Forest Resources

Forest Resources. Forest Heritage Trail. , For thousands of years, Michigan's forests have provided people with resources to meet their needs. , , The Anishinaabek used trees to create tools, canoes and homes. Their deep knowledge of trees included knowing when and how to remove birch bark from a tree without killing it. , , The logging industry of the late 1880s clear-cut forests for lumber, which was used to build businesses and homes across the Midwest. , , The Grayling area continues to be a center for both forest education and product manufacturing. , , Logging Camps and Shanty Boys , Lumberjacks, or shanty boys as they called themselves, worked six days a week, sun up until sun down. They used crosscut saws, axes and draft horses to cut and haul the trees, fueling Michigan's billion-dollar logging industry. , , The work was strenuous and dangerous, but the good pay attracted people from all over the world. Communal living in bunkhouses was typical at area logging camps, and life revolved around the mess hall. The male or female head cook kept the men well fed, providing the energy needed to work long hours. , , Mill Town , Grayling's location helped establish it as a lumbering center during the late 19th century. White pine grew abundantly in the sandy soil of Crawford County. It is also known as "cork pine" due to its light buoyant wood. , , The AuSable and Upper Manistee Rivers made it convenient to harvest and float logs to area mills. The lumber was then sent west by train, used to lay railroad tracks and build new communities on the American frontier. Grayling is still one of the largest wood manufacturing centers in the state. , , Sustainable Forests , After being overharvested in the late 19th century, Michigan's forests have rebounded. , , Today's modern forest industry efficiently makes use of every part of the tree. Proper forest management uses scientific methods to ensure healthy and sustainable forests for the future. , , Michigan Forest Products Institute , Located here on the campus of Kirtland Community College is the Michigan Forest Products Institute. The building opened in 2019, and houses programs such as Wood Science Technology and Automation Process Control that are designed to meet the growing demands of the forest products industry. , , Many graduates work for mills and manufacturing plants in the Grayling area and throughout the country. These programs also support the community. In 2021, the Wood Science Technology Program manufactured canoe paddles that local artist painted for an Au Sable Canoe Marathon Fundraiser.