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History

The Huron-Manistee National Forests are 976,043 acres of public lands across the northern lower peninsula of Michigan. With many recreation opportunities for visitors, habitat for fish and wildlife and resources for local industry there is something here for everyone.

The Huron-Manistee National Forests are spread across the northern portion of the Lower Michigan Peninsula . What was once called "the land that nobody wanted” is home and host to several unique features of Michigan and the Great Lakes area. The Huron side is home to the rare and endangered Kirtland's warbler, while the Nordhouse Dunes are located on the Manistee side.

The history of the two forests begins long before the creation of either forest. The land that is now Michigan was once an unbrokenforest, inhabited by numerous Native American tribes. After European settlement of the area, logging and farming became the main forms of occupation.

The Forest Service established the Huron National Forest in 1909. Originally called " Michigan National Forest", the Huron National Forest is 437,287 acres spreading 70 miles east to west and 30 miles north to south. The forest was renamed in 1929 after an Iroquoian tribe of the Great Lakes Region- the Huron's.

The Manistee National Forest was established in 1938. The name comes from a Native American word meaning, "the whispering through the pines". Two other names were considered for the Manistee National Forest , " Joliet " and "Wolverine". The Manistee National Forest is 538,756 acres that spreads 40 miles east to west and 70 miles north to south. This forest is a product of the Depression Era, which brought the money to purchase the land that was unsuitable for farming, burned out, abandoned, tax delinquent, logged over, or sand blows. Civilian Conservation Corps men planted the trees, fought forest fires, grasshoppers, and constructed roads, lodges, and recreation areas.

In 1945, the Huron National Forest and Manistee National Forest were joined for administrative purposes and a joint supervisor's office was created in Cadillac, MI, where it remains to this day. Originally, there were seven ranger districts. Over the years, several of the districts have been merged together, to create the four ranger districts that now exist: Baldwin/White Cloud, Cadillac/Manistee, Mio, and Huron Shores (previously Tawas and Harrisville).

Land that became the forests was heavily logged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The land that makes up the two forests is broken up by private land, especially on the Manistee National Forest, primarily because of purchases made during the Great Depression. Land was bought by the Forest Service to help farmers and landowners and to inject money into the economy. However, some landowners only sold the unproductive land and kept the productive areas, thus breaking up the land purchases. Other landowners would not sell to the government.

There are 550,000 people within the counties that make up the forests. In addition, to being within a day’s drive of more than 60 million people.

Working hand in hand with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and other partners, the Forest Service has changed the "lands that nobody wanted" to healthy forests again. We've made great progress in recovering these lands but a great deal of work remains, much of which is being done through partnerships.

If you are interested in finding out more about the Huron-Manistee National Forests, let us know! In addition, we welcome your questions, comments and suggestions about any of the information you have seen or would like to see in this site. Please call 800-821-6263 (voice) or 231-775-3183 (TDD).

To view a larger version of the map - click on the map.