LANSING, MI (AP)-- Governor Rick Snyder says Michigan needs a new plan for managing its publicly owned lands.
The state owns about 4.6 million acres, much of which was taken in the last century from private owners for failure to pay taxes. Most of the land is covered with forests that boost the tourism and lumber industries while meeting other values such as providing wildlife habitat.
But Snyder says there's no strategy for determining whether all the state's holdings make sense. He says some land may need to be sold while other parcels are added to meet needs such as linking trail networks.
Some local officials worry about the state adding to its holdings because such land isn't subject to local taxation. Snyder says his administration will work to be a good neighbor.
