Grand Haven City Council on Dec. 1 unanimously adopted an updated Forest Management Plan covering 2025–2030 that aims to protect resilient trees, treat priority hemlock pests, remove hazardous specimens and restore degraded trail segments.

Derek Lemke, the city’s facilities and grounds manager, introduced the plan and said it reflects recent field assessments across municipal parcels including Duncan Woods, Mulligan’s Hollow and Lake Forest Cemetery. "This plan provides a coordinated 5 year strategy focused on protecting resistant trees, treating priority hemlocks, removing hazardous or heavily compromised trees, restoring degraded trail segments, and monitoring forest health annually," Lemke said.

Assistant Director of Urban Forestry Larry Burns, co‑author of the plan, described treatment progress to date: he reported roughly 65% of hemlocks treated in Lake Forest Cemetery and about 51% in Mulligan’s Hollow, and explained the shift in control agents. After earlier use of imidacloprid, the program now uses dinotefuran applied as a basal bark treatment because it addresses both hemlock woolly adelgid and elongate hemlock scale and reduces secondary pest issues when applied judiciously by certified applicators.

Council members asked how the plan intersects with deer management and questioned potential non‑target impacts of insecticide use. Burns said the plan was designed around four pillars — reforestation, invasive species control, deer management and site restoration — and that coordinated deer management is necessary before large‑scale replanting because saplings are heavily browsed. He emphasized targeted application methods and said applicators are MDARD‑certified.

Council discussion also addressed plan coverage and funding: staff noted roughly 200 contiguous acres under the current intensive treatment program and approximately 385 acres when including other parks across the river. Burns and councilmembers said the strategy will expand cautiously, pursue available grants (including a recent West Michigan Conservation CISMA award expected to treat some city parcels), and step coverage outward as budgets allow.

The council vote was 5–0 (Lyon, Dora, Fritz, Calio, Maneta) on a motion by Dora, second by Lyon. Council indicated they will continue to monitor outcomes and pursue grant opportunities to supplement local funds.

Public comment on the item included a caller, Jim Hagen, urging council to adopt the six‑year plan and budget proactively to restore forest health for future generations.