Huron-Manistee National Forests

Location and Area

The Huron-Manistee National Forests are located in Michigan's northern lower peninsula

Note:Demographic inforamtion of a Specific County, just click on that county.

The Huron National Forest lies in parts of Alcona, Crawford, Ogemaw, and Oscoda counties.
It covers 426,000 acres and is approximately 60 miles wide east to westand from 12 to 30 miles long north to south.

The Manistee National forest occupies portions of Lake, Manistee, Mason, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, and Wexford counties.
This forest covers 524,000 acres. It is approximatley 40 miles wide east to west and 75 miles long north to south.

The two forests were combined in 1945 for administrative purposes.

Statistics

The following data is from the Land and Resource Management plan for the Huron-Manistee National Forests of 1986 by the United States Forest Service.

Potential Supply, Projected Demand, and Current Output Management levels
(1) MVRD - Thousnd Recreational Visitor Days
Decade
Output Category Unit of Measure 1 2 3 4 5
*Developed Recreation MRVD's/yr (1)
DownHill Skiing
Potential Supply 72 195 195 195 195
Projected Demand 67 85 108 135 163
Current Mgmt 67 72 72 72 72
*Developed Recreation MRVD's/yr (1)
Excluding Downhill Skiing
Potential Supply 842 1098 1106 1114 1121
Projected Demand 602 730 904 1034 1122
Current Mgmt 302 730 816 824 831
Dispersed Recreation MRVD's/yr (1)
Potential Supply 1863 2050 2255 2480 72728
Projected Demand 1408 1558 1759 2000 2320
Current Mgmt 1408 1553 1759 2000 2218
Developed recreation--excluding downhill skiing, includes campgrounds, swimming beaches, picnic areas, boat launches (including canoe), a visitor information center, and trailheads.

Dispersed recreation includes all activities occuring outside developed recreation areas, excluding hunting and fishing. Types of dispersed recreation are, canoeing, backpacking, harvesting of forest products such as blueberries and mushrooms, and utilization of 1,055 mile trail system for hiking, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, trail-bike riding, and horseback riding

Wilderness Areas

The Huron-Manistee National Forests has 3,450 acres of designated wilderness area. All of this area is in the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness.
At the time of print, there were no declared wilderness areas in either forest. The Michigan Wilderness Act of 1987 designated the Nordhouse Dunes a wilderness area.

Minerals

The geologic development of the Huron-Manistee Forests has provided a variety of potential economically important minerals. The following are found in the glacial drift: There are also deposits of industrial sand and traces of placer "gold"
The following are found under the thick Glacial drift: Even deeper deposits of salt, potash, and associated chemical stocks.

Timber

Hardwood Short Rotation (60 yrs or less) Hardwood Long Rotation Softwood Short rotation: Jack Pine
Softwood Long Rotation: Red and White Pine

Endangered Species (by county)

County Common Name Species Endangered Threatened
Alcona Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) T
Kirtland's warbler (Dendroica kirtlandii) E
Crawford Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) T
Kirtland's warbler (Dendroica kirtlandii) E
Houghton's goldenrod (Solidago houghtonii) T
Iosco Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) T
Kirtland's warbler (Dendroica kirtlandii) E
Pitcher's thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) T
Lake Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) E
Manistee Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) T
Pitcher's thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) T
Mason Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) T
Pitcher's thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) T
Mecosta Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) T
Montcalm Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) E
Muskegon Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) T
Piping plover (Charadrius melodus) E
Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) E
Pitcher's thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) T
Newaygo Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) T
Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) E
Oceana Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) E
Pitcher's thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) T
Ogemaw Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) T
Kirtland's warbler (Dendroica kirtlandii) E
Oscoda Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) T
Wexford --- --- --- ---

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