or even increased public access to private forests could result in improved opportunities for recreationists. 

The features of the Northeast Lower Peninsula forests that could benefit from the program include:

• Rare natural communities and rare and declining species
• Other important wildlife habitat (elk herd and neotropical migratory birds)
• Forest and wildland-dependent economies
• Significantly productive forests
• Groundwater recharge areas
• Scenic forests

To qualify for inclusion in the Forest Legacy Program, an identified Forest Legacy Area must meet the Eligibility Criteria as established by the state. In Michigan, the Eligibility Criteria are listed in Appendix III of the 2020 Forest Action Plan strategy.

The Northeast Lower Peninsula Forest Legacy Areas meets the Eligibility Criteria in the following ways:

1. Consumer demand for forested areas near or on shorelines is rapidly increasing. This accrues a corresponding increase in property value, making selloff of these lands a more attractive option for private individuals who now own them.
2. Given Michigan’s current tax laws, which tax lands for their highest potential use, per-acre tax assessments for forest lands adjacent to developed areas will increase, increasing the tax burden for forest land owners. That , makes sale of land more likely due to the future tax burden.
3. The sale of large forested private tracts in the northeastern Lower Peninsula has been increasing. This trend may result in increased fragmentation of forests and a decrease in the amount of land available for traditional forest uses. It could negatively impact habitat for threatened and endangered species.
4. Important public values provided by the Northeast Lower Peninsula Legacy Area include:

• Scenic resources and public recreation opportunities: In addition to over one hundred miles of Lake Huron shoreline, the FLA contains many miles of roads designated as part of Michigan’s major fall color tour network.
• Habitat for known rare, threatened and endangered species:  The federally listed piping plover has nesting habitat in this FLA. Hungerford’s water beetle, federally listed as endangered, requires undisturbed forested stream habitat to survive. Threatened and endangered plants include Houghton’s goldenrod, Michigan monkey flower and the dwarf lake iris.
• Fish and wildlife habitat: The Pigeon River Country State Forest (located in southeast Cheboygan and northeast Otsego counties within this FLA), is the core of Michigan’s elk range, which overall supports about 1,000 elk. These are the only elk in Michigan and were originally brought in from the Rocky Mountains in 1917.  Elk native to Michigan were extirpated in the 19th century. This FLA also contains over 300 miles of Blue-Ribbon Trout Streams as designated by the DNR.
• Traditional Forest Uses:  The harvesting of timber and the forest products industry contribute significantly to the economy in this FLA. Two international forest product corporations operate large plants producing oriented-strand board and particleboard and rely heavily on wood products harvested from privately owned forests within this FLA. This area is also popular with Michigan residents for its cold-water stream and lakes which provide a wide variety of fishing and boating experiences. 

The Northwest Lower Peninsula FLA includes all the land (including islands) in the following counties: 

ANTRIM, BENZIE, CHARLEVOIX, CLARE, EMMET, GRAND TRAVERSE, KALKASKA, LAKE, LEELANAU, MANISTEE, MASON, MECOSTA, MISSAUKEE, MONTCALM, NEWAYGO, OCEANA, OSCEOLA, AND WEXFORD. 

At 6.3 million acres, this FLA is 61% forested and is less than 31% in public ownership. It depends less on forests and wildlands than the previous two FLAs, though many counties do produce significant sawlogs or pulpwood. Significant groundwater recharge areas occur throughout the FLA, and there are many scenic forest areas. Of the forested land, less is in private ownership but there is greater development pressure on private forests. 

The public will benefit from the FLP through buffering of public lands from incompatible land uses. Areas around Grand Traverse and Little Traverse Bay are among the fastest-growing in the state and property that borders public land is sought after for development. In addition, the hills and groundwater-fed lakes that are among the most attractive features of this FLA will benefit from protection of forests in groundwater recharge areas. 

The features of Northwest Lower Peninsula forests that could benefit from the Forest Legacy Program include:

• Rare natural communities and rare and declining species
• Forest and wildland-dependent economies
• Significantly productive forests
• Groundwater recharge areas
• Scenic forests
• Outstanding geologic features

To qualify for inclusion in the Forest Legacy Program, an identified Forest Legacy Area must meet the Eligibility Criteria as established by the state. 

The Northwest Lower Peninsula Forest Legacy Areas meets the Eligibility Criteria in the following ways:

1. Demand for forested areas near or on shorelines is rapidly increasing. This accrues a corresponding increase in property value, thereby making the sell-off of said lands more attractive to those private individuals now owning them.
2. The Northwest Lower Peninsula FLA is considered by many of Michigan’s residents to be the most desirable area of the state, given its hilly topography, many scenic vistas along its coastline, quaint villages, access to cultural and urban amenities and the relative ease of access via the county and state highway system.
3. Given Michigan’s current laws to tax lands for their highest potential use, assessments per acre for forest lands adjacent to developed areas will increase. This increases the tax burden for forest landowners, making sale of said lands more likely due to inability to pay future taxes.
4. The above will result in increased fragmentation of forest and decrease the amount of land available for traditional forest uses as well as negatively impacting habitat for threatened and endangered species.
5. Important public values provided by the Northwest Lower Peninsula Legacy Area include:

• Scenic resources and public recreation opportunities: The Lake Michigan shoreline in this FLA attracts millions of visitors each year. In addition to the beautiful sunsets, tourists are drawn to the over two hundred miles of sand dunes lining the coast. The Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore located on the shores of Benzie and Leelanau County draws thousands of visitors per year as it has some of the highest quality freshwater dune systems in the world.
• Habitat for known rare, threatened and endangered species: The piping plover is federally listed as endangered and uses this FLA as nesting habitat. The Hungerford’s water beetle federally listed as endangered requires undisturbed forested stream habitat to survive. Threatened and endangered plants in this FLA include Houghton’s goldenrod and Michigan monkey flower.
• Fish and wildlife habitat: This FLA contains over 300 miles of Blue-Ribbon Trout Streams as designated the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Its forests provide habitat for a wide variety of mammals including white-tailed deer, bear, coyote and bobcat.
• Traditional forest uses: The role of the forests industry is not as significant to this FLA. Forest-based tourism is perhaps a larger contributor to the local economies of this FLA. Residents of the Chicago and Detroit metropolitan areas, representing more than 13 million people, are frequent visitors to this area. Its mixture of northern hardwoods and northern pine forests on steep morainal topography attract numerous tourists seeking to hike and camp. Portions of privately held forest area within this FLA are under strong development pressures and loss of these forests would hurt the tourist-based economy. This area is also popular with Michigan residents for its cold-water stream and lakes which provide for a variety of fishing and boating.

The Southwest Lower Peninsula FLA includes all the lands in the municipalities listed below in Table 3.

This FLA is nearly 2 million acres and is roughly 35% forested (see map below). Much of the forested area is in the two largest public areas, Allegan State Game Area and Barry State Game Area. There are private forests around both these state-owned areas, as well as forests clustered along the shore of Lake Michigan. Many of the near-shore forests are on old dunes, visually pleasing and important natural communities. Allegan and Barry counties produce large volumes of sawlogs, though none of the counties are economically dependent on forests and wildlands. Portions of the FLA are important for rare communities and species and some is within a groundwater recharge zone. Development pressure is relatively high.

Public lands could benefit from additional buffering through the FLP in this Forest Legacy Area. Scenic forests along the coast of Lake Michigan could be protected from development pressure and migratory stopover sites along the corridors of the Galien and Paw Paw rivers could be shielded from forest fragmentation. The few large (over 1,000 acres) private forests that remain could be protected from fragmentation and remain accessible for traditional forest uses.

The features of the Southwest Lower Peninsula forests that could benefit from the program include:

• Rare natural communities and rare and declining species
• Significantly productive forests
• Groundwater recharge areas
• Scenic forests

 To qualify for inclusion, an identified Forest Legacy Area must meet the Eligibility Criteria as established by the state.

The Southwest Lower Peninsula Forest Legacy Areas meets the Eligibility Criteria in the following ways:

1. Demand for forested areas near or on shorelines is rapidly increasing. This accrues a corresponding increase in property value, making sell-off of land more attractive to current private owners.
2. The Southwest Lower Peninsula FLA is relatively close to the metropolitan Chicago area. Like the Northwest Lower Peninsula FLA, it too has an abundance of hill, morainal topography, many scenic vistas along its coastline and quaint villages. Its residents have relative ease of access to cultural and urban amenities and ease of access via the county and state highway system.
3. Given Michigan’s current laws to tax lands for their highest potential use, assessments per acre for forest lands adjacent to developed areas will increase, increasing the tax burden for forest landowners, making sale of said lands more likely.
4. The above will result in increased fragmentation of forest and a decrease in the amount of land available for traditional forest uses and public access, as well as negatively impacting habitat for threatened and endangered species.
5. Important public values provided by the Southwest Peninsula Legacy Area include:

• Scenic resources and public recreation opportunities: Like the Northwest Lower Peninsula Legacy Area, the shoreline of Lake Michigan attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and has more than 100 hundred miles of sand dunes lining its coast. Most of this FLA and its dunes are within two to three hours’ drive from the 8 million residents of the Chicago metropolitan area.
• Habitat for known rare, threatened and endangered species: Within this FLA is the primary habitat for two species of butterfly federally listed as endangered, . the Karner Blue and the Mitchell’s satyr. Key to maintenance of Karner Blue habitat is conservation of areas typically referred to as oak savannas and oak barrens within this FLA.
• Traditional Forest Uses: The combination of good soils and relatively mild climate provide an optimal environment for the growth of veneer-quality hardwood from prized hardwood species such as black walnut, black cherry, red oak and tulip poplar. Much of the area within or adjacent to this FLA is considered to have the highest amount board feet of veneer quality hardwoods (except for sugar maple) in Michigan. Conservation and protection of private forest lands will help ensure forest-based recreation including hunting, fishing, hiking and power watercraft-based recreation. Portions of privately held forest area within this FLA are under strong development pressures and loss of these forests and public access would diminish tourism, recreational activities and the production of high-quality forest products.
• Other ecological values: This FLA has over 25,000 acres of high-quality coastal dune area as well as portions designated as having an ecologically significant density of globally imperiled plants and animals.

The Southern Michigan Recharge Area (SMRA) includes all the land in the municipalities listed in Table 4 below.

This area is the smallest and least-forested of the FLAs (see map below). In addition to the ecologically important forests on public lands, there are many aesthetically important forests on private lands. 

Almost the entire FLA is in an important recharge area and many of Michigan’s major rivers arise here, including the Grand, St. Joseph (Lake Michigan drainage), Kalamazoo, Raisin, Huron, Shiawassee, Clinton and Flint. The forests in this FLA are under the greatest pressure from development of any. The economy of Jackson County depends on forests and wildlands.

Forests on public lands are among the most critical for maintaining the biodiversity of this FLA, and forests that remain in private ownership serve as important buffers to these public lands. Groundwater recharge areas are also being pressured for development, which is occurring faster here than anywhere in the state. Lands open to public access are less abundant here and keeping or adding to the areas that are open for recreation or other traditional uses could be valuable. Some local and county governments are establishing their own land protection measures, but the cost of land and development rights is prohibitively high. The Forest Legacy Program would offer an additional way for private land owners to protect their forest lands. 

The features of Southern Michigan Recharge Area forests that could benefit from the Forest Legacy Program include: 

• Rare natural communities and rare and declining species
• Forest and wildland-dependent economies
• Groundwater recharge areas
• Scenic forests

To qualify for inclusion in the Forest Legacy Program, an identified Forest Legacy Area must meet the Eligibility Criteria as established by the state.

The Southern Michigan Water Recharge Forest Legacy Area meets the criteria in the following ways:

1. The Southern Michigan Water Recharge Forest Legacy Area lies directly west of the Detroit Metropolitan Area that contains over half of Michigan’s 10 million residents. Commercial and residential development is occurring at the most rapid rate than any other area of the state.
2. The above will result in increased fragmentation of forest and a decrease in the amount of land available for traditional forest uses, public access and protection of riparian corridors, as well as negatively impacting habitat for threatened and endangered species.
3. The Southern Michigan Water Recharge Forest Legacy Area contains a variety of publicly owned state and county park lands. The ability of these lands to maintain their quality of recreational and wildlife values diminishes with increasing conversion of adjacent private forest lands to commercial and residential development. Important public values provided by the Southwest Peninsula Legacy Area include:

• Wetlands, riparian areas, floodplains and/or areas of predominantly high groundwater recharge potential: This FLA contains more than 700 lakes and over 2,000 miles of rivers and streams. Most of this water is adjacent to privately owned woodlands. Development pressure is highest on lands adjacent to water. Also, due to its surficial geologic characteristics, this FLA is important to the social and natural communities within and adjacent to this FLA as a source of recharge for groundwater aquifers. The Forest Legacy program can help protect these surface and groundwater resources.
• Habitat for known rare, threatened and endangered species: This FLA contains habitat for the endangered bird known as the king rail. Other rare species include the cerulean warbler, Blanding’s turtle and the eastern Massasauga rattlesnake. All these species require forest landscapes to survive and their habitat is threatened by the rate at which forest land is being converted to non-forest uses.
• Other ecological values: This FLA contains an area defined as having a relatively high density of globally imperiled plants, animals and natural communities, such as the prairie fen.

The Forest Legacy program also has many components that must be considered. These components are listed below with the location of where the data/information can be found within the Landscape Assessment Story Maps noted. All story maps can be accessed from this main page. Some of the more important trends are discussed above in the section summarizing the landscape assessment.

1. Aesthetic and Scenic Values are represented by scenic byways, scenic areas, the Great Lakes Shoreline and the many trails in the state – see the  Socio-Economic Benefits  story map.
2. Fish and Wildlife Habitat: Michigan has an extensive forest habitat that supports a broad range of wildlife species including wide-ranging species (i.e., black bear, wolves and deer). Deer have important winter habitat requirements as shown on a winter deer range map in the Socio-Economic Story Map. Many miles of riverine habitat also provide habitat for many species of wildlife and fish. More details can be found in the Wildlife Action Plan and in the Forest Legacy Program Assessment of Need. Rare species and species of concern are discussed in the  Biodiversity story map  section on Genetic Diversity.
3. Public Recreation Opportunities: A map of the public lands and a trail map for the state are shown in the  Socio-Economic Benefits  story map section on recreation. Protected areas including state parks are shown in the  Biodiversity story map  section on Protected Lands.
4. Soil Productivity is reflected in forest productivity which can be reviewed in the  Productive Capacity  story map. There is also a  Soil Resources  story map and a  Water Resources  story map that discusses related values.
5. Forest Products and Timber Management Opportunities: A map of the mill types and location is found in the  Socio-Economic Benefits  story map (in the Additional Information section) along with detailed information on the forest sector by county which is in the Forest Products Industry Total Output section.
6. Watershed Values: Water quantity and water quality are discussed in the  Water Resources  story map.
7. Threats of Forest Conversion to non-forest use comes primarily from agriculture, so forest adjacent to agricultural areas is under the greatest threat for now. Conversion to urban land use is another threat, but this seems to be somewhat stable right now although the Wildland Urban Interface continues to grow and the threat of large blocks of commercial forest land being sold has the potential to contribute to this issue. Look for more information in the  Soil Resources  and  Water Resources  story maps.
8. Historic or Traditional Use: Hunting, fishing, timber harvesting, gathering of non-timber products, wildlife observation and trail use (either motorized or non-motorized) tend to be the most important traditional uses. Although timber harvesting is relatively stable, hunting and fishing are in decline and gathering is difficult to quantify. There is also a strong desire for people to live in forested settings and the mix of human habitation in forests is referred to as the Wildland Urban Interface. This measure in Michigan is increasing and is expected to continue increasing into the foreseeable future.
9. Current Ownership Patterns: The National Woodland Owners Survey is conducted every five years and provides an assessment of private forest land ownership. The Michigan results of this survey are found in the  Socio-Economic Benefits  story map.
10. Cultural Resources: Native Americans have the strongest ties to cultural values in the forest and important areas are found mapped in the  Socio-Economic Benefits  story map.
11. Outstanding Geological Features: There is a map of geological features presented in the  Socio-Economic Benefits  story map. Michigan also has a great deal of Karst topography. Check out the Michigan Karst Conservancy information and the description under Multi-State Priorities.
12. Threatened and Endangered Species: There is an interactive component on threatened and endangered species in the Genetic Diversity section of the  Biodiversity  story map.
13. Other Ecological Values: Another huge value of forests is their ability to sequester and store carbon and help mitigate the effects of climate change. Detailed information is in the  Carbon Cycles  story map.
14. Mineral Resources: A map of the oil wells in the state as well as currently active hard rock mining operations is found in the  Socio-Economic Benefits  story map.
15. Protected Land in the State, including state parks, are shown in the  Biodiversity  story map section on Protected Lands.
16. Issues Identified through Public Involvement were converted to objectives and can be found above. The objectives that have the Forest Legacy Program as the lead program are identified. These will be the specific objectives to be accomplished by the Forest Legacy Program.
17. There are no new Forest Legacy Areas being proposed. The existing areas are shown in the map in the Priority Landscapes section.
18. The eligibility criteria and the process to be used by Michigan to evaluate and prioritize Forest Legacy projects are presented in the next section.

Check list items are to be rated as low, medium, and high for corresponding weighted points of 5, 10, and 20.

• Abuts public or other protected land
• Parcel size
• Traditional forest uses maintained with approved management plan
• Scenic resources
• Public access allowed
• Known historic/cultural values
• Fish and/or wildlife habitat
• Riparian and water values
• Threatened and/or endangered species or special communities
• Other ecological values/coastal zone/natural rivers
•  Threat of potential conversion
• Identification of completed acquisition activities
• Commitment and ability to monitor, manage, administer, and enforce
• Identification of all parties’ support in this project
• Money leverage – 25% match established
• Identification of national benefits
• Complements prior federal investment or federal lands
• Partnerships involved and identified
• Project identifies climate change mitigation or adaptation principles