Stay informed on the latest developments happening in our region and the state when it comes to Natural Resources.

The Michigan Messenger has this story on how a proposal to cut down more state forest timber has faded away:

A GOP plan to raise money by logging more of the state forest has been abandoned for lack of support.
The House GOP budget proposal, released in March outlined a plan that they said would raise $25 million for the state by making significant changes to Michigan’s forestry operations.

Current state law requires the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to offer about 58,000 acres of state forest for harvest each year. The GOP plan was to increase that harvest to 100,000 acres next year and transfer timber sales to the Dept. of Agriculture, where trees would be treated as an agricultural product and logging operations would be exempted from the state business tax.

The Associated Press has this report on how public input is being sought for a plan refurbishing the Glen Haven Village Historic District:

The U.S. government has requested public comment on recent changes to a plan for refurbishing the Glen Haven Village Historic District at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

The lakeshore is also hosting an open house Tuesday at the visitor center auditorium in Empire.

The National Park Service has been working since 1992 on upgrading the buildings and landscape and improving visitor access to the former logging village and the nearby Lake Michigan beach.

The Grand Rapids Press has this story on how invasive species are a cause for gloom:

A perfect storm of invasive species in Lake Michigan continues to clarify the water to historic levels and threaten the lake's forage base from bottom and top, according to new reports from the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory.

Analysis of current and historic data from Lake Michigan shows serious threats to sport fish brought on by quagga mussels, spiny water fleas and other invasive species that continue to thrive, although researchers remain uncertain how that will influence the lake's future.