FLOW raised concerns in August 2022 on camp's proposed 162,000-acre expansion
Feb. 2, 2023 Update: DNR will accept public comment on proposed Camp Grayling expansion through 5 p.m. on Feb. 8, 2023
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced today it will continue to accept public comment through 5 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 8, on the National Guard’s proposed expansion of its Camp Grayling training facility to include 162,000 acres of DNR-managed forest land. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has been receiving public comments since June 2022, and the MDNR and the military have sponsored and appeared at many public meetings to collect feedback throughout the summer and fall regarding the proposed expansion. Several thousand comments have already been shared with the MDNR, and staff has been evaluating public input as it is received. A summary of the comments will be posted on the MDNR’s Camp Grayling proposal information page. The MDNR will review the feedback received and continue discussions with the military about use of state-managed forest land for military training.
The public can comment on the MDNR’s Camp Grayling proposal information page or via email to DNR-Camp-Grayling@Michigan.gov.
August 31, 2022 article:
On August 31, 2022, FLOW submitted comments to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (“DNR”) raising concerns about the Michigan National Guard’s proposal to lease 162,000 acres of public lands to conduct military training exercises near Camp Grayling, which is headquartered west of the city of Grayling in northern Lower Michigan. This proposal would more than double Camp Grayling’s current footprint and would be the largest single land lease in state history and accordingly merits the utmost scrutiny from the DNR.
This proposal would more than double Camp Grayling’s current footprint and would be the largest single land lease in state history and accordingly merits the utmost scrutiny from the DNR.
FLOW’s comments question whether the DNR has statutory authority to lease state lands for military purposes and highlight the relevant considerations that DNR is obligated to make under state law prior to issuing any such lease.
FLOW’s comments question whether the DNR has statutory authority to lease state lands for military purposes and highlight the relevant considerations that DNR is obligated to make under state law prior to issuing any such lease.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will accept public input throughout its ongoing, open-ended process. The public can review the DNR’s Updated Camp Grayling expansion proposal Q&A and submit comments through the interactive, online map hosted on the DNR’s Camp Grayling lease update proposal webpage or by email to DNR-Camp-Grayling@Michigan.gov.
This is very destructive to habitat and destructive of species diversity. It’s a huge expansion of area and totally unnecessary. They
Need to make do with the huge acreage that they already have.Hdoesnt it make you wonder?
Have they been good stewards previously of all of that current ecosystem? That needs to be investigated. Also, they could use it for more months out of the year. And in the First place, the DNR actually does not have authority to lease state own land for military use.
I oppose any expansion of the Camp Grayling training facility. It would cause unacceptable damage to wildlife habitat. To be clear, Camp Grayling should get exactly ZERO of the proposed 162,000 acres.
I regularly comment on proposed Federal Rules and have never seen as confusing a mess as the “map” feature of the DNR’s comment format. The lack of a clear comment posting window suspiciously appears to be designed to give the National Guard what they want. I am posting via this email and will post it other places publicly so that it isn’t accidentally overlooked.
The best indication of what the National Guard trainees will need is studying what they have needed over the last 40 years. What part of the 162,000 acre terrain is hot (120 degrees Fahrenheit) and sandy?
If the Instructors at Camp Grayling were serious about training, they would be asking to expand to a vacant blighted inner city where they could train in urban warfare. The proposed 162,000 acres is a lovely place to vacation rather than train.
DNR, please do not grant the National Guard a single acre.