Ottawa National Forest

Location and Area

The Ottawa National Forest is located in the extreme western end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

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

The Ottawa National forest covers 928,221 acres and occupies portions of Gogebic, Ontonagon, Iron, Houghton, Baraga, and Marquette. counties

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

Wilderness Areas

Wilderness Area Federal Owned Acres Total Acres
Sturgeon Gorge 14,849 16,766
Sylvania 18,327 18,327
McCormick 17,168 17,205
Wilderness Area Managing Agency Acres
Porcupine Mtn State Park MDNR 40,903
Isle Royal NP NAtional Park Service 131,880
Seney Wilderness US Fish and Wildlife 25,000
Huron Islands US Fish and Wildlife 100

Minerals

Currently (1986) there is an increased interest in: Common variety minerals such as sand and gravel occur extensively in the southern portion of the forest. Clay borrow of high quality does exist in the northern portion of the forest in large qunatities. This borrow is very suitable for lining landfills, lagoons, settling ponds.

Timber

Working group Thousand acres Percentage
Northern Hardwoods 423 46
Aspen-Paper Birch 187 20
Balsam Fir & Jack Pine 84 9
Spruce-Red & White Pine 58 6
Lowland Conifer 56 7
Hemlock 28 3
Nonforest/Nonproductive 90 9
Total 926 100

Endangered Species (by county)

County Common Name Species Endangered Threatened
Baraga Gray wolf (Canis lupus) E
Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) T
Kirtland's warbler (Dendroica kirtlandii) E
Gogebic Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) T
Gray wolf (Canis lupus) E
Houghton Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) T
Gray wolf (Canis lupus) E
Iron Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) T
Gray wolf (Canis lupus) E
Marquette Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) T
Gray wolf (Canis lupus) E
Kirtland's warbler (Dendroica kirtlandii) E
Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) E
Ontonagon Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) T
Gray wolf (Canis lupus) E

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