Agriculture
State partners with U.S. government on forest management
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By YUEHAN LIU
Capital News Service
LANSING– Michigan has signed an agreement with the U.S Forest Service to boost collaborative management of Michigan’s forest lands. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said the Good Neighbor Authority master agreement is “a broad pact allowing the state to supplement the work being done by the Forest Service staff on the national forests.”
The agreement would involve the three national forests in Michigan: Hiawatha, Ottawa and Huron-Manistee. “This agreement would help both the Forest Service and the state,” said Jane Cliff, a public affairs specialist at the Forest Service. Cliff said that the agreement would help the Forest Service because natural emergencies have used more of its budget lately, leaving less money for forest protection. Cliff said there are a lot of emergency situations, especially as winter approaches.