Michigan Begins Recovery From Massive Ice Storm

At the end of March, severe ice storms caused massive damage to Northern Michigan forests, impacting forest health and requiring widespread post-storm salvage harvests.

The Michigan State Legislature is moving to approve $75 million to assist in recovery efforts in areas across the Northern part of the state affected by storm damage to buildings and schools, in addition to downed trees and utility poles. The state funds could help leverage $225 million in federal disaster funds requested by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

State Representative Parker Fairbairn of Harbor Springs told Michigan Public Radio that some small communities could be “bankrupted” if no assistance funding is made available. Governor Whitmer petitioned President Trump for a federal emergency declaration for the area.

The wide path of the storm reached from Alpena County in the Northern Lower Peninsula on Lake Huron to the Eastern Upper Peninsula on Lake Michigan.

An Incident Management Team has been formed by the Department of Natural Resources to work on recovery. “State and national forest and park resources in Northern Michigan have been severely impacted by storm and … the road to recovery will be long and difficult,” a statement from the forest resources division of the DNR stated.

Another source of assistance may be the U.S. Forest Service’s Emergency Forest Restoration Program, from which up to $500,000 may be sought. Foresters can ask the federal government for up to $500,000 to cover up to 75% of the cost of forest restoration through the U.S. Forest Service Agency’s Emergency Forest Restoration Program. Foresters apply through local Forest Service Agency branches, which can be found here:

https://www.farmers.gov/working-with-us/service-center-locator?fips=26031&state=MI&stateCode=26&cntyCode=031