April 9, 2025

Resource includes areas cleared by Department of Natural Resources Incident Management Team, cooperators   

A new interactive map provides a tool for people to track roads that are now open following the massive ice storm in northern Michigan.

All roads on the map were identified as public safety priorities by the State Emergency Operations Center and were cleared of debris by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Incident Management Team, along with the Michigan National Guard and other cooperators.

“Making sure there are clear roads for vehicles in the event of an emergency has been one of our top missions since we got saws, trucks and equipment out in communities hit by these storms,” Keith Murphy, Incident Management Team Operations Chief, said. “Our crews and cooperators have already cleared more than 630 miles of roadway and we’re not done yet.”

Murphy added, “This map is a tool people can use to find clear routes to their destinations, providing options to keep them and their loved ones safe.” Read more

April 7, 2025

Hundreds of miles of roads cleared, communications protected

Clearing tree debris to reopen roads and gain access to communication towers has been mission number one for the Michigan Department Natural Resources Incident Management Team following the recent massive ice storm in northern Michigan.

In its first five days on the ground, the team, working with the Michigan National Guard and many other cooperators, put public safety first as hundreds of miles of roads were cleared in the 12-county area hit hardest by the storm.

“Our crews have been working from early in the morning until sunset to clear trees, branches and brush to make sure emergency vehicles can access roads in case people need help,” said Mike Janisse, Incident Commander.

“We currently have 15 crews in the field who are continuing to work in some of the hardest hit counties. They’ve pushed through wind, rain, slush, snow, and even more ice to help make life a little easier for people who have been hit hard by this storm.”

Working with multiple agencies, the team has cleared nearly 500 miles of roadway since the storm response began April 2. Read more

To stop the spread of oak wilt, a fungal disease that can kill red oak trees within weeks, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is urging homeowners not to prune any oak trees from April 15-July 15, the period of highest risk.

During that time period, sap-feeding nitidulidae beetles can transfer spores of the fungus from infected trees to healthy ones that have wounds. Risk is highest from mid-April to mid-July, and recent research at Michigan State University indicates that in Michigan, oak infection risk peaks in May and June.

Oak wilt also can spread when people move firewood cut from infected trees, and from tree to tree through connected root systems.

“It is important to prevent infection because this disease can kill trees very quickly,” said Simeon Wright, forest health pathologist in the DNR’s Forest Resources Division. “Oaks in the red oak family can die within weeks.” Read more

Spring migration is in full swing, and Michigan’s wetlands are alive with the sights and sounds of returning birds. From dazzling ducks in breeding plumage to soaring bald eagles and graceful sandhill cranes, these tours offer a front-row seat to one of nature’s greatest spectacles.

Join the DNR and MI Birds for a series of free, guided tours at some of the state’s best birding hotspots or join a webinar from wherever you are!

• Saturday, April 5 – Nayanquing Point State Wildlife Area tour (Pinconning).
• Friday, May 9 – Demystifying Portage Marsh State Wildlife Area webinar.
• Saturday, May 17 – Portage Marsh State Wildlife Area tour (Escanaba).
• ICYMI: Demystifying Pte. Mouillee State Game Area webinar.

Can’t make it to a tour? Enjoy the spring migration on your own! Explore Wetland Wonders or Grouse Enhanced Management Sites, or visit Cornell’s BirdCast for a bird migration forecast to help you plan a trip. For recommendations on places to bird watch, check out this MI Birds article.

April 4, 2025

Damage assessment continues following historic ice storms in northern Michigan

All state-managed trails in a dozen northern Michigan counties, including parts of the eastern Upper Peninsula, will remain closed following the severe ice storms earlier this week that downed trees and power lines and caused thousands of residents to be without power and basic necessities. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, along with the Michigan National Guard and partner organizations, is working to safely clear debris and eventually restore safe access, but this will take considerable time and effort.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday declared a 10-county disaster area, which was later expanded to 12 counties, including Alcona, Alpena, Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Mackinac, Montmorency, Oscoda, Otsego and Presque Isle.

DNR Parks and Recreation is assisting emergency crews in communities affected by the storms. This includes providing heavy equipment, sawyers and equipment operators to help with the cleanup.

Crews are working hard to clear debris from state parks and trails.

“Storm damage is extensive, and many trails are impassable and unsafe,” said Tim Novak, state trails coordinator for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. “Significant time will be needed to assess and address affected areas. Many areas may also be affected by erosion and culvert issues from the recent rains.”

Paige Perry, DNR recreation trails specialist for the north-central Lower Peninsula, asked that trail users respect the closures and allow the first responders and other partners to safely assess damage, restore power and eventually clear debris from the multicounty trails system.

“The damage was extensive in the forests of the northern Lower Peninsula where our recreational trails are found, and the cleanup effort will take weeks or months,” Perry said. “More information will be released as soon as areas are cleared and the trails are once again safe to use. In the meantime, we ask that everyone explore Michigan’s other beautiful trails until the Tip of the Mitt is reopened.” Read more

April 3, 2025

Sawdust was flying at sites across northern Michigan as Department of Natural Resources and Michigan National Guard crews worked together to clear vital areas of trees downed by the massive weekend ice storm.

Of the more than 600 service members currently activated, approximately 130 are teamed up with Michigan DNR staff across the 12-county area hit hardest by the storm that stretches across the northern tip of the Lower Peninsula and into the southern tip of the Upper Peninsula.

“We appreciate the Guard’s cooperation and help,” said Jeff Stampfly, Michigan’s state forester and chief of the DNR’s Forest Resources Division. “There is a lot of work here to be done.”

Paul Rogers, DNR fire prevention specialist, was working with the chain saw crews and said they had cleared miles of roads Thursday in Emmet County.

“They’re doing well and making progress,” he said. Rogers shared that the devastation was hard to describe.

“There are areas where there is not much damage, and there’s an area where there is a 70-foot pine that looks like a toothpick sticking up, with every branch taken off of it,” he said.

The storm downed trees across the area, leaving some forested areas looking like they had been mowed. The storm blocked many roads and knocked out power to thousands of homes. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a 10-county disaster area on Monday which was later expanded to 12 counties, including Alcona, Alpena, Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Mackinac, Montmorency, Oscoda, Otsego and Presque Isle. Read more

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s 2024 bighorn sheep survey, completed by recounting lambs in March, revealed a minimum of 350 bighorn sheep in the grasslands of western North Dakota, down 4% from 2023 and 6% above the five-year average. Despite a slight decrease from the record count in 2023, the 2024 survey was still the second highest count on record.

Altogether, biologists counted 105 rams, 199 ewes and 46 lambs. Not included are approximately 40 bighorn sheep in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and bighorns introduced to the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in 2020.

Big game biologist Brett Wiedmann was pleased to see the population remain near record levels for the seventh consecutive year.

The northern badlands population declined by 4% from 2023 but was the second highest count on record. The southern badlands population increased slightly but remained near its lowest level since bighorns were reintroduced there in 1966. Read more

?Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks released the 2025 Montana Gray Wolf Conservation and Management Plan today, wrapping up an extensive public process to capture updates to wolf management strategies and research into a new plan.

The final 2025 Montana Gray Wolf Conservation and Management Plan (2025 Wolf Plan) incorporates updates in wolf-related research, more than 20 years of management experience, evolution in conflict management, new laws, social perspectives, and public input

“The former wolf plan served us well, but it was time to make sure our management plan contained the evolutions we’ve made in wolf research, monitoring, conflict management, and the changes to the legal framework we operate under today,” said FWP Director Christy Clark. Read more

Two campers contacted the DNR Report All Poaching Hotline requesting rescue assistance after becoming stranded Friday in Dead Stream Swamp, a wetland consisting of more than 11,000 acres located between Cadillac and Houghton Lake in Missaukee and Roscommon counties.

The campers, whose names are not being released, were dropped off at the Dead Stream Swamp by a friend on Friday with the intent to camp for four days.

Rain developed during the evening hours and later turned to snow, soaking the campers and their gear. The temperature dropped to around 20 degrees Fahrenheit, which froze one of the men’s inhalers and caused him to have difficulty breathing.

The campers contacted the RAP Hotline around 5 a.m. Saturday, saying they could not self-rescue. Read more

A 59-year-old man from Caro is expected to be released from the hospital after his boat capsized Tuesday along the AuSable River in Alcona County.

Accompanied by his two dogs, the man, whose name is not being released, was fishing on a 10-foot boat when he fell into the river while trying to disembark. The water was only 39 degrees Fahrenheit, and air temperature was freezing at 32 degrees.

Using his watch, the man texted 911 that he’d fallen into the river and was having difficulty breathing. The DNR later learned that the man had open-heart surgery two years ago and had recently been feeling ill.

Alcona County Central Dispatch notified local emergency responders of the situation around 2:16 p.m.

DNR Conservation Officers Jeff Panich and Casey Pullum heard the radio communication. Based on the last known GPS coordinates from the man’s watch, they responded to the intersection of Snowmobile Trail LP96 and the Shore to Shore Horse Trail at 3:12 p.m. Read more