MARQUETTE COUNTY, MI (AP)-- Community forests are being established in southwestern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.
The state Department of Natural Resources says Friday that federal grants are being used for recreation and educational opportunities in the 935-acre Yellow Dog River Community Forest in northern Marquette County's Big Bay area.
The forest is in the Great Lakes Basin, described by the DNR as a freshwater resource that contributes to the nation's water supply.
Lime Lake Community Forest will be in Van Buren County. The 189-acre forest will provide a natural area with easy access to the Kalamazoo, Mattawan and Paw Paw areas. It also will be managed to improve and maintain habitat for rare and endangered species, such as Mitchell's satyr. The butterfly is found only in Michigan and Indiana.
