Hope for more protected wilderness areas

After the dedication of 200 acres of Algonac Prairie and Savanna Oak as protected wilderness areas, Environment Michigan is hoping to use that momentum to convince the Department of Natural Resources to designate two more areas by the time you receive this newsletter. We are actively working to ensure Michigan’s wild heritage is preserved for future generations by permanently protecting pieces of Tahquamenon Falls, Warren Dunes, Ludington Dunes and Carney Fen from oil and gas drilling, mining and logging. We’ll be meeting with officials and helping to organize local citizens to protect the areas that they care about. “No Michigander wants to see our favorite places given away,” said Environment Michigan’s Abby Rubley. “These pristine areas are what define Michigan’s natural legacy and that’s why they deserve the highest level of protection.”

Tahquamenon Falls in winter

National forests worth a lot of green

Michigan’s national forests, in addition to being a welcome respite from the city and a popular vacation destination for Michiganders, provide the state with a lot of valuable revenue.

Our September report, “Worth More Wild: The Value of Michigan’s Roadless National Forests,” catalogues the many ways that roadless areas are worth more than the logs they could become. The report lays out the case for protecting roadless areas from logging, drilling and mining—not only for their natural beauty and intangible benefits, but for the actual dollar value these places represent. Lodging and rentals, drinking water, wildlife watching are among the many revenue-generating activities that annually bring $4.1 billion to Michigan.

Read the summary and download the whole report here.