The state releases a plan every 10 years to steer the strategic direction for managing Michigan's four million acres of state forest. It was planned to be released in 2025, but its release has been delayed a year due to the March ice storms in northern Michigan.
According to a press release from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, more than 900,000 acres of state forest land was affected.
"We decided that instead of proceeding forward and completing the plan that we knew was probably inaccurate," David Price, with the DNR Forest Resources Division, said. "That we would take a pause, take the time we need to at least get some basic information about the impact of the storm."
He says that the DNR is still clearing up roads from these storms, with more than 200 miles left to clear.
Parth Bhatt is a researcher with the Michigan Tech Research Institute. He said the updated forest management plan should factor the long-term impact of climate change on forests.
"But those are some kind of factors that we'd have to be careful about, like precipitation, temperature, soil health," he said. "Those are the things I think should be considered."
Public comments for the plan will begin in spring of 2026 and is projected for approval in June.
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