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.   

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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.

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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.

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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:

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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: 64-25-128

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.