Protected areas of Michigan

Last updated

The protected areas of Michigan come in an array of different types and levels of protection. Michigan has five units of the National Park Service system. There are 14 federal wilderness areas; the majority of these are also tribal-designated wildernesses. It has one of the largest state forest systems as well having four national forests. The state maintains a large state park system and there are also regional parks, and county, township and city parks. Still other parks on land and in the Great Lakes are maintained by other governmental bodies. Private protected areas also exist in the state, mainly lands owned by land conservancies.

Contents

Federal level

Michigan contains a number of different types of federally managed lands. There is one national park, Isle Royale National Park as well as two national lakeshores, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. There is also River Raisin National Battlefield Park, the Keweenaw National Historical Park and the Father Marquette National Memorial, although the latter is managed by the Michigan state park system for the national government. [1]

Michigan has four national forests: two in the Lower Peninsula, Huron National Forest and Manistee National Forest as well as two in the Upper Peninsula, Ottawa National Forest and Hiawatha National Forest. [2] The U.S. Forest Service owns 2.8 million acres (11,000 km2) in these forests out of the designated areas which total 4.8 million acres (19,000 km2) when including private inholdings. Several areas in the forests are designated wilderness and one area, Grand Island is a National Recreation Area. All sixteen National Wild and Scenic Rivers in Michigan are managed by the Forest Service. [3] (See List of National Wild and Scenic Rivers#Michigan)

Sleeping Bear Dunes and South Manitou Island from Empire Bluff Sleeping Bear Dune from Empire Bluffs.jpg
Sleeping Bear Dunes and South Manitou Island from Empire Bluff
Bridalveil Falls at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Pictured Rocks Bridalveil Falls.jpg
Bridalveil Falls at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Fifteen federal wildernesses [4] in Michigan cover 249,218 acres (1,009 km2):

There are eight National Wildlife Refuges covering 113,639 acres (460 km2) in the state. These include the first international refuge between the United States and Canada, the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. [5] (See List of National Wildlife Refuges#Michigan)

The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve preserves an area of 448 square miles (1160 km2) with 120 shipwrecks in Lake Huron and is managed jointly by the state and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. [6]

State level

Fort Mackinac, part of Mackinac Island State Park Fort Mackinac 2008.jpg
Fort Mackinac, part of Mackinac Island State Park
Autumn woods in Tahquamenon Falls State Park Fall Colors.JPG
Autumn woods in Tahquamenon Falls State Park

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources manages state protected areas. These include 78 state parks; 19 state recreation areas, 6 state forests, and 5 state scenic sites. [7] They also manage the Father Marquette National Memorial for the federal government. The MIDNR owns 4.5 million acres (18,000 km2) of land, 6 million acres (24,000 km2) of mineral rights, and manages 25 million acres (101,000 km2) of Great Lakes' bottomlands. Most of the protected lands, almost 4 million acres (16,000 km2) are in the state forest system. State parks range in size from 31 acres (0.25 km2) (Tricentennial State Park) to 60,000 acres (243 km2) (Porcupine Mountains State Park).

The state manages 66 state game areas primarily for hunting. Other areas include state wildlife areas, state wildlife research areas, and wildlife research stations. These cover approximately 340,000 acres. [8]

Local levels

Nature trail in Dexter-Huron Metropark Dexter-huron metropark nature trail.JPG
Nature trail in Dexter-Huron Metropark

A number of different local government bodies operate parks and protected areas. These include city parks which may be no more than a green space in a city to large regional park systems like the 24,000 acre (97 km2) Huron-Clinton Metroparks. Michigan has county parks, township parks and at least one soil conservation district park among other types. Two state parks, Van Buren Trail State Park and Kal-Haven Trail are managed on the county level. Other protected areas include nature study areas owned by several colleges and universities throughout the state. The University of Michigan, for example, has the 350 acres (140 ha) Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 350 acres (140 ha) Nichols Arboretum, 777 acres (314 ha) Stinchfield Woods, and the University of Michigan Biological Station with 10,000 acres (4,000 ha) at Douglas Lake and 3,200 acres (1,300 ha) on Sugar Island. Michigan State University has the 4,600 acres (1,900 ha) Kellogg Biological Station.

Private protected areas

A number of areas in Michigan are owned by private, non-profit land conservancies. These organizations sometimes donate or exchange land with government units and also purchase development rights from the owners of private lands. A large number exist, often with overlapping areas of operation. Many of these are open to public use, generally for nature study and some include hiking trails. According to the 2014 Protected Lands Survey conducted by Heart of the Lakes Center for Land Conservation Policy, its 27-member land conservancies have protected 588,000 acres of land in Michigan.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hiawatha National Forest</span> National forest in Michigan, United States

Hiawatha National Forest is a 894,836-acre (362,127 ha) National Forest in the Upper Peninsula of the state of Michigan in the United States. Commercial logging is conducted in some areas. The United States Forest Service administers this National Forest; it is physically divided into two subunits, commonly called the Eastside 46°14′N84°50′W and Westside 46°08′N86°40′W.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge</span>

Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge is an 11,047-acre (45 km²) National Wildlife Refuge located in Mississippi County, Arkansas, managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. It is situated 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Manila, Arkansas, and consists mostly of a shallow lake, swamp, and bottomland hardwood forests. The preservation of habitat for waterfowl in an intensely agricultural region is the primary purpose of the refuge. 6,400 acres (20 km²) of Big Lake is classified as a National Natural Landmark and 2,144 acres (8 km²) are classified as wilderness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huron–Manistee National Forests</span> National forest in Michigan, United States

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) 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adirondack Park</span> Part of Forest Preserve in Northeastern U.S.

The Adirondack Park is a part of New York's Forest Preserve in northeastern New York, United States. The park was established in 1892 for "the free use of all the people for their health and pleasure", and for watershed protection. The park's boundary roughly corresponds with the Adirondack Mountains. Unlike most state parks, about 52 percent of the land is privately owned inholdings. State lands within the park are known as Forest Preserve. Land use on public and private lands in the park is regulated by the Adirondack Park Agency. This area contains 102 towns and villages, as well as numerous farms, businesses and an active timber-harvesting industry. The year-round population is 132,000, with 200,000 seasonal residents. The inclusion of human communities makes the park one of the great experiments in conservation in the industrialized world. The Forest Preserve was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protected areas of the United States</span> Legally protected land, eg national parks

The protected areas of the United States are managed by an array of different federal, state, tribal and local level authorities and receive widely varying levels of protection. Some areas are managed as wilderness, while others are operated with acceptable commercial exploitation. As of 2022, the 42,826 protected areas covered 1,235,486 km2 (477,024 sq mi), or 13 percent of the land area of the United States. This is also one-tenth of the protected land area of the world. The U.S. also had a total of 871 National Marine Protected Areas, covering an additional 1,240,000 sq mi (3,200,000 km2), or 26 percent of the total marine area of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gifford Pinchot National Forest</span> Protected area in the state of Washington, United States

Gifford Pinchot National Forest is a National Forest located in southern Washington, managed by the United States Forest Service. With an area of 1.32 million acres (5300 km2), it extends 116 km along the western slopes of Cascade Range from Mount Rainier National Park to the Columbia River. The forest straddles the crest of the South Cascades of Washington State, spread out over broad, old growth forests, high mountain meadows, several glaciers, and numerous volcanic peaks. The forest's highest point is at 12,276 ft. at the top of Mount Adams, the second tallest volcano in the state after Rainier. Often found abbreviated GPNF on maps and in texts, it includes the 110,000-acre (450 km2) Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, established by Congress in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act</span> United States federal law providing protection to certain areas in Alaska

The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) is a United States federal law signed by President Jimmy Carter on December 2, 1980. ANILCA provided varying degrees of special protection to over 157,000,000 acres (64,000,000 ha) of land, including national parks, national wildlife refuges, national monuments, wild and scenic rivers, recreational areas, national forests, and conservation areas. It was, and remains to date, the single largest expansion of protected lands in history and more than doubled the size of the National Park System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monongahela National Forest</span> National forest in West Virginia, United States

The Monongahela National Forest is a national forest located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. It protects over 921,000 acres of federally managed land within a 1,700,000 acres proclamation boundary that includes much of the Potomac Highlands Region and portions of 10 counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Wilderness Preservation System</span> Protection of wilderness areas in the U.S.

The National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS) of the United States protects federally managed wilderness areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. Activity on formally designated wilderness areas is coordinated by the National Wilderness Preservation System. Wilderness areas are managed by four federal land management agencies: the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Conservation Lands</span> Group of federally-managed protected areas in the United States

National Conservation Lands, formally known as the National Landscape Conservation System, is a 35-million-acre (140,000 km2) collection of lands in 873 federally recognized areas considered to be the crown jewels of the American West. These lands represent 10% of the 258 million acres (1,040,000 km2) managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The BLM is the largest federal public land manager and is responsible for over 40% of all the federal public land in the nation. The other major federal public land managers include the US Forest Service (USFS), National Park Service (NPS), and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seney National Wildlife Refuge</span> Protected area in Schoolcraft County, MI

The Seney National Wildlife Refuge is a managed wetland in Schoolcraft County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It has an area of 95,212 acres (385 km2). It is bordered by M-28 and M-77. The nearest town of any size is Seney, Michigan. The refuge contains the Seney Wilderness Area and the Strangmoor Bog National Natural Landmark within its boundaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument</span> Protected area in California

The Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument is a National Monument in southern California. It includes portions of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto mountain ranges, the northernmost ones of the Peninsular Ranges system. The national monument covers portions of Riverside County, west of the Coachella Valley, approximately 100 miles (160 km) southeast of downtown Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protected areas of California</span> Protected environmental areas of California, US

According to the California Protected Areas Database (CPAD), in the state of California, United States, there are over 14,000 inventoried protected areas administered by public agencies and non-profits. In addition, there are private conservation areas and other easements. They include almost one-third of California's scenic coastline, including coastal wetlands, estuaries, beaches, and dune systems. The California State Parks system alone has 270 units and covers 1.3 million acres (5,300 km2), with over 280 miles (450 km) of coastline, 625 miles (1,006 km) of lake and river frontage, nearly 18,000 campsites, and 3,000 miles (5,000 km) of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails.

The Wisconsin Islands Wilderness is a 29-acre (12 ha) wilderness area located in Door County in northeastern Wisconsin. It is one of the smallest wilderness areas in the United States. Managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the wilderness area is composed of three islands in Lake Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sand to Snow National Monument</span> National monument in California, United States

Sand to Snow National Monument is a U.S. National Monument located in San Bernardino County and northern Riverside County, Southern California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protected areas of North Carolina</span> North Carolina protected areas

The protected areas of North Carolina cover roughly 3.8 million acres, making up 11% of the total land in the state. 86.5% of this protected land is publicly owned and is managed by different federal and state level authorities and receive varying levels of protection. Some areas are managed as wilderness while others are operated with acceptable commercial exploitation. The remainder of the land is privately owned, but willingly entered into conservation easement management agreements, or are owned by various nonprofit conservation groups such as the National Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy. North Carolina contains 1 National Park, and various other federally owned protected land including 2 National Seashores, 5 National Forests, 12 Wildlife Refuges, and the southern half of the Blue Ridge Parkway. North Carolina has an extensive state park system of 42 open units, 35 of which are state parks, 4 that are recreation areas, and 3 staffed state natural areas, along with other designated units managed by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

References

  1. "National Park Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, (2012). NPS Overview".
  2. Table 6 - NFS Acreage by State, Congressional District and County - United States Forest Service - September 30, 2007
  3. Michigan, National Wild and Scenic Rivers System
  4. "List of Wilderness areas: Michigan". Wilderness Management Issues. Wilderness.net.
  5. Refuge List by State: Michigan, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
  6. Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, NOAA
  7. [=ACRES&chartType=line Michigan State Park Boundaries], Michigan Department of Natural Resources
  8. MICHIGAN’S PUBLIC LAND BASE AND OUTDOOR RECREATION, Michigan's 2008-2012 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP), Michigan Department of Natural Resources