Foresters Urge Rapid Salvage After Michigan Ice Storm
Learn how early salvage can limit long-term ice storm damage.
Foresters recommend that landowners move quickly to minimize long term damage from ice storms like the Michigan storms at the end of March, 2025. Private foresters and Michigan DNR foresters advise paying particular attention to salvaging damaged pine species to avoid beetle infestation and destroying any value in the downed logs due to staining.
Hardwoods (like sugar maple, which were heavily impacted in the Northern Michigan storm) should be the subject of damage assessment. Removing damaged trees will help sustain a hardwood forest. However, harvesting in the Spring when sap is flowing brings risks to the forest, according to the DNR.
Moving quickly in harvests is good for future forest health, but also for recovering as much economic value for landowners. Metcalfe Forestry moved immediately to secure logging crews in April. Their crews harvested more than 4 million board feet of sawlogs (mainly hard maple) during 2025. In addition, they captured nearly 39,000 cords (mainly pallet wood, pine, and hardwood pulp cords).
The quick harvests augur well for the future of the land, although the economics of restoration of red pine land in the region will be complicated, Bryce Metcalfe said.
Early inspection of hardwood areas where canopy changes are causing new forest openings is important to limit invasives from moving in. Monitoring and removal can make natural regeneration of hardwood trees a possibility.
Emergency Forest Restoration Program funding was announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture soon after the storm, but has been deployed slowly. It may cover up to 75% of debris removal and replanting costs. Contacting FSA agents in affected counties (including Alcona, Antrim, Cheboygan, and Montmorency in Michigan) may offer assistance regarding how much funding has not yet been committed for the reforestation effort. Federal funding was just beginning to move in January.