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Grand Haven City Council adopts 2025–2030 Forest Management Plan, outlines hemlock treatments and deer coordination
Summary
The council voted to adopt a coordinated 2025–2030 Forest Management Plan focused on protecting resistant trees, treating hemlock pests (using dinotefuran applications where needed), hazardous tree removal, trail restoration and annual monitoring; staff noted deer management remains essential to reforestation success.
The Grand Haven City Council voted Dec. 1 to adopt the city’s updated 2025–2030 Forest Management Plan, a five‑year strategy that formalizes priorities for protecting resistant trees, treating hemlock pests, removing hazardous trees, restoring trails and annually monitoring forest health. Derek Lemke, facilities and grounds manager, presented the plan and said it builds on prior stewardship work and recent field assessments across city‑managed parcels.
Dr. Larry Burns, assistant director of urban forestry and coauthor of the plan, told council the city has treated a substantial portion of hemlocks at key sites (65% in Lake Forest Cemetery, 51% in Mulligan’s Hollow in the figures presented) and described the shift in treatment chemicals. "The current medication or pesticide if you will is dinotefuran," Burns said, explaining the product was chosen because it also controls elongate hemlock scale and spider mites; he said certified applicators apply treatments carefully and that uses have a long‑standing history in Michigan.
Council members asked how the forest plan links with deer management; Burns said deer control, reforestation, invasive species management and canopy work are "pillars" of the stewardship program and that deer browsing currently limits sapling survival in some sites. He also described canopy metrics and explained the city is taking incremental steps to expand coverage beyond the initial core sites while staying cautious with the budget.
The resolution adopting the plan passed on roll call. Council and staff discussed pursuing state and regional grant funding to support treatments and noted the West Michigan Conservation CISMA had an approved but temporarily delayed grant expected to support treatments on some city parcels.
What’s next: staff will move forward with the plan’s priorities, continue to seek grant funding and coordinate deer‑management steps necessary for successful reforestation.
