Funding for this grant program is provided by the Inflation Reduction Act and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, Urban and Community Forestry Program in partnership with the Michigan DNR Urban and Community Forestry Program.

Jan. 24 webinar

Prospective applicants are invited to attend a two-hour grant webinar at 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, to learn about the grant program and how to use the MiGrants system. The webinar will be recorded and posted on the DNR’s UCF webpage.

Register for webinar

“Trees provide essential benefits, from improving air and water quality to cooling neighborhoods and enhancing quality of life,” said Kerry Gray, DNR Urban and Community Forestry grant specialist. “This grant program is an important investment in ensuring these benefits are available to all Michigan residents. By increasing tree canopy in disadvantaged communities, these projects will support a healthier and more equitable future for our state.”

Who is eligible?

Eligible applicants include local units of government (city, village, township, county), tribal governments, state agencies, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations. Proposed projects must align with the program’s goals of increasing equitable access to tree canopy, broadening community engagement and enhancing community resilience.

Projects must take place in disadvantaged communities as identified in the DNR’s IRA screening tool. Eligible grant-supported activities include data collection and plan development, tree planting and maintenance, engagement and outreach, training and workforce development, food forests, wood utilization and more. No match is required for projects that occur in or directly serve disadvantaged areas.

All applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. March 14.

For more information on the Urban and Community Forestry grant program and access to the UCF Grant Handbook, visit Michigan.gov/UCF.

Hosted at the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center, near Roscommon, this one-day summit was established in 2019 to connect nonformal educators to the science behind natural resource management. Topics this year include threats to Michigan’s bald eagle population, invasive species management, updates from the Michigan Climate Corps and much more.

Joining the DNR will be speakers representing the Michigan departments of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and Health and Human Services. Visit Michigan.gov/NatureCenterSummit for the complete agenda and to register. The $25 registration fee includes lunch.

Questions about the Nature Center Summit? Contact Shaun McKeon at [email protected].

Make it a Wildlife Weekend

If you’d like to extend the learning, the Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education will host its annual Wildlife Weekend – this year’s theme is Cabin Fever – at the conference center following the conclusion of the Friday summit. Get more information about the event at maeoe.com/wildlifeweekend and in the story below.

This year’s program, Cabin Fever, offers sessions to help you safely enjoy the outdoors and discover more about our state’s incredible natural resources. This includes:

• DNR conservation officers demonstrating the tools of the trade they use for winter survival and showing how to endure a cold winter’s night – whether you’re lost in the forest or stuck in a stalled car.
• DNR wildlife biologist Mark Boersen talking about Michigan’s most famous winter sleeper, the black bear, and perhaps investigating the types of areas where they build their dens.
• DNR Outdoor Skills Academy instructor Jeff Lash teaching about wild edibles such as wild mushrooms.
• Retired teacher Mike Latus guiding you through Michigan’s beautiful night sky.

Wildlife Weekend is open to everyone 18 and older of any outdoor experience level. Participants can enjoy the RAM Center’s food, campfires and festivities, kicking off at 5 p.m. Friday and wrapping up with lunch Sunday, giving everyone plenty of time to get home for the Super Bowl. There also will be a bit of free time Saturday afternoon for those who want to explore the grounds and trails on their own.

The packed weekend, with two nights’ lodging, six meals and course instruction, is $345 per person. Space is limited, so save your spot by registering soon at maeoe.com/wildlifeweekend.

Questions? Contact Kevin Frailey, DNR Education Services manager, at 517-231-9046.

Part I of the Winter Waterfowl ID Webinar series, with the Detroit Bird Alliance (formerly Detroit Audubon), Ducks Unlimited and the River Raisin Institute, dug into winter waterfowl spots, dabbling and diving duck identification, and ways to help conserve birds and their habitat. In the second installment of the webinar series, you’ll explore how to identify geese and swans, where to spot them, the habitats they rely on to thrive, and conservation efforts across Michigan and beyond.

Register for Winter Waterfowl ID Webinar Part II

• Thursday, Jan. 30.
• Noon-1 p.m. ET.
• RSVP required; register now.

Presenters include John Coluccy, director of conservation planning, Ducks Unlimited; Kylie McElrath, conservation manager, Audubon Great Lakes; and Patrick Doran, Midwest director of strategy, measures and science, The Nature Conservancy.

Questions? Contact Erin Ford, Audubon Great Lakes, at 313-820-0809.

You can stay current on the latest invasives information with the NotMISpecies webinar series, a collection of species-specific actions, research and innovations designed to help communities prevent and manage harmful invasive species. Question-and-answer sessions and links to resources help everyone get the most out of each presentation. Upcoming webinars include:

• Tuesday, Jan. 14, 9-10 a.m. – “Don’t Let it Loose! Protecting Michigan’s Waterways from Pesky Pets and Plants”
  When non-native aquatic plants and pets outgrow their aquariums or water gardens, it can be a big problem. Paige Filice, with the Michigan State University Extension Center for Lakes and Streams, talks about the “don’t let it loose” campaign and working with leading retailers and conservation organizations.
• Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 9 a.m. –  “Road Trippin’: How MDOT Manages Michigan’s Highways”
  Carla Ahlschwede shares how the Michigan Department of Transportation keeps our highways safe and the role it plays in managing invasive species along roadsides across the state.

“Even during consistent cold stretches, pressure cracks in the ice can develop within hours,” said Lt. Skip Hagy, DNR law enforcement supervisor in Newberry. “There is no such thing as ‘safe’ ice. Always check conditions for yourself; don’t rely on what you see others doing or what they tell you.”

River mouths and other places where river or lake currents may be located are often places of unstable ice. Reservoirs with changing water levels also require great caution.

Frozen bodies of water should be checked very carefully before braving the ice. While there is no perfectly reliable method to determine if ice is safe, you can use a spud, needle bar or auger to test the thickness and quality of ice.

“Keep in mind that warm spells as brief as one day may weaken the ice,” Hagy said. “Melting ice during the day only partially refreezes at night, creating a thin layer of unstable ice.”

The DNR suggests wearing a buoyant fishing jacket or snowmobile suit. Additionally, wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket as the outermost layer of clothing, and have a pair of ice picks and a whistle clipped to your chest.

“Nobody plans to fall through the ice, but you should be prepared in case it happens,” Hagy said. “If you fall through the ice, the most important thing is to remain calm and return in the direction you came from. Return to the ice where you broke through, and pull yourself out of the water, rolling onto the ice. Don’t try to stand. Instead, crawl to help distribute your weight until you feel you’re safely away from the weak spot. Seek help immediately to prevent hypothermia.”

Additional ice safety tips include:

• If there’s ice on the lake but water around the shoreline, use extra caution.
• If you are visiting a new area, ask locals at bait shops, restaurants or stores about ice conditions, but always check conditions for yourself before going onto the ice.
• If you’re walking on the ice, wear a pair of ice-cleats to help with traction.
• Wear bright colors to increase your visibility. White clothing and gear are difficult to see.
• Use the buddy system and tell someone who is staying on shore where you will be and when you plan to return.
• If you’re operating a snowmobile or off-road vehicle, ride in a staggered line. This makes it easier to maneuver in case a rider ahead of you breaks through the ice.

“Ice picks are inexpensive insurance, a great purchase or gift for anyone who ventures onto ice-covered bodies of water,” Hagy added.

For more information, visit Michigan.gov/IceSafety. For snowmobile safety tips, go to Michigan.gov/RideRight.

“It was another exceptional fall fish stocking season, enhancing fishing opportunities throughout Michigan,” said DNR Fish Production Program manager Aaron Switzer. “Combined with our successful spring and summer stocking efforts, that brings the total for 2024 to more than 9.7 million fish stocked in Michigan’s waters.”

The number and type of fish stocked vary by hatchery, as each facility’s ability to rear fish differs due to water supply and temperature. In Michigan, there are six state and three cooperative hatcheries that work together to produce the species, strain and size of fish needed by fisheries managers. These fish must then be delivered at a specific time and location for stocking to ensure their success.

In general, fish are reared in Michigan’s state fish hatcheries anywhere from one month to 1 1/2 years before they are stocked. Most fish in Michigan are stocked in the spring, but some fish are stocked in the fall because they require less time and fewer resources to rear in hatcheries, and may adjust better to new environments as they are younger and more adaptable to change.

Seven species were stocked this fall: Atlantic salmon, brook trout, brown trout, lake trout, rainbow trout (Eagle Lake and steelhead strains), walleye and muskellunge.

• Marquette State Fish Hatchery (near Marquette) stocked 28,403 fall fingerling and 606 adult brook trout that weighed a combined 1,835 pounds. These fish were stocked at a total of 30 locations in the Upper Peninsula. Marquette also stocked 425 adult lake trout that weighed 1,169 pounds at two locations in the Upper Peninsula.
• Platte River State Fish Hatchery (near Traverse City) stocked one location in Lake Huron with 30,000 Atlantic salmon weighing 991 pounds.
• Oden State Fish Hatchery (near Petoskey) stocked 82,000 fall fingerling brown trout that weighed 4,494 pounds and 82,919 rainbow trout that weighed 2,681 pounds. These fish were stocked at four locations in the Upper and Lower peninsulas.
• Thompson State Fish Hatchery (near Manistique) stocked 47,014 Great Lakes strain muskellunge that weighed 5,410 pounds at 20 locations in the Upper and Lower peninsulas.
• Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery (west of Kalamazoo) stocked 1,578 Great Lakes strain muskellunge fall fingerlings that weighed 198 pounds at five locations. Wolf Lake also stocked 300,891 fall fingerling steelhead weighing 3,379 pounds in three locations.

• The Southern Lake Michigan Management Unit stocked 7,030 Muskegon strain fall fingerlings weighing 518 pounds in seven locations.
• The Central Lake Michigan Management Unit stocked 2,205 Muskegon strain fall fingerlings weighing 200 pounds in four locations.
• The Lake Erie Management Unit stocked Lakeville Lake with 2,082 Muskegon strain fall fingerlings weighing 136 pounds.
• The Northern Lake Michigan Management Unit stocked Little Bay de Noc with 5,351 fall fingerlings (Little Bay de Noc strain) weighing 478 pounds in five locations.

The DNR welcomes visitors to its state fish hatcheries and interpretive centers to witness firsthand the fish rearing process and to learn about Michigan’s waters. For more information or to plan your trip, visit Michigan.gov/Hatcheries.

To find out if any fish were stocked in your favorite fishing spot, visit the DNR’s fish stocking database at michigandnr.com/fishstock/.

This initiative is part of the trio’s 28-year collaboration. Through these grants, the organizations aim to have 1,377 trees planted along streets, in parks and in various public spaces in 2025.

“Trees provide essential benefits to our communities, from cooling neighborhoods to improving air quality and supporting biodiversity. This program helps to expand tree canopy while ensuring new trees are properly located to avoid utility conflicts and support long term-growth and sustainability,” said Kerry Gray, DNR Urban and Community Forestry grants specialist.

The statewide program is funded by the DTE Foundation and administered jointly by the DNR and ReLeaf Michigan to provide grant awards and tree-planting project assistance.

“Expanding and safeguarding Michigan’s tree population is a priority for the DTE Foundation, and this work cannot be done without partners like the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and ReLeaf Michigan,” said Rodney Cole, foundation president. “By collaborating with these dedicated organizations, we can ensure that our efforts to enhance and protect Michigan’s natural beauty will have a lasting impact on our communities and the environment for years to come.”

Open full grantees list ►

The program seeks to support and engage communities, schools, nonprofits and other organizations in environmental stewardship, neighborhood beautification and the proper planting of trees away from utility infrastructure.

Project proposals are solicited annually from eligible partners around the state. The next opportunity to apply is summer 2025.

The DNR’s Urban and Community Forestry program helps municipalities and other organizations promote and manage trees and forests by providing education, financial and technical assistance. To learn about the UCF program, contact Kevin Sayers at 517-582-3209 or visit Michigan.gov/UCF.

ReLeaf Michigan is a statewide tree organization that works to educate the public on the value of trees and how to properly select, plant and maintain them. Communities and organizations interested in volunteer tree plantings or educational events should visit ReleafMichigan.org, email ReLeaf Michigan or call 800-642-7353.

The DTE Energy Foundation is the philanthropic arm of DTE Energy, continuing the legacy of community support and involvement of its electric and natural gas utilities, which serve 2.3 million electric customers in southeast Michigan and 1.3 million natural gas customers in Michigan. In 2023, the foundation provided more than $16 million in grant support to nearly 300 nonprofits where the company has a business presence with a focus on driving positive, meaningful change in key areas like jobs, equity, human needs and the environment. As one of Michigan’s leading corporate citizens, DTE aspires not only to be the best in the world, but the best for the world, serving as a force for growth and prosperity in the communities across Michigan. Visit DTEFoundation.com to learn more.