In my first month learning the Forest Ecologist ropes from Marvin Roberson (big shoes to fill, as was apparent from a quick conversation with anyone who worked with him), our main goal was connecting with the many folks with a stake and interest in protecting Michigan’s beautiful forests. The first of these “making connections” trips took us down to the Gates Au Sable Lodge, the de facto home base of the Anglers of the Au Sable and Marvin:s choice of lodging, any time he visits Grayling. Here, I learned that all of the Lodge staff know Marvin by name, keep his favorite table open for each meal at the restaurant, and know his breakfast order. I also learned that fly tying relies on the feathers from roosters with a breeding and regal air on par with any winning maltese of the Westminster Dog Show.
I also learned about our Chapter’s involvement in setting aside the Dyer Pines, an 18-acre old-growth red pine stand.This is one of the rare red pine stands not lost to the destructive harvests of the late 1800s or planted by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. Marvin highlighted the rarity of this stand by explaining that forestry officials from all over Michigan point to this red pine stand in Grayling as the example of old-growth pine forest on state land.
Managing our forests to provide both necessary resources, wildlife habitat, and the benefits of old-growth for generations to come depends upon environmental safeguards. An older bill, the Fix Our Forests Act (H.R. 471) has been passed by the House and is now in committee in the Senate without much fanfare. This bill has long been touted as the solution to America’s wildfire problem, and is often granted legitimacy through sponsorship by House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman, who holds a master’s degree in forestry.
These two facts have successfully misled much of the public and their congresspeople into supporting a bill that would undermine critical environmental protections for our national forests. While we can all agree that active forest management to mitigate wildfire risk is important and necessary, especially in areas where prescribed fire is not possible due to proximity to human development, this Act would increase the size of areas excluded from environmental review, expedite National Environmental Policy Act review processes, and exempt the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management from undergoing further review under the Endangered Species Act when a new listed species or its habitat is found within a project region.
Why does good work mitigating wildfire risk have to come at the expense of environmental protections? This Act, which has not moved since March 2025, is showing signs of revival, with recent mention in a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing and news releases from the Firearm Industry Trade Association and Shooting News Weekly. Its bipartisan support, sponsorship by a representative educated in forestry, and described purpose mitigating wildfire risk, has kept its downsides from coming under widespread public scrutiny.
Environmental protections are what keep the Dyer Pines and other old-growth stands on the landscape and maintain the full spectrum of benefits that managed forests can provide. Let’s make sure that our Senators hear the real story about the Fix Our Forests Act: write or call our Michigan Senators Elissa Slotkin and Gary Peters to let them know what you think of this misguided legislation.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin: (202) 224-2512, contact form
Sen. Gary Peters: (202) 224-6221, contact form