Michigan Forest Health Improves, But Faces New Storm Damage
Learn about Michigan's Progress on Pests and Setbacks from Storms.
Forest health in Michigan improved in 2024, including increased detection of oak wilt disease and hemlock woolly adelgid. This is due in part to an expansion of the Michigan DNR’s forest health team, according to the 2024 Forest Health Highlights report.
The hemlock situation in the Lower Peninsula was improved through a campaign of targeted surveys and treatments. Meanwhile, surveillance continued along the lakeshores of the Upper Peninsula, where the invasive had not been detected.
But a major new threat to forest health occurred in March of this year with an ice storm labelled “unprecedented” by the DNR, which impacted thousands of Northern Michigan acres. The DNR team is communicating the current status regarding this on a “story map” here: Check out the DNR’s story map.
Meanwhile, highlights of the forest health report can be downloaded here: