Showcasing the DNR: Volunteers, staff come together during historic ice storm recovery, cleanup

Jill Schuldlos hadn’t been back to Michigan in 20 years when she and her 9-year-old daughter Mila returned to the U.S. from Germany earlier this year, and what they looked forward to the most was enjoying the state’s unparallelled woods and water.

“We love nature so much,” said Schuldlos, 48, whose outdoor photography business is called Nature Heals. “Mila grew up in nature, hiking the mountains – she’s been hiking since she could walk – and nature has also been a big part of my life. I’ve lived all over the United States, I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, and we moved back to the states to Rogers City to be in nature.”

But what the mother and daughter couldn’t have predicted, as they began adjusting to their new life in northern Michigan in January 2025, was how even more significant and precious nature would become to them.

They also had no idea how the timing of their relocation would coincide with a historic weather event that would leave a lasting impression not only in their life but also in the lives of their fellow community members and those who arrived from all across Michigan to assist in the storm’s aftermath.

Just a couple of months after settling into their new home in Presque Isle County, Jill and Mila Schuldlos would experience a life-changing natural event along with thousands of other residents living in the 13 counties impacted by the devastating northern Michigan ice storm of March 28-30, 2025.

The mother and daughter were personally affected – their house lost power and heat for days, and they made the tough decision to leave the area to stay with family downstate for a short while.

They also ultimately turned the harrowing experience into something empowering by reaching out to their neighbors and volunteering to help with storm cleanup at two of the numerous storm-damaged state parks.

“I just wanted to help however I could,” Mila Schuldlos said of joining her mom as ice storm clean-up volunteers. “It was one of the things I could do. I believe that small things can make a big impact.”

Early signs of spring were just beginning to make their appearance on the landscape in northern Michigan on the evening of Friday, March 28, 2025.

Then the freezing rain started.

For the next 60 hours, until the early morning hours of Monday, March 31, freezing rain fell and ice accumulated on every available surface.

Over the course of the ice storm, some areas of northern Michigan received anywhere from 0.75 inch up to 1 inch of ice. It only takes 0.25 inch of ice to begin to cause damage to trees. Half an inch of ice can add up to 500 pounds of weight to power lines.

The initial effects of the storm were apparent by Saturday, with widespread power outages and some roads becoming impassable due to downed trees and branches.

But it wasn’t over yet. Due to the colder temperatures that followed the freezing rain, the ice remained in the trees, continuing to weigh them down, for three to four days before it warmed up enough to melt.

Ice can increase the weight of tree branches by a factor of up to 100 times. It was too much weight for many trees to bear, and by the time the ice melted, the northern Michigan landscape was forever changed.

In total, the 2025 ice storm took its toll on approximately 3 million acres of northern Michigan – that’s more than another major natural disaster, the Great Michigan Fire of 1871, which swept across the state and burned 2.5 million acres.

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency in a 12-county area including Alcona, Alpena, Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Mackinac, Montmorency, Oscoda, Otsego and Presque Isle counties.

Of the area hit by the ice storm, one-third of it – nearly 1 million acres – is managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Impacts to DNR-administered lands and facilities included:

Approximately 919,500 acres of state forest land – nearly 25% of the entire state forest system.
- 3,400 miles of state forest roads – that is the same distance as driving from Mackinaw City to Miami, Florida, and back!
- 19 state parks.
- 54 state forest campgrounds.
- 162 boating access sites.
- 3,290 miles of motorized and nonmotorized trails – that is longer than the distance from New York City to Dublin, Ireland.
- Unbelievable damage – and hope for recovery
- Jill and Mila Schuldlos remained downstate for several days before feeling the pull to return to Rogers City. They learned that their home’s power had been restored, and they wanted to help their community.

They weren’t, however, prepared for the scene that awaited them.

“We were devastated. I was very emotional,” Jill Schuldlos said. “A lot of the beautiful trees were obviously broken and laying everywhere. One of the trees near the apartment complex next to us – a huge, beautiful tree – had broken and fallen on the building … Everything was extremely impacted. It was apocalyptic is all I can say.”

The DNR would eventually place a call-out for volunteers to assist with ice storm cleanup, but first department staff – many of whom were personally affected by the storm themselves – would do whatever they could to help in the storm’s immediate aftermath.

Rich Hill, Gaylord district supervisor for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division, recalled how out of 11 operational units in the region, only one had electricity – but no phone service – following the storm.

“Ice stayed in the trees until about Thursday,” said Hill, whose own home was in the storm’s path. “It was unbelievable what you saw – miles of power lines snapped in half, power lines you had to drive over everywhere you would go. It was just pure devastation. It’s a testament to DNR staff that while they were dealing with this at home, they were also working hard to help.”

Initially, an incident management team was established April 2 at Camp Grayling, with public safety and emergency response top priorities. State officials, DNR staff and the Michigan National Guard all worked together on this effort.

“The extraordinary men and women of the DNR who responded – they didn’t hesitate,” said Kristin Phillips, chief administrative officer and deputy director of the DNR, citing the 500 miles of roads that the team helped clear in the five days following the ice storm. “It was about restoring lifelines.”

After about two weeks, damage assessment of DNR resources began in earnest with the launch of a unified command team, also known as the DNR Ice Storm Response Team.

As of this fall, hundreds of DNR staff members have contributed tens of thousands of hours to the ice storm response. Work is ongoing, and residents are still recovering from the effects of the storm. Still, significant strides have been made over the past seven months.

Recovery milestones have included reopening overnight lodging at impacted state parks by May 15 and affected state forest campgrounds and boating access sites by July 4. In addition, access to the highest priority roads for wildfire season, as well as to fish stocking sites and tree-planting areas, all were restored in time this spring.

“The hard work and dedication of our staff following the devastation of the March ice storm to reopen Northern Michigan’s outdoor recreation facilities has been tremendous,” said Chris Stark, who helped lead the DNR’s unified command team.

“The parks, trails, boating facilities and forests are the heart of most local economies and where people go to connect with nature and refresh themselves from the daily grind of life,” Stark said. “The work accomplished over the past seven months is difficult to quantify with just figures and statistics but is nothing short of remarkable. None of this would be possible without our team from across the state who have stepped up while balancing their daily responsibilities to complete the mission.”

David Price, DNR manager of forest planning and operations, said the DNR’s Forest Resources Division also is continuing cleanup work stemming from the March ice storm, with DNR staff prioritizing the clearing of storm debris from many miles of state forest roads this fall. Additionally, the Legislature appropriated $16.5 million of general fund money for replanting trees in ice storm-devastated areas of the state forest.

Volunteers make big difference

As the DNR continued its work to assess damage, protect wildlife and resources, and reopen state-managed facilities, trails, forests and roads, Michigan residents reached out to inquire about helping with cleanup efforts.

With the summer camping and outdoor recreation season fast approaching, the DNR organized a volunteer sign-up and began coordinating workdays in areas damaged by the storm.

More than 100 people donated nearly 500 hours of their time during a series of cleanup events at state parks, said Michelle O’Kelly, volunteer coordinator for the ice storm recovery efforts.

“Volunteers came from all over the state to help us in our last stages of getting parks open before summer,” O’Kelly said. “I am deeply grateful for every helping hand and for those who shared stories reflecting on their shared love for our parks.”

For Jill and Mila Schuldlos, helping ensure state parks could reopen by summer was a big goal. When they learned in late June of workdays at Onaway State Park in Presque Isle County, they eagerly signed up.

“We had never been to Onaway State Park, so what a great opportunity to visit and also help,” Jill Schuldlos said. “A lot of it was raking leaves, picking up debris. Mila was the only child, and she worked hard. She worked with us the entire time. We had huge tarps, and we put the debris on them and dragged them to the side for the DNR. We worked for three or four hours, and it was hot, almost 90 degrees. It was incredible how much was done. Everyone was sharing their story, everyone was talking. It was a cool camaraderie.”

Mila Schuldlos added, “There were a lot of garter snakes.”

Later, in July, they helped with cleanup at Clear Lake State Park in Montmorency County.

“That was trail cleanup, and there were a lot more people, maybe 60,” Jill Schuldlos said. “After DNR staff used chainsaws, we dragged out a lot of stuff.”

A stronger community
Along with volunteering at the state parks, Jill and Mila Schuldlos decided to reach out to their neighbors and community members by welcoming them into their home.

“I had a small camping stove, and Mila and I set up a station in our apartment and people could come in and out – we made it a community place,” said Jill Schuldlos, who homeschools her daughter. “Everyone could come and get information and just sit and talk and feel safe.”

They’re both confident in their community’s resilience and hopeful about how nature in northern Michigan will eventually recover.

“I grew up in Michigan going up north camping and to the sand dunes, and I think it’s important for Mila to see that when you have a strong love for something, you have a commitment during the good and the bad,” she said. “I think it’s incredibly important that we protect our natural resources, and Michigan is a beautiful state – I think we can take it for granted sometimes.

“After the devastation happened, we felt the impact of that. It was important that we show we really appreciate the nature here and we wanted to be able to get that back as fast as possible and, like Mila has said, to help the community.”

Mila Schuldlos is optimistic about what’s ahead.

“I kind of feel like there is going to be new growth, maybe next spring,” she said. “Nature might remake the trees in a more beautiful way.”

While nearly all state parks, boating access sites and campgrounds (with one exception) have reopened, approximately 7% of motorized and nonmotorized trails remain closed. Learn more by visiting the DNR’s ice storm-related closures map and dashboard.

For statewide resources related to the ice storm, visit Michigan.gov/IceStorm.

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