Department of Natural Resoucres Asking for Public Input on Land Usage

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is looking for the public’s opinion about how DNR-owned land should be used. Houghton and Keweenaw counties are among the ten counties being discussed. Residents will have the opportunity to weigh in on how certain land parcels should be used, during virtual meetings on Wednesday and Thursday. Baraga Forest Unit Manager Brad Carlson, said resident input is an important factor in how state-acquired land is used.

The Baraga State Forest will likely retain some of the land that’s up for review in Houghton County.  But there are two other tracts that could be exchanged or disposed of in Houghton. Carlson says the process to exchange land dispose of land are similar, but exchanged land could allow the state to acquire new tracts of land.

The DNR wants input from the public about the best ways to  preserve state lands for future generations. The forum provides an opportunity speak directly with state officials about how land resources should be used. There is a virtual meeting on Wednesday at 6 pm and there will be a second review on Thursday at 2:30 pm. To access the virtual meeting search for “state land review” on michigan.gov. It’s the first link on the results page.