Forestry Assistance
Through the Forestry Assistance Program we are able to provide, as a public service, forest management consultation to private landowners of Oceana, Newaygo, and Muskegon Counties. Whether you use your forested property for hunting, fishing, bird watching, timber production, outdoor recreation, or to assure future generations can enjoy the land - we can help you better plan, understand, manage, protect and utilize your forest resources.
When you make an appointment for a free assessment, your conservation district forester will provide customized information about your property like aerial photographs and soil survey information. During the assessment they will ask questions about your goals, objectives, and previous management history while completing a quick inventory of your land. They will also provide you with information about state and federal assistance programs for private landowners, and help connect you to local professionals who can provide you with the services you need.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development partner to fund conservation districts across the state to support quality forestry assistance delivered at the local level. Private landowners with forested property in Oceana, Newaygo and Muskegon counties who are interested in the Forestry Assistance Program should contact our District Forester at (231) 861-5600 Ex. 3005.
For Landowners
Qualified Forest Program
The purpose of the Qualified Forest Program is to encourage private forestland owners to manage their land in an economically viable and environmentally sustainable manner. Landowners receive a tax exemption for developing and implementing a forest management plan. Private landowners with 20-640 acres of forested land are eligible. The annual deadline to apply is September 1st.
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
The NRCS EQIP program is a voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers and forest landowners. To see if your forested property is eligible for participation in the EQIP program, please visit the website below.
Forest Stewardship Program
The Forest Stewardship Program connects landowners with a forester or wildlife biologist to develop a Forest Stewardship Plan for their forest. Participation in the program is voluntary, and cost share is available throughout the year. Since 1991, almost 6,000 people in Michigan have used their Forest Stewardship Plan to help them to manage, protect and enjoy their forest.
Commercial Forest program
The Commercial Forest (CF) Program provides a significant property tax reduction to private forestland owners who allow hunting and fishing on their property. Check out the DNR web page below for more information, including where CFA land is located in your county:
For Professionals
The Forestry Assistance Program works to provide an initial professional contact with landowners who are interested in forest management on their property. Our role is to provide general guidance and information and facilitate referrals to other public and private resource professionals.
Qualified foresters interested in pursuing the project(s) described below should respond to the District Forester for Oceana, Newaygo and Muskegon counties within two weeks of the posting. You may include additional relevant information in your responses pertaining to the project. Our forester will then forward all responses to the landowner. Landowners are encouraged to contact all of the consultants who reply in a timely fashion, but the choice remains with the individual landowner. Our office will follow up with landowners to ensure they get the assistance they need.
Please contact us if you would like more information on any project. We may have other information such as notes, maps, or digital photographs.
SERVICE REQUESTS:
Request Number: 64-26-03
Date Posted: 10/16/2025
Respond By: 10/23/2025
Location: Claybanks Twp., Oceana Co.
Acres: 77
Forest Types:
Northern hardwoods forest. The dominate trees include red maple, American beech, red
oak, Eastern hemlock, and sugar maple. Other less common associates include aspen, white
pine, and yellow birch. Beech bark disease and hemlock woolly adelgid are present.
Contact: Rod Denning, at (231) 861-5600 or (616) 920-9775 cell, or rod.denning@macd.org
Landowner Needs:
This family forest has been well managed in past with timber harvests by the current
landowner’s father. New landowner would like to continue the tradition and plan a new
timber harvest.
Request Number: 64-25-128
Date Posted: 9/30/2025
Respond By: 10/7/2025
Location: Newfield Twp., Oceana Co.
Acres: 37 acres total, forested area of approx. 30 acres.
Forest Types:
Beech/maple forest. The dominate trees include Sugar maple, red maple, American beech,
bitternut hickory, and black cherry. Other less common associates include Eastern hemlock,
and yellow birch.
Contact: Rod Denning, at (231) 861-5600 or (616) 920-9775 cell, or rod.denning@macd.org
Landowner Needs:
Landowner would like a timber harvest. Improving wildlife habitat and forest health is a
priority.
Request Number: 64-25-111
Date Posted: 9/2/2025
Respond By: 9/9/2025
Location: Grant Twp., Oceana Co.
Acres: 40
Forest Types:
Northern Dry-Mesic Oak Forest. Dominate trees include, red oak, black oak, white oak, and
white pine. Some black cherry, red maple, sassafras, and flowering dogwood.
Contact: Rod Denning, at (231) 861-5600 or (616) 920-9775 cell, or rod.denning@macd.org
Landowner Needs:
Landowner would like a Forest Stewardship Plan developed and apply to the Qualified
Forest Program.
Request Number: 64-25-105
Date Posted: 8/19/2025
Respond By: 8/26/2025
Location: Greenwood Twp., Oceana Co.
Acres: 20
Forest Types:
Mixed oak. The dominate trees include red oak and red maple. Other less common
associates include white pine, white oak, and American beech.
Contact: Rod Denning, at (231) 861-5600 or (616) 920-9775 cell, or rod.denning@macd.org
Landowner Needs:
Parcel is in the Qualified Forest Program (QFP). A forest management plan amendment is
needed to update the forestry practices date for two management units. QFP requires this
change by the end of 2025.
Request Number: 62-25-96
Date Posted: 7/31/2025
Respond By: 8/7/2025
Location: Wilcox Twp., Newaygo Co.
Acres: 10
Forest Types:
Northern Dry-Mesic Oak Forest. The dominate trees include red oak, white oak, and black
oak. Other common associates include bigtooth aspen, and red maple. Less common trees
in the lower canopy include American beech and black cherry. Pockets of oak decline with
dead and dying oak are present.
Contact: Rod Denning, at (231) 861-5600 or (616) 920-9775 cell, or rod.denning@macd.org
Landowner Needs:
Landowner would like to consider a timber stand improvement, salvage, single tree
selection harvest. The salvage will be mostly firewood. Overall goal is improving forest
health and future growth to maintain a healthy ecosystem.
Request Number: 61-25-81
Date Posted: 7/10/2025
Respond By: 7/17/2025
Location: Fruitport Twp., Muskegon Co.
Acres: 13 acres total, forested area of approx. 10 acres. This includes 3 separate parcels
belonging to 3 different family members.
Forest Types:
Northern hardwoods forest. The dominate trees include Red maple, American beech, and
red oak. Other less common associates include aspen, Eastern hemlock, sassafras, white
pine, and yellow birch.
Contact: Rod Denning, at (231) 861-5600 or (616) 920-9775 cell, or rod.denning@macd.org
Landowner Needs:
Landowner would like a timber harvest/timber stand improvement.
Request Number: 64-25-70
Date Posted: 7/1/2025
Respond By: 7/8/2025
Location: Otto Twp., Oceana Co.
Acres: 83 (includes 16 acres of open fields).
Forest Types:
Northern Dry-Mesic Oak Forest. The dominate trees include red oak, white oak, and black
oak. Other common associate trees include bigtooth and trembling aspen, red maple,
Eastern hemlock, white pine, American beech, and yellow birch. Less common trees in the
lower canopy include ironwood (hop-hornbeam) and musclewood (hornbeam). In some of
the wetter floodplain areas are Northern-white cedar and tamarack. Small areas of
Colorado blue spruce and white spruce have also been planted.
Contact: Rod Denning, at (231) 861-5600 or (616) 920-9775 cell, or rod.denning@macd.org
Landowner Needs:
Landowner would like a Forest Stewardship Plan developed. Landowner is working with the
USDA-NRCS to identify conservation practices to cost-share for the open field areas. When
NRCS planning is complete, the landowner will identify a plan writer to begin the forest
management plan. Note: landowner is not going to cost-share with the NRCS the forest
management plan development.
Request Number: 64-25-55
Date Posted: 5/19/2025
Respond By: 5/26/2025
Location: Hart Twp., Oceana Co.
Acres: 152
Forest Types:
Beech/maple forest. The dominate trees include sugar maple and American beech. Other
common associate trees include basswood, black cherry, bigtooth aspen, bitternut hickory,
and white pine. Common trees in the lower canopy include ironwood (hop-hornbeam).
Scotch pine and red pine have been planted in places.
Contact: Rod Denning, at (231) 861-5600 or (616) 920-9775 cell, or rod.denning@macd.org
Landowner Needs:
Landowner would like a forest management plan (Forest Stewardship Plan, QFP plan etc.)
and apply to the Qualified Forest Program (QFP).
Request Number: 64-25-46
Date Posted: 4/30/2025
Respond By: 5/7/2025
Location: Newfield Twp., Oceana Co.
Acres: 40 total. Forest (26A), floodplain wetlands (12A), plantings (2A).
Forest Types:
Oak-pine forest. Red oak, white oak, white pine, red maple, A. beech and some scotch pine.
Major creek corridor present with Eastern hemlock and Northern white cedar.
Contact: Rod Denning, at (231) 861-5600 or (616) 920-9775 cell, or rod.denning@macd.org
Landowner Needs:
Landowner is interested in a Forest Stewardship Plan. Qualified Forest Program is under
consideration. White pine regeneration is extensive, landowner would like to promote the
oak resource.
Request Number: 62-25-44
Date Posted: 4/29/2025
Respond By: 5/6/2025
Location: Beaver Twp., Newaygo Co.
Acres: 160, a combination of forest, open field, and planted red and white pines.
Forest Types:
Northern mesic hardwoods with red oak, red maple, sugar maple, black cherry, A. beech,
basswood, yellow birch, and bigtooth aspen. White pine and red pine planted in areas.
Contact: Rod Denning, at (231) 861-5600 or (616) 920-9775 cell, or rod.denning@macd.org
Landowner Needs:
Property is in QFP. Forestry practices identified in the forest management plan start in
2025. Six-year forestry activity window is now open. Past forester who wrote the forest
management plan is retired. Family wants to find a new forester to work with in the future.
Request Number: 62-25-41
Date Posted: 4/7/2025
Respond By: 4/14/2025
Location: Denver Twp., Newaygo Co.
Acres: 106, 33 acres open fields.
Forest Types:
Mesic Northern forest. Sugar maple, American beech, Eastern hemlock, and American
basswood are the most common tree species. White pine, black cherry, yellow birch, and
ironwood are also present. Vernal pools present. Major creek corridor divides the parcel.
Contact: Rod Denning, at (231) 861-5600 or (616) 920-9775 cell, or rod.denning@macd.org
Landowner Needs:
Landowner is interested in a Forest Stewardship Plan. Qualified Forest Program is under
consideration.
