Hi First name / friend! Thank you for taking the time to read the September edition of the Muskegon Conservation District Newsletter! 

 

This month you can read about how to close out your summer safely with stormwater, upcoming events, our ongoing field work and more! 

 

As summer winds down and we begin to put away boats, travel trailers, lawn equipment, and seasonal supplies, it’s important to think about what’s left behind. Household chemicals, motor vehicle fluids, yard waste, and even wastewater from travel trailers can pose risks to our water, soil, and health if they aren’t disposed of properly. Taking a few extra steps this fall can help protect Muskegon County’s lakes, rivers, and groundwater as we move into the quieter seasons.

Travel Trailers and Sanitary Waste
If you enjoyed camping this summer, be sure to properly empty and rinse your travel trailer’s holding tank at a designated dump station. Never release gray water or sanitary waste onto the ground or into storm drains. These systems flow directly to local waterways, carrying bacteria and nutrients that can harm fish, wildlife, and recreational water quality. Muskegon County has several public dump stations and private campgrounds that provide this service safely.

Chemicals and Motor Vehicle Fluids
Leftover gasoline, used oil, antifreeze, and other motor vehicle fluids should never be poured down drains, onto the ground, or into ditches. The same goes for old paints, pesticides, and pool chemicals. Many of these substances are highly toxic and can travel quickly through soil and stormwater systems into our lakes. Muskegon County residents can take advantage of Household Hazardous Waste collection sites and recycling centers that are equipped to handle these materials safely.

Yard Waste and Seasonal Clean-Up
Autumn brings leaves and yard clippings, but these should not be dumped into ditches, streams, or storm drains. Yard waste adds excess nutrients to the water, fueling algae growth and degrading habitat. Instead, compost yard debris, mulch it for your garden, or use curbside yard waste collection services where available. Keeping organics out of waterways not only protects water quality but also supports healthier soils and gardens at home.

Doing Your Part
As you close out the summer season, think about where your wastes go and make safe disposal part of your routine. Whether it’s emptying your trailer at a dump station, taking old fluids to a recycling site, or composting leaves, small actions add up to cleaner water and a healthier Muskegon County. Together, we can ensure that the summer memories we carry forward don’t leave behind unintended impacts on our environment

 

 

We know it’s still early, but we wanted to get this on your radar. This is one of MCD’s next major events, and we’ll need many hands to help make it a success!

This November, MCD will be leading volunteer planting days on three Fridays: November 7th, 14th, and 21st. We'll be planting everything from large 10-gallon trees to small seedlings and dune grass.

All three events will take place at Dune Harbor Park (2161 Seminole Rd, Norton Shores, MI 49441), and each day will begin at 10 AM. Volunteers are encouraged to arrive around that time, but feel free to come when you can and stay as long as you’d like!

 

If you are interested or have any questions please reach out to Sabrina Huizenga at sabrina.huizenga@macd.org. 

 

Photo Credit: Little Lills Photography

 

Last year, the Muskegon Conservation District proudly hosted its very first Buck Pole event. While opening day of firearm season started off slow, three hunters — including one young hunter who harvested their very first deer — brought in deer. With delicious food from The Gnarly Heifer in Whitehall, exciting raffle prizes, and about 50 attendees, the event was a great success and laid the foundation for a lasting community tradition.

 

Thanks to the generous support of last year’s sponsors and partners, we were able to offer fantastic prizes and create a memorable experience for everyone involved.

 

We’re excited to bring the Buck Pole back this year, and we’re once again looking for sponsors and partners to help make it happen. This community event celebrates Michigan’s rich hunting heritage, brings together families and outdoor enthusiasts, and highlights the beauty of our local wildlife.

 

Sponsorships help cover event costs, prizes, and outreach, and offer a great opportunity for your business to gain visibility and connect with the local community. If you're a business owner, know someone who is, or simply want to support a fun, family-friendly event, we’d love to hear from you.

 

To learn more or get involved, please contact the Muskegon Conservation District at muskegoncd@macd.org

or call 231-828-5097.

 

Let’s make this year’s Buck Pole even better together!

 

As of September 1, all Muskegon Conservation District (MCD) parcels that are open to hunting are now closed to general public access. This seasonal closure will remain in effect through January 13 to ensure safety during the fall and winter hunting seasons.

 

MCD manages 19 properties that are open to hunting, leased to hunters through a lottery-style permit system. Several other MCD properties remain closed to hunting entirely.

 

Access to these hunting parcels will reopen to the general public on January 13, once the final deer season ends in Muskegon County. In late winter and spring, small game and spring turkey permits are available, allowing access to all 19 huntable parcels during those specific seasons.

 

We kindly ask all visitors to respect property rules and help us care for these public lands by leaving them clean and undisturbed.

 

For more information, please visit the Muskegon Conservation District website.

As the summer season winds down and we welcome the cooler temperatures of fall, the Muskegon Conservation District (MCD) is entering a wonderful time of year. Fall is a critical season for land management, habitat restoration, and preparation for the year ahead, and our team is hard at work laying the groundwork for a wide range of projects that will carry through into spring.

 

This season, MCD staff are engaged in everything from invasive species treatments and habitat assessments to erosion control efforts and large-scale native planting projects. These efforts are vital to protecting local ecosystems, improving water quality, and supporting native wildlife throughout the Muskegon area and beyond.

 

In preparation for these projects, our team is currently coordinating logistics and placing orders for a wide variety of materials, including dune grass, native tree seedlings, erosion control fabrics, and other essential supplies. These materials will be used to restore dune ecosystems, stabilize shorelines and streambanks, and re-establish healthy native plant communities in areas impacted by invasive species or environmental degradation.

 

Many of these projects are the result of months of planning, collaboration with local partners, and support from grant funding. As we move into the fall and winter seasons, our staff will be working in the field and behind the scenes to ensure that each project is implemented effectively and with lasting impact.

 

We’re excited about what’s ahead and grateful to our community for supporting conservation work that benefits both people and nature. Whether it's planting a tree, restoring a wetland, or removing invasive species, every action taken contributes to a healthier and more resilient environment for generations to come.

 

Stay tuned for updates on our upcoming projects, volunteer opportunities, and ways to get involved in conservation efforts right here in Muskegon County.

Bill Cook 

 

   I stood quietly overlooking the Maggia River valley in southern Switzerland contemplating the differences between the forest around me the forests of home.  I looked downslope, across a stone terrace that was once a piece of a vineyard, and marveled at the leaf pattern of some young chestnut trees where grapes no longer grow. 
    The long serrated leaves, forming a unique pattern of distribution, were once one of the most common sights in eastern North America.  No more.  Not for over a century.  Our New World chestnut has been all but eliminated from the forest by a blight imported from Asia.  That was a category five disturbance. 
    American chestnut had been the most ubiquitous tree among the eastern hardwoods.  It made excellent timber and the nuts were good food.  Nobody alive remembers the expansive American chestnut forests.  Gone like the passenger pigeon.
    As I look around where I’m standing among the shoulders of the Alps, I see the spiny fruits from last year.  They remind me of sea urchins.  I think of the wood in Conestoga wagons, named after the Pennsylvania County where German immigrants designed the vehicle.
    As I gaze across the expansive valley, framed by rock cliffs carved by glacial ice, I am reminded that the physical geography of the Alps greatly reduced tree diversity on the north side, as the forests were smashed-up against the high peaks.  There are more tree species on the south side. 
    I also think about tree species losses in the Lake States.  Chestnut only reached a small portion of what is now Michigan.  But across its larger range it’s nearly absent.  My thought process extends to American elm and red elm.  They, too, have almost dropped out of the picture, but not as substantially as chestnut. 
    More recently, most of us are all too familiar with the losses of white ash, black ash, and green ash from the emerald ash borer.  I have a small but growing collection of ash lumber.  I’m saving it for my grandchildren, so my son can make them furniture from a nearly extinct set of species. 
    Similarly, beech bark disease has removed the beech component from our forests.  Beech had an interesting distribution in Michigan, not daring to cross west of a line that ran roughly from Iron Mountain to Marquette.  Black bears are poster children among those wildlife that will lament the loss of beech.  The bears will be just fine but they’ve lost a favorite food.  And we have lost a marvelous species.
    We hear more and more about oak wilt, which has been documented since the 1940s.  The disease has spread to many oak forests, especially those oaks in the “red oak group” of species.  One can argue that many of our oak forests are largely products of human history and not “naturally” occurring.  However, to the visitor or resident, that matters little as they watch the oak forest brown and die. 
    Then also, we’ve lost butternut and bitternut.  They were always less common.  Now, they’re almost non-existent.  Our hemlocks have been hit, now, by a woolly adelgid, which is a small sap-sucking insect.  Much hemlock has been killed in the eastern states.  Most of Michigan’s hemlock grows in the U.P. and has yet to see the adelgid that has popped-up in parts of the Lower Peninsula along Lake Michigan.
    The gradual, but increasing, loss of tree species concerns some folks.  Others barely notice.  Trees are just trees.  However, the “biggie” to watch for is the Asian long horned-beetle or ALB.
    The ALB has a long host list but its favorites are maples.  Try to imagine the Lake States without maples!  The ALB has been eradicated in several places.  The closest active infestation is in southern Ohio. 
    Europe has only a fraction of the number of tree species found in North America.  By and large, their forests are less diverse and human populations significantly higher.  As I stand on my mountainside overlooking chestnut crowns, I wonder how North America will fare with massive attrition of forest species.  Europe seems to be doing alright.  Yet, I’m saddened that my grandchildren will not be able to enjoy the same sort of forests from when I was a kid. 
    I suppose time will tell. 

The Muskegon Conservation District will soon be taking orders for our spring seedling sale! This is the districts largest sale of the year with conifers, hardwoods, shrubs, seed mixes, wildlife houses, fertilizer tablets, fruit trees, dune grass and more for sale! This will be your one stop shop for planting projects and habitat restoration projects for the spring.  

 

So if you have been dreading the coming snow fall, no need to worry! Spring will be here before you know it and MCD will have all your spring planting needs!  

 

The sale will be taking place mid-March but keep an eye out for more information on how to preorder. The deadline for orders will be March 10th, 2025. We hope to see you in the spring!