Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/category/land/)
This category encompasses land-based issues. It is further segregated with tags into such issues as farm, urban redevelopment or decay, forest, mining.
By Kayte Marshall
It only takes a sunny afternoon, a yard full of dead leaves and one bad decision to turn spring cleaning into a wildfire. The DNR and National Fire Protection Association are advising homeowners to fight fire with foresight this year, especially in Northern Michigan where winter storms left massive amounts of flammable debris and dead trees on the ground.
By Ruth Thornton
A new study finds that large, continuous natural areas protect more plants and animals than many small patches, but small patches also provide valuable biodiversity benefits. The UP has more large areas than the Northern Lower Peninsula.
By Victoria Witke
When Roger LaBine was younger, he often drove his grandfather to the Ottawa National Forest to hunt porcupines for food and more, including birch bark-and quill baskets He’s a member of the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. A notable proportion of the population relies on public forests for food, and Michigan ranked third in a new study in the amount of wild meat hunted on public lands.
By Finn Mills
here’s a proposal from a West Bloomfield senator to tighten state regulation of pet cemeteries, sparked in part by problems with a Howell pet cemetery that shut down in 2018, leaving pet owners to exhume the remains of their departeds.
By Shealyn Paulis
Two Minnesota nature enthusiasts have spent years chasing the state’s most elusive wildflowers. Their journey, filled with adventure and discovery, is now captured in their upcoming book, Chasing Wildflowers: An Adventurous Guide to Finding Minnesota’s Native Flowers in Their Unique Habitats.
By Ruth Thornton
A common practice by farmers to fertilize their fields may be spreading forever chemicals into new areas and into the food supply. It can be a cost-effective way for municipalities to dispose of sewage sludge but raises health concerns.
By Victoria Witke
A new U-M study done in Lenawee, Tuscola and Monroe counties finds that cover crop mixtures on farms can help mitigate adverse impacts of climate change, instead of single species cover crops. There are concerns about the freezing of federal payments for agriculture programs.
By Daniel Schoenherr
A new Senate bill would make it easier to subdivide parcels of 10 or more acres in what proponents say would encourage construction of more affordable housing. Critics counter it could put a strain on municipal infrastructure. Sponsor is from St. Clair Shores.
By Clara Lincolnhol
Ohio took a beating from a record-breaking 73 tornadoes in 2024. Twisters and other severe weather events are becoming more common in the Midwest due to climate change, and seniors are more at risk. As the threat from major storms grows, roughly one in five older adults living in central Ohio say they feel unprepared or uncertain of their readiness for a severe weather event, according to a recent study conducted by The Ohio State University. The study surveyed more than 1,400 individuals aged 65 and older living in eight counties to gauge their preparedness for a severe weather event. Questions were based on storm-readiness recommendations from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Overall, 78% of participants said they felt prepared for severe weather, 13% said they did not and 9% felt unsure.
The study also asked individuals if severe weather caused them significant life disruptions, such as preventing them from getting to doctor’s appointments or from accessing medication or other vital supplies.
By Gabriel S. Martinez
Capital News Service
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is looking for deals to create more green space in populated areas as part of an updated public lands strategy. The goal is to equitably provide public access to green space, wildlife habitat and public hunting closer to where people live, department officials say. Efforts in the past two years include acquisitions in Van Buren, Monroe and Ionia counties.
Those involved buying private land adjacent to public land to consolidate green spaces.
Scott Whitcomb, the director of the DNR’s Office of Public Lands, said a major pending deal involving Black River Ranch in Sanilac County is expected to close by the end of 2025. That property acquisition will bring in about 8,844 acres, including over 14 miles of the Black River, the East Branch of the Black River, Stewart Creek and three lakes including 150-acre Silver Lake. It will become part of the Pigeon River Country Forest Management Unit.
By Donté Smith
Capital News Service
Tiny homes are gaining attention in the state as a potential solution for housing challenges, offering a creative approach to affordability and community-building.
While often showcased as a minimalist lifestyle choice on platforms like Netflix, where shows such as “Tiny House Nation” highlight their appeal, they’re also being deployed as a tool to address homelessness and housing density.
These compact dwellings, defined by the International Residential Code, are 400 square feet or less in floor space. Although they can be built on foundations, most are built on trailers. More people are experiencing homelessness as affordable housing has become harder to find.
Homelessness in the state increased by 8% in 2022 compared to 2021, going from 30,113 people to 32,589, according to the latest report from Michigan’s Campaign to End Homelessness. In Michigan, where state-specific rules for tiny homes are absent, zoning and utility infrastructure often dictate the feasibility of projects. Matthew Grzybowski, the advancement operations manager for Mel Trotter Ministries, is navigating these complexities through the Hope Village initiative in Grand Rapids.