Huron-Manistee National Forests

Huron-Manistee National Forests
Huron-Manistee National Forests
	IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources)
	Canoes on the Pere Marquette River in the Manistee National Forest.
	Map showing National Forests in Michigan.
Location	Lower Peninsula, Michigan
Coordinates	Huron 44°34′N83°59′W / 44.57°N 83.99°W ; Manistee 43°51′N85°57′W / 43.85°N 85.95°W
Area	Total - 978,906 acres (3,960 km2) ; Huron - 438,584 acres (1,770 km2) ; Manistee - 540,322 acres (2,190 km2) [1]
Established	Huron - 1909 ; Manistee - 1938
Governing body	U.S. Forest Service
Website	Huron-Manistee National Forests

Last updated April 08, 2019

The Huron-Manistee National Forests are two separate national forests, the Huron National Forest and the Manistee National Forest, combined in 1945 for administration purposes and which comprise 978,906 acres (3,960 km²)^[2] of public lands, including 5,786 acres (23 km²) of wetlands, extending across the northern lower peninsula of Michigan. The Huron-Manistee National Forests provide recreation opportunities for visitors, habitat for fish and wildlife, and resources for local industry. The headquarters for the forests is in Cadillac, Michigan.

National Forest is a classification of protected and managed federal lands in the United States. National Forests are largely forest and woodland areas owned collectively by the American people through the federal government, and managed by the United States Forest Service, a division of the United States Department of Agriculture.

The Huron National Forest is a National Forest in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It was established in 1909 after the logging era began to decline. In 1945, it was administratively combined with the Manistee National Forest, to create the Huron-Manistee National Forest. However, these are not connected and are separate forests. It provides recreation opportunities for visitors, habitat for fish and wildlife, and resources for local industry. The headquarters for the forest is located in Cadillac, Michigan.

The Manistee National Forest is a national forest located in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It has a total area of 540,187 acres (2,190 km²). It was established in 1938, and combined with the Huron National Forest in 1945 for administrative purposes, creating the Huron-Manistee National Forests. However, they are two separate forest units, as they are not connected. The area is popular for hiking, fishing, camping, boating, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and hunting. The North Country Trail passes through it, and connects with the 11-mile Manistee River Trail to form a 23-mile loop. The highest point in the lower peninsula, Briar Hill, is located here. The Manistee National Forest is not one continuous mass, but is a "mosaic" broken by private property and towns. The headquarters for the forest is in Cadillac, Michigan.

History

The Huron National Forest was established in 1909 and the Manistee National Forest in 1938. In 1945, they were administratively combined, although they are not adjacent. Huron has about 44.8% of the combined area, whereas the larger Manistee has about 55.2%.

The Huron National Forest is prone to frequent seasonal forest fires, due to ecological and geological factors including the domination of the jack pine in sections the forests, the needles of which are extremely flammable,^[3] sandy soil composition as a result of glacial outwash plain geology of sections of the Huron National Forest,^[4] and jack pine barrens management practices to create nesting habitat for the Kirtland's warbler resulting in dense, young stands of jack pine that are extremely susceptible to crowning wildfires.^[5]

Jack pine is an eastern North American pine. Its native range in Canada is east of the Rocky Mountains from the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories to Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, and the north-central and northeast of the United States from Minnesota to Maine, with the southernmost part of the range just into northwest Indiana and northwest Pennsylvania. It is also known as grey pine and scrub pine.

An outwash plain, also called a sandur, sandr or sandar, is a plain formed of glacial sediments deposited by meltwater outwash at the terminus of a glacier. As it flows, the glacier grinds the underlying rock surface and carries the debris along. The meltwater at the snout of the glacier deposits its load of sediment over the outwash plain, with larger boulders being deposited near the terminal moraine, and smaller particles travelling further before being deposited. Sandurs are common in Iceland where geothermal activity accelerates the melting of ice flows and the deposition of sediment by meltwater.

Pine barrens, pine plains, sand plains, or pinelands occur throughout the U.S. from Florida to Maine as well as the Midwest, West, and Canada and parts of Eurasia. Pine barrens are plant communities that occur on dry, acidic, infertile soils, dominated by grasses, forbs, low shrubs, and small to medium-sized pines. The most extensive barrens occur in large areas of sandy glacial deposits, lakebeds, and outwash terraces along rivers.

In 2010, the Meridian Boundary Fire burned over 8,500 acres (3,400 ha) in and near the Huron District of the Huron National Forest. The fire destroyed 13 homes, damaged two others, and destroyed or damaged 46 outbuildings.^[6]

Features

The Huron-Manistee boasts thousands of lakes and miles of sparkling ^{[ citation needed ]} rivers and streams. The nationally known Pere Marquette and Au Sable Rivers offer quality canoeing and fishing. Additionally, over 330 miles (531 km) of trails are available for hiking.

The Pere Marquette River is a river in Michigan in the United States. The main stream of this river is 63.9 miles (102.8 km) long, running from Lake County south of Baldwin into the Pere Marquette Lake, and from there into Lake Michigan.

Au Sable River (Michigan) river in Michigan

The Au Sable River in Michigan, United States runs approximately 138 miles (222 km) through the northern Lower Peninsula, through the towns of Grayling and Mio, and enters Lake Huron at Au Sable. It is considered one of the best brown trout fisheries east of the Rockies and has been designated a blue ribbon trout stream by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. In French, au sable literally means "at the sand." A 1795 map calls it the Beauais River.

The Huron-Manistee National Forests are a tourist attraction to many campers. You do not need a permit to camp on the National Forest campgrounds. However, some do require that one pays a reservation or camping fee. A wood permit is required to cut firewood.^[7]

The Manistee National Forest portion is located in northwest lower Michigan. It has varying but largely sandy terrain covered with trees. There are numerous lakes and frontage on Lake Michigan. The area is popular for fishing, camping, boating, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and hunting. The North Country Trail passes through it. It has a total area of 540,187 acres (2,190 km²). In descending order of land area it lies in parts of Lake, Newaygo, Wexford, Manistee, Mason, Oceana, Muskegon, Mecosta, and Montcalm counties. There are local ranger district offices located in Baldwin and Manistee.

Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. The other four Great Lakes are shared by the U.S. and Canada. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third-largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that of Lake Huron through the wide Straits of Mackinac, giving it the same surface elevation as its easterly counterpart; the two are technically a single lake.

Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home in a shelter, such as a tent. Typically participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more natural ones in pursuit of activities providing them enjoyment. To be regarded as "camping" a minimum of one night is spent outdoors, distinguishing it from day-tripping, picnicking, and other similarly short-term recreational activities. Camping can be enjoyed through all four seasons.

Boating leisure activity involving boats

Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels, focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or waterskiing. It is a popular activity, and there are millions of boaters worldwide.

The Manistee National Forest is not one continuous mass but is broken by private property and towns. Much of the land had been abandoned by logging companies after being logged off a century ago. The Lumberjack 100, a 100-mile ultra-endurance mountain bike race is held annually within its bounds.

The Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness is a unique feature in the Manistee portion. This relatively small area of 3,450 acres (14 km²), situated on the east shore of Lake Michigan is one of the few wilderness areas in the U.S. with an extensive lake shore dunes ecosystem. Most of the dunes are 3500 to 4000 years old and some stand about 140 feet (43 m) higher than the lake. The Nordhouse Dunes are interspersed with woody vegetation such as juniper, jack pine and hemlock. There are many small water holes and marshes dotting the landscape and dune grass covers many of the dunes. The beach is wide and sandy.

The Huron National Forest portion is in northeast lower Michigan. Its southern boundary is approximately at the latitude of Manistee's northern boundary. It has a total area of 438,538 acres (1,770 km²). It lies in parts of Oscoda, Alcona, Iosco, Crawford, and Ogemaw counties. There are local ranger district offices in Mio and Oscoda.

The Bull Gap ORV Trail is located in the Huron portion. It contains 115 miles (185 km) of ORV trails.

The threatened Kirtland's warbler nests in the area, and tours are available, subject to time restrictions.^[8]

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Kirtland's warbler, also known as the jack pine warbler, is a small songbird of the New World warbler family (Parulidae), named after Jared P. Kirtland, an Ohio doctor and amateur naturalist. Nearly extinct just 50 years ago, it is well on its way to recovery. It requires large areas, greater than 160 acres, of dense young jack pine for its breeding habitat. This habitat was historically created by wildfire, but today is primarily created through the harvest of mature jack pine, and planting of jack pine seedlings.

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The River Road National Scenic Byway is a National Scenic Byway and National Forest Scenic Byway in the US state of Michigan. This 23 ¹⁄₂-mile-long (37.8 km) byway follows M-65 and River Road; it extends eastward into the Huron National Forest and ends in the historic community of Oscoda near Lake Huron. The road parallels the historic Au Sable River which has historically been a major transportation route for floating Michigan’s giant white pine from the forest to the saw mill towns on Lake Huron. Along its course, the roadway offers access to several recreational areas as well as the local scenery. The section of the River Road that follows M-65 was added to the State Trunkline Highway System in the 1930s. The River Road was given National Forest Scenic Byway status in 1988, and National Scenic Byway status in 2005.

References

↑ "Land Areas of the National Forest System" (PDF). U.S. Forest Service. January 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
↑ Table 6 - NFS Acreage by State, Congressional District and County - United States Forest Service - September 30, 2007
↑ "Jack Pine Ecosystem". Huron-Manistee National Forests. United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
↑ Albert, Dennis (1995). "Regional Landscape Ecosystems of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin: A Working Map and Classification" (PDF). General Technical Report NC-178. United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service: 137–140. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
↑ Carey, Jennifer. "Fire Management Considerations". Pinus Banksiana Index of Species Information. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
↑ Hamilton, Chris. "Why and where do fires start (in the Huron National Forest)?". University of Wisconsin–Madison . Retrieved 2013-07-24.
↑ "Huron-Manistee National Forests - Camping & Cabins". United States Forest Service . Retrieved 2013-07-24.
↑ Tours, Huron-Manistee National Forest.

External links

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[1] "Land Areas of the National Forest System" (PDF). U.S. Forest Service. January 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2012.

[2] Table 6 - NFS Acreage by State, Congressional District and County - United States Forest Service - September 30, 2007

[USDA_Forest_Service-3] "Jack Pine Ecosystem". Huron-Manistee National Forests. United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service. Retrieved 2 March 2017.

[4] Albert, Dennis (1995). "Regional Landscape Ecosystems of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin: A Working Map and Classification" (PDF). General Technical Report NC-178. United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service: 137–140. Retrieved 2 March 2017.

[5] Carey, Jennifer. "Fire Management Considerations". Pinus Banksiana Index of Species Information. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Retrieved 2 March 2017.

[6] Hamilton, Chris. "Why and where do fires start (in the Huron National Forest)?". University of Wisconsin–Madison . Retrieved 2013-07-24.

[7] "Huron-Manistee National Forests - Camping & Cabins". United States Forest Service . Retrieved 2013-07-24.

[8] Tours, Huron-Manistee National Forest.