Michigan Laws 324.52502 – Management of state forest; manner; duties of department
Current as of: 2024 | Check for updates
|
Other versions
Terms Used In Michigan Laws 324.52502
- Conservation: means the wise use of natural resources. See Michigan Laws 324.52501
- Department: means the director of the department of natural resources or his or her designee to whom the director delegates a power or duty by written instrument. See Michigan Laws 324.301
- Plan: means the forestry development, conservation, and recreation management plan for state forests as provided for in section 52503. See Michigan Laws 324.52501
- Reforestation: means adequate stocking of forestland is assured by natural seeding, sprouting, suckering, or by planting seeds or seedlings. See Michigan Laws 324.52501
- state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories belonging to the United States; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o
- State forest: means state land owned or controlled by the department that is designated as state forest by the director. See Michigan Laws 324.52501
- Sustainable forestry: means forestry practices that are designed to meet present and future needs by employing a land stewardship ethic that integrates the reforestation, managing, growing, nurturing, and harvesting of trees for useful products with the conservation of soil, air and water quality, wildlife and fish habitat, and visual qualities. See Michigan Laws 324.52501
(1) The department shall manage the state forest in a manner that is consistent with principles of sustainable forestry.
(2) In fulfilling the requirements of subsection (1), the department shall do all of the following:
(a) Manage forests with consideration of their economic, social, and environmental values by doing all of the following:
(i) Broadening the implementation of sustainable forestry by employing an array of economically, environmentally, and socially sound practices in the conservation of forests, using the best scientific information available.
(ii) Promoting the efficient utilization of forest resources.
(iii) Broadening the practice of sustainable forestry by cooperating with forestland owners, wood producers, and consulting foresters.
(iv) Where appropriate, promoting working forests for the production of forest products and ecological value.
(v) Actively managing for enhanced wildlife habitat.
(b) Conserve and protect forestland by doing all of the following:
(i) Ensuring long-term forest productivity and conservation of forest resources through prompt reforestation, soil conservation, afforestation, and other measures.
(ii) Protecting the water quality in streams, lakes, and other water bodies in a manner consistent with the department’s best management practices for water quality.
(iii) Managing the quality and distribution of wildlife habitats, contributing to the conservation of biological diversity, implementing stand and landscape-level measures that promote habitat diversity and the conservation of forest plants and animals, including aquatic flora and fauna and unique ecosystems, while giving due consideration to loss of economic values.
(iv) Managing forests to mitigate or minimize impacts from wildfire, pests, diseases, and other damaging agents.
(v) Managing areas of ecologic, geologic, cultural, or historic significance in a manner that recognizes their special qualities.
(vi) Managing activities in high conservation value forests by maintaining or enhancing the attributes that define those forests, while giving due consideration to loss of economic values.
(c) Communicate to the public by doing all of the following:
(i) Publicly reporting the department’s progress in fulfilling its commitment to sustainable forestry.
(ii) Informing the public of the positive aspects of managed forests.
(iii) Providing opportunities for persons to participate in the commitment to sustainable forestry.
(iv) Preparing, implementing, and keeping current a management plan that clearly states the long-term objectives of management and the means of achieving those objectives.
(d) Promote continual improvement in the practice of sustainable forestry and monitor, measure, and report performance in achieving sustainable forestry.
(e) Consider the local community surrounding state forestland by doing both of the following:
(i) Requiring that forest management plans and operations comply with applicable federal and state laws.
(ii) Requiring that forest management operations maintain or enhance the long-term social and economic well-being of forest workers and local communities.