Norwich Bluff is on the border of the Norwich Plains roadless area in the Ottawa National Forest, one of the areas in Michigan that could lose protections against permanent roads and logging.
(Ed. Note: This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. Visit the newsroom online: bridgemi.com.)
By Laura Herberg
Bridge Michigan
Conservation groups are on a quest to keep thousands of acres of national forest land in Michigan free from permanent roads and logging.
The U.S. Forest Service is planning to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule that protects nearly 45 million acres of National Forest System lands across the U.S. — and about 16,000 acres in Michigan — from such development, with some exceptions.
The agency says decisions about how to manage wildfires and whether to harvest timber are not “one-size-fits-all” and should be made by local Forest Service officials. Some logging companies and offroad vehicle groups support the change, but not all.
A coalition of Midwest groups is trying to get people to tell the Forest Service they want the state’s roadless forest land to stay that way — and to do so before a public comment period ends Oct. 6.
“These areas are incredibly unique,” said Emma Shedd, a forest ecologist with the Michigan chapter of the Sierra Club. “It’s one of the only kinds of protections that we have like this at the federal level that prevents habitat fragmentation.”
In Michigan, the Roadless Rule protects 7,846 acres in the Hiawatha National Forest with the Delirium, Fibre, Government Island and Round Island roadless areas; 3,915 acres in the Huron-Manistee National Forest with the Bear Swamp roadless area, and 4,360 acres with the Norwich Plains roadless area in the Ottawa National Forest.
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‘Quiet and solitude’
John Rebers, a volunteer with the Sierra Club Michigan chapter, has spent time in the Norwich Plains roadless area in the western Upper Peninsula. He hiked parts of the North Country Trail and saw older forest, steep rocky areas and wildflowers.
Being in a roadless area “gives you a chance to get in touch with the roots of the country and get a feeling for what it was like,” he said. “It just allows more quiet and solitude.”
In total, the protected areas are relatively small, making up just 0.5% of Forest Service land in the state.
“It’s an infinitesimally small part of Michigan’s forests,” said Bill Cook, editor of Michigan Forests magazine. “Chances are forest managers wouldn’t find a lot of reason to manage those areas anyways.”
But Shedd, with the Michigan chapter of the Sierra Club, said that doesn’t make the land any less significant. Federally endangered species like the gray wolf, Northern long-eared bat and showy lady’s slipper, a type of orchid, are found in the state’s roadless areas, along with black bear, moose, the American martin and Canada lynx.
“The fragmented landscapes that happen when we have all these roads kind of crisscrossing through really degrades the habitat for those animal species, and is part of what makes having these larger intact areas so important,” Shedd said.
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The argument to rescind the rule
The national Blue Ribbon Coalition, which advocates for recreation access on public land, says on its website that rescinding the Roadless Rule would not result in a “private free-for-all” of paved roads, pointing out that new roads would be Forest Service roads which “are closer to the trails our community already loves to recreate on.” The coalition wants the rule rescinded, in part, to open up opportunities for the all terrain vehicle and snowmobile riders it lobbies for.
Rescinding the roadless rule wouldn’t have a huge impact on off-road vehicle access in Michigan though, according to Rich Rottier, the vice president of the Michigan Snowmobile & ORV Association.
“There’s plenty to ride in Michigan without it. It’s just it would be a new area to go ride, is all,” he said. “If they opened it, it’d be great. If they don’t, as far as the ORV is concerned, it’s not that big of a deal.”
One of the reasons the Trump Administration wants to rescind the Roadless Rule is to open up more opportunities for timber harvesting. But Justin Knepper, the executive director of the Michigan Association of Timbermen, said the state’s forest industry is struggling to find markets for the wood that’s currently available. He said our increasingly digital world means there’s less demand for paper, and faux wood products like vinyl flooring are becoming popular alternatives for hardwood floors.
“Our industry is kind of on the rocks,” he said. “So from my perspective, it doesn’t matter how many new acres come online if we don’t have a market to sell the wood.”
—————
Wildfire impact
Where there is the most disagreement surrounding the Roadless Rule, is how rescinding it would impact the ability to mitigate wildfires. Proponents say that allowing roads would make it easier to fight them. Opponents say fires can be fought from the air, that forest management tools like prescribed burns and some tree removal are typically allowed under the Roadless Rule and they point to studies that show fires are more likely to start near roads.
While the new deadline to comment on the proposed Roadless Rule change and affiliated documents is Oct. 6, a coalition of Midwest groups wants to see the 45-day comment period extended to 120 days.
By Laura Herberg
Bridge Michigan
Conservation groups are on a quest to keep thousands of acres of national forest land in Michigan free from permanent roads and logging.
The U.S. Forest Service is planning to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule that protects nearly 45 million acres of National Forest System lands across the U.S. — and about 16,000 acres in Michigan — from such development, with some exceptions.
The agency says decisions about how to manage wildfires and whether to harvest timber are not “one-size-fits-all” and should be made by local Forest Service officials. Some logging companies and offroad vehicle groups support the change, but not all.
A coalition of Midwest groups is trying to get people to tell the Forest Service they want the state’s roadless forest land to stay that way — and to do so before a public comment period ends Oct. 6.
“These areas are incredibly unique,” said Emma Shedd, a forest ecologist with the Michigan chapter of the Sierra Club. “It’s one of the only kinds of protections that we have like this at the federal level that prevents habitat fragmentation.”
In Michigan, the Roadless Rule protects 7,846 acres in the Hiawatha National Forest with the Delirium, Fibre, Government Island and Round Island roadless areas; 3,915 acres in the Huron-Manistee National Forest with the Bear Swamp roadless area, and 4,360 acres with the Norwich Plains roadless area in the Ottawa National Forest.
—————
‘Quiet and solitude’
John Rebers, a volunteer with the Sierra Club Michigan chapter, has spent time in the Norwich Plains roadless area in the western Upper Peninsula. He hiked parts of the North Country Trail and saw older forest, steep rocky areas and wildflowers.
Being in a roadless area “gives you a chance to get in touch with the roots of the country and get a feeling for what it was like,” he said. “It just allows more quiet and solitude.”
In total, the protected areas are relatively small, making up just 0.5% of Forest Service land in the state.
“It’s an infinitesimally small part of Michigan’s forests,” said Bill Cook, editor of Michigan Forests magazine. “Chances are forest managers wouldn’t find a lot of reason to manage those areas anyways.”
But Shedd, with the Michigan chapter of the Sierra Club, said that doesn’t make the land any less significant. Federally endangered species like the gray wolf, Northern long-eared bat and showy lady’s slipper, a type of orchid, are found in the state’s roadless areas, along with black bear, moose, the American martin and Canada lynx.
“The fragmented landscapes that happen when we have all these roads kind of crisscrossing through really degrades the habitat for those animal species, and is part of what makes having these larger intact areas so important,” Shedd said.
—————
The argument to rescind the rule
The national Blue Ribbon Coalition, which advocates for recreation access on public land, says on its website that rescinding the Roadless Rule would not result in a “private free-for-all” of paved roads, pointing out that new roads would be Forest Service roads which “are closer to the trails our community already loves to recreate on.” The coalition wants the rule rescinded, in part, to open up opportunities for the all terrain vehicle and snowmobile riders it lobbies for.
Rescinding the roadless rule wouldn’t have a huge impact on off-road vehicle access in Michigan though, according to Rich Rottier, the vice president of the Michigan Snowmobile & ORV Association.
“There’s plenty to ride in Michigan without it. It’s just it would be a new area to go ride, is all,” he said. “If they opened it, it’d be great. If they don’t, as far as the ORV is concerned, it’s not that big of a deal.”
One of the reasons the Trump Administration wants to rescind the Roadless Rule is to open up more opportunities for timber harvesting. But Justin Knepper, the executive director of the Michigan Association of Timbermen, said the state’s forest industry is struggling to find markets for the wood that’s currently available. He said our increasingly digital world means there’s less demand for paper, and faux wood products like vinyl flooring are becoming popular alternatives for hardwood floors.
“Our industry is kind of on the rocks,” he said. “So from my perspective, it doesn’t matter how many new acres come online if we don’t have a market to sell the wood.”
—————
Wildfire impact
Where there is the most disagreement surrounding the Roadless Rule, is how rescinding it would impact the ability to mitigate wildfires. Proponents say that allowing roads would make it easier to fight them. Opponents say fires can be fought from the air, that forest management tools like prescribed burns and some tree removal are typically allowed under the Roadless Rule and they point to studies that show fires are more likely to start near roads.
While the new deadline to comment on the proposed Roadless Rule change and affiliated documents is Oct. 6, a coalition of Midwest groups wants to see the 45-day comment period extended to 120 days.
State Forest Management Plan Open for Review
Michigan’s latest 10-year State Forest Management Plan was almost complete when a massive ice storm happened in March 2025, snapping trees and downing limbs across the northern Lower Peninsula.
The resulting devastation sent foresters back to the woods to reevaluate the plan and account for damaged timber, new tree-planting needs and other issues.
After in-person assessments of the damage and computer modeling, amendments are now complete and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is accepting public comment on plan changes made in response to the ice storm.
“This was a once-in-a-century storm, and it has had a significant impact on the northern Lower Peninsula,” said Dan Heckman, DNR forest planning and modeling specialist. “It also had a significant impact on parts of our plan.”
The State Forest Management Plan outlines how Michigan’s publicly owned state forests will be managed for the next 10 years. It emphasizes the importance of forestry practices to achieve abundant habitat for wildlife, provide quality forest products and cope with a changing climate, all to ensure long-term sustainability of our natural resources in a delicate balancing act.
The plan first went out for public review in late 2024, and in response the DNR received a variety of comments from Tribal governments, organizations and residents. The current version includes revisions based on those comments in addition to those made in response to ice storm impacts.
The current plan review period runs through Oct. 12. You can submit feedback on the updated State Forest Management Plan through online survey that can be found on michigan.gov/dnr.
The resulting devastation sent foresters back to the woods to reevaluate the plan and account for damaged timber, new tree-planting needs and other issues.
After in-person assessments of the damage and computer modeling, amendments are now complete and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is accepting public comment on plan changes made in response to the ice storm.
“This was a once-in-a-century storm, and it has had a significant impact on the northern Lower Peninsula,” said Dan Heckman, DNR forest planning and modeling specialist. “It also had a significant impact on parts of our plan.”
The State Forest Management Plan outlines how Michigan’s publicly owned state forests will be managed for the next 10 years. It emphasizes the importance of forestry practices to achieve abundant habitat for wildlife, provide quality forest products and cope with a changing climate, all to ensure long-term sustainability of our natural resources in a delicate balancing act.
The plan first went out for public review in late 2024, and in response the DNR received a variety of comments from Tribal governments, organizations and residents. The current version includes revisions based on those comments in addition to those made in response to ice storm impacts.
The current plan review period runs through Oct. 12. You can submit feedback on the updated State Forest Management Plan through online survey that can be found on michigan.gov/dnr.
Getting Ready for Fall Perch Fishing Season
By Jack Payne
It was cold, with a light snow turning to light rain. It was late November, the Friday of Thanksgiving weekend, and we were perch fishing. My serious perch fishing often starts after the opener of the gun deer season.
A good perch bite starts in late September, maybe early October, and continues getting better until the lakes freeze over. We mainly perch fish on the waters that connect to Lake Michigan: Lake Macatawa, Muskegon Lake, White Lake, and if the winds are from the east, we might be on Lake Michigan out of South Haven.
Perch coming in from Lake Michigan often favor deep water or green weeds. A habit of good perch anglers is checking the flats for green weeds and checking the deep water that is closest to the channel in these drowned river-mouth lakes.
Be mobile, keep moving until you see fish on the graph or catch one. Then drop an anchor or use your spot lock. Plenty of times we have found a school of perch covering a radius of 20 yards. Yes, we were on both sides of this radius. Trust me, it's no fun being on the outside, but it happens.
Raw shrimp has become a go-to bait for all panfish. Buy a bag of frozen raw uncooked shrimp. Slice them up into small strips and soak them in anise oil. Anise oil mixed equally with water is an old-timer trick. Trust me, this works really well. Soak the shrimp in the fridge for a day or two, then freeze them.
A big bag of shrimp makes up a handful of small bags. Minnows, spikes, and wax worms are popular during the fall. Spikes are easy to care for and one of my favorite baits.
When we chase perch, or any panfish, we have a rod rigged with a slip float. You can fish a weedbed quickly and thoroughly with a slip float. The smaller diameters with the weighted bottom cast well and handle light current or wind.
Our go-to rigs include the Perch Pounder Rigs. For our homemade rigs, we tie the Sabaki fly using either Mylar or fish skin. Cut a diamond-shaped pattern, add a few strands of crystal flash, and add a drop or two of super glue. Fold over and hold for a second or two. We space them about a foot apart.
The Crockett fish skin has a 3M-style glue backing, and it sticks like contact cement. One added suggestion: slide a soft 3mm glow egg bead over the hook up to the eye before doing the fly stuff. That darn glow egg really turns on the perch and bluegill.
When fishing deeper water, you can substitute the bottom sinker with a Hali Jig. The Hali Jig has a flat lead surface and a bead-chain leader with a single hook. Drop it to the bottom, then lift it up. Repeat with a 5- to 10-second pause. This creates a disturbance on the bottom, bringing in the perch.
One interesting tip that an angler shared with me was adding a spinner blade above your sinker. He feels that the flash of the blade appeals to the curious nature of the perch. You can slide the blade onto your main line, and it will bang and flash against the sinker. Or simply place it onto your snap that holds your sinker. Consider using a size 5 or 6 for maximum flash.
One tip that numerous perch anglers told me, and I agree, is flash. These anglers add Crystal Flash.
One last suggestion to consider is a very small chum bag. Fill the bag with a cheap can of canned dog or cat food. It will slowly dissipate in the water.
If you are looking for a good perch guide, call Todd Venema at Third Coast Charters (231-740-0304). Perch can offer good action, and they always deliver a quality meal at dinner time. Bob's Gun and Tackle Shop can help with the fall hunting and fishing products you might need.
It was cold, with a light snow turning to light rain. It was late November, the Friday of Thanksgiving weekend, and we were perch fishing. My serious perch fishing often starts after the opener of the gun deer season.
A good perch bite starts in late September, maybe early October, and continues getting better until the lakes freeze over. We mainly perch fish on the waters that connect to Lake Michigan: Lake Macatawa, Muskegon Lake, White Lake, and if the winds are from the east, we might be on Lake Michigan out of South Haven.
Perch coming in from Lake Michigan often favor deep water or green weeds. A habit of good perch anglers is checking the flats for green weeds and checking the deep water that is closest to the channel in these drowned river-mouth lakes.
Be mobile, keep moving until you see fish on the graph or catch one. Then drop an anchor or use your spot lock. Plenty of times we have found a school of perch covering a radius of 20 yards. Yes, we were on both sides of this radius. Trust me, it's no fun being on the outside, but it happens.
Raw shrimp has become a go-to bait for all panfish. Buy a bag of frozen raw uncooked shrimp. Slice them up into small strips and soak them in anise oil. Anise oil mixed equally with water is an old-timer trick. Trust me, this works really well. Soak the shrimp in the fridge for a day or two, then freeze them.
A big bag of shrimp makes up a handful of small bags. Minnows, spikes, and wax worms are popular during the fall. Spikes are easy to care for and one of my favorite baits.
When we chase perch, or any panfish, we have a rod rigged with a slip float. You can fish a weedbed quickly and thoroughly with a slip float. The smaller diameters with the weighted bottom cast well and handle light current or wind.
Our go-to rigs include the Perch Pounder Rigs. For our homemade rigs, we tie the Sabaki fly using either Mylar or fish skin. Cut a diamond-shaped pattern, add a few strands of crystal flash, and add a drop or two of super glue. Fold over and hold for a second or two. We space them about a foot apart.
The Crockett fish skin has a 3M-style glue backing, and it sticks like contact cement. One added suggestion: slide a soft 3mm glow egg bead over the hook up to the eye before doing the fly stuff. That darn glow egg really turns on the perch and bluegill.
When fishing deeper water, you can substitute the bottom sinker with a Hali Jig. The Hali Jig has a flat lead surface and a bead-chain leader with a single hook. Drop it to the bottom, then lift it up. Repeat with a 5- to 10-second pause. This creates a disturbance on the bottom, bringing in the perch.
One interesting tip that an angler shared with me was adding a spinner blade above your sinker. He feels that the flash of the blade appeals to the curious nature of the perch. You can slide the blade onto your main line, and it will bang and flash against the sinker. Or simply place it onto your snap that holds your sinker. Consider using a size 5 or 6 for maximum flash.
One tip that numerous perch anglers told me, and I agree, is flash. These anglers add Crystal Flash.
One last suggestion to consider is a very small chum bag. Fill the bag with a cheap can of canned dog or cat food. It will slowly dissipate in the water.
If you are looking for a good perch guide, call Todd Venema at Third Coast Charters (231-740-0304). Perch can offer good action, and they always deliver a quality meal at dinner time. Bob's Gun and Tackle Shop can help with the fall hunting and fishing products you might need.
Nudge Poinsettias and Cacti into Bloom in Time for the Holidays
Princettia Sparkling Rouge poinsettia has red bracts with a pink splash pattern.
Photo courtesy MelindaMyers.com
By Melinda Myers
Colorful poinsettias and flowering Thanksgiving or Christmas cactus fill garden centers and homes during the holiday season. If you saved your plants from last year, it is time to get started forcing them into bloom for the upcoming holidays.
Starting between late September and Oct. 1, cover or move your plants into a dark location for 14 hours each night. This treatment is needed to initiate the flowering in these plants. Shield them from any outdoor, street or reading lights that can delay or prevent flowering.
Uncover or move your plants back to a brightly lit location each morning. Growing the plants in a cooler location, especially at night, and keeping the soil slightly drier will help stimulate bloom. Some experts believe this is all that is needed to rebloom Christmas cactus. A combination of the two treatments seems to give the best results.
The colorful parts of the poinsettia, often called the flowers, are modified leaves called bracts. These are the leaves that turn color after the dark treatment. The true poinsettia flower is the knobby yellow growth that appears in the center of the colorful bracts at the tip of the stem.
Continue the dark treatment until the poinsettia bracts are fully colored or your Christmas cactus is covered with well-developed buds. Move the flowering plants to a cool location free of hot and cold drafts with bright indirect light. Continue to water thoroughly and often enough to keep the soil slightly moist while the plants are flowering. This is especially important to prevent bud and flower drop on Christmas cactus.
Consistently providing the required dark period is key to having flowers for the holidays. Each missed or interrupted 14-hour night delays blooming by one day. There is no need to give up after a couple of interrupted nights. Continue the dark treatment and enjoy the flowers whenever your plant blooms. Their colorful bracts and flowers are sure to brighten any winter day.
If your poinsettia fails to flower, you can still enjoy your plant this winter. Just add some faux poinsettia blooms, berry sprays or other floral décor. No one needs to know this wasn’t the plan all along.
Don’t be surprised if flowers appear on your Christmas cactus at Thanksgiving. Although sold as a Christmas cactus, it may truly be a Thanksgiving cactus or a hybrid of the two. The true Christmas cactus has small segments with smooth edges and blooms later than the Thanksgiving cactus with toothed or jagged segments.
Fortunately, the Christmas and Thanksgiving cactus’ growing requirements and care are basically the same. The plants will do fine; they just bloom during different holidays. Both are native to the tropical rain forests, not the desert, as their common name implies.
Place them in bright indirect light and water thoroughly when the top few inches of soil begin to dry when they are actively growing.
Enjoy the experience as well as the results. No matter the outcome, you’ll have fun trying something new.
—————
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” streaming courses and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Her website is MelindaMyers.com.
Colorful poinsettias and flowering Thanksgiving or Christmas cactus fill garden centers and homes during the holiday season. If you saved your plants from last year, it is time to get started forcing them into bloom for the upcoming holidays.
Starting between late September and Oct. 1, cover or move your plants into a dark location for 14 hours each night. This treatment is needed to initiate the flowering in these plants. Shield them from any outdoor, street or reading lights that can delay or prevent flowering.
Uncover or move your plants back to a brightly lit location each morning. Growing the plants in a cooler location, especially at night, and keeping the soil slightly drier will help stimulate bloom. Some experts believe this is all that is needed to rebloom Christmas cactus. A combination of the two treatments seems to give the best results.
The colorful parts of the poinsettia, often called the flowers, are modified leaves called bracts. These are the leaves that turn color after the dark treatment. The true poinsettia flower is the knobby yellow growth that appears in the center of the colorful bracts at the tip of the stem.
Continue the dark treatment until the poinsettia bracts are fully colored or your Christmas cactus is covered with well-developed buds. Move the flowering plants to a cool location free of hot and cold drafts with bright indirect light. Continue to water thoroughly and often enough to keep the soil slightly moist while the plants are flowering. This is especially important to prevent bud and flower drop on Christmas cactus.
Consistently providing the required dark period is key to having flowers for the holidays. Each missed or interrupted 14-hour night delays blooming by one day. There is no need to give up after a couple of interrupted nights. Continue the dark treatment and enjoy the flowers whenever your plant blooms. Their colorful bracts and flowers are sure to brighten any winter day.
If your poinsettia fails to flower, you can still enjoy your plant this winter. Just add some faux poinsettia blooms, berry sprays or other floral décor. No one needs to know this wasn’t the plan all along.
Don’t be surprised if flowers appear on your Christmas cactus at Thanksgiving. Although sold as a Christmas cactus, it may truly be a Thanksgiving cactus or a hybrid of the two. The true Christmas cactus has small segments with smooth edges and blooms later than the Thanksgiving cactus with toothed or jagged segments.
Fortunately, the Christmas and Thanksgiving cactus’ growing requirements and care are basically the same. The plants will do fine; they just bloom during different holidays. Both are native to the tropical rain forests, not the desert, as their common name implies.
Place them in bright indirect light and water thoroughly when the top few inches of soil begin to dry when they are actively growing.
Enjoy the experience as well as the results. No matter the outcome, you’ll have fun trying something new.
—————
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” streaming courses and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Her website is MelindaMyers.com.
Allegan County DNR Officer Named Wildlife Officer of the Year
Michigan DNR Conservation Officer Carter Woodwyk (center, holding plate) was honored as the 2025 Shikar-Safari Michigan Wildlife Officer of the Year, recognizing his exceptional 10-year career. The award was presented Wednesday, Sept. 9, during a Michigan Natural Resources Committee meeting in Lansing. Woodwyk patrols Allegan County for the DNR.
Photo courtesy Michigan Department of Natural Resources
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has named Conservation Officer Carter Woodwyk as the 2025 Shikar-Safari Michigan Wildlife Officer of the Year, honoring his exceptional 10-year career.
The annual award, presented to Woodwyk at the Sept. 9 meeting of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission in Lansing, is the highest state honor recognizing conservation officers who demonstrate exceptional dedication to natural resources protection, law enforcement and community engagement.
Woodwyk patrols Allegan County, which offers both populated rural suburbs and expansive natural landscapes.
“He is an officer I can count on to get things done and do them right,” said Lt. Gerald Thayer, DNR district law supervisor based out of Plainwell. “Woodwyk’s partners look up to him, and he is always available to help at a moment’s notice. Woodwyk’s integrity, leadership and unwavering service to Michigan’s natural resources, along with his professionalism, leadership and community commitment, make him a truly deserving recipient of the 2025 Shikar-Safari Wildlife Officer of the Year Award.”
Woodwyk began his law enforcement career as a police officer cadet with the Holland Department of Public Safety before completing Michigan Conservation Officer Recruit School No. 7 in June 2016.
Throughout his DNR career, Woodwyk has consistently demonstrated exceptional attention to detail and a commitment to thorough investigation. In 2025 alone, he fielded 143 complaints through the Report All Poaching hotline and Allegan County Dispatch Authority. The volume of complaints reflects the high level of public trust placed in Woodwyk and his dedication to being a responsive, proactive presence in Allegan County.
His service extends well beyond his daily patrol responsibilities. Woodwyk has served in several internal DNR leadership roles, including:
• Off-road vehicle instructor since 2025
• 2020 District 7 Officer of the Year
• Area law supervisor (working out of class) 2020
• Policy Committee member since 2021
• Field training officer since 2021
• Technology liaison officer since 2023
• Staff member for Conservation Officer Training Academy No. 13 in 2025
His professionalism and expertise are equally evident in his interactions with the public. Woodwyk takes the time to speak with outdoor enthusiasts in a manner that is respectful, approachable and easy to understand. Over the years, he has received countless positive comments regarding his professional demeanor and extensive knowledge of “all things DNR” in Allegan County and the surrounding area.
His knowledge of the area is particularly valuable given the size and complexity of Woodwyk’s patrol territory. Allegan County encompasses approximately 1,833 square miles and is home to more than 120,000 residents. The county borders five other counties, includes major highways along its eastern and western borders, and contains more than 50,000 acres of state-managed land within the Allegan State Game Area. The county also borders Lake Michigan and includes popular waterways and dam areas, including the Allegan Dam and Kalamazoo River, which are well known for walleye, salmon and steelhead spawning.
Woodwyk routinely assists other law enforcement agencies with whatever support they need, further demonstrating his commitment to public safety beyond the traditional responsibilities of a conservation officer. His working relationships throughout the area, combined with his knowledge of the county and surrounding communities, continue to impress his supervisors and colleagues.
“Woodwyk has countless caseloads with positive prosecution, resulting in criminal fines that are put back into the Fish and Game Fund to help ensure a long-lasting resource for generations to come,” said Thayer.
Shikar-Safari Club International was founded in 1952 by a group of hunters interested in exchanging ideas about the sport and to enhance and preserve wildlife. Each year the club sponsors an award for the Wildlife Officer of the Year in all 50 states, 10 Canadian provinces and the territories of both nations, honoring an officer whose efforts that year demonstrate outstanding performance and achievement.
Michigan conservation officers are fully licensed law enforcement officers who provide natural resources protection, ensure recreational safety, and protect residents through general law enforcement and lifesaving operations in the communities they serve.
Learn more at Michigan.gov/ConservationOfficers.
The annual award, presented to Woodwyk at the Sept. 9 meeting of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission in Lansing, is the highest state honor recognizing conservation officers who demonstrate exceptional dedication to natural resources protection, law enforcement and community engagement.
Woodwyk patrols Allegan County, which offers both populated rural suburbs and expansive natural landscapes.
“He is an officer I can count on to get things done and do them right,” said Lt. Gerald Thayer, DNR district law supervisor based out of Plainwell. “Woodwyk’s partners look up to him, and he is always available to help at a moment’s notice. Woodwyk’s integrity, leadership and unwavering service to Michigan’s natural resources, along with his professionalism, leadership and community commitment, make him a truly deserving recipient of the 2025 Shikar-Safari Wildlife Officer of the Year Award.”
Woodwyk began his law enforcement career as a police officer cadet with the Holland Department of Public Safety before completing Michigan Conservation Officer Recruit School No. 7 in June 2016.
Throughout his DNR career, Woodwyk has consistently demonstrated exceptional attention to detail and a commitment to thorough investigation. In 2025 alone, he fielded 143 complaints through the Report All Poaching hotline and Allegan County Dispatch Authority. The volume of complaints reflects the high level of public trust placed in Woodwyk and his dedication to being a responsive, proactive presence in Allegan County.
His service extends well beyond his daily patrol responsibilities. Woodwyk has served in several internal DNR leadership roles, including:
• Off-road vehicle instructor since 2025
• 2020 District 7 Officer of the Year
• Area law supervisor (working out of class) 2020
• Policy Committee member since 2021
• Field training officer since 2021
• Technology liaison officer since 2023
• Staff member for Conservation Officer Training Academy No. 13 in 2025
His professionalism and expertise are equally evident in his interactions with the public. Woodwyk takes the time to speak with outdoor enthusiasts in a manner that is respectful, approachable and easy to understand. Over the years, he has received countless positive comments regarding his professional demeanor and extensive knowledge of “all things DNR” in Allegan County and the surrounding area.
His knowledge of the area is particularly valuable given the size and complexity of Woodwyk’s patrol territory. Allegan County encompasses approximately 1,833 square miles and is home to more than 120,000 residents. The county borders five other counties, includes major highways along its eastern and western borders, and contains more than 50,000 acres of state-managed land within the Allegan State Game Area. The county also borders Lake Michigan and includes popular waterways and dam areas, including the Allegan Dam and Kalamazoo River, which are well known for walleye, salmon and steelhead spawning.
Woodwyk routinely assists other law enforcement agencies with whatever support they need, further demonstrating his commitment to public safety beyond the traditional responsibilities of a conservation officer. His working relationships throughout the area, combined with his knowledge of the county and surrounding communities, continue to impress his supervisors and colleagues.
“Woodwyk has countless caseloads with positive prosecution, resulting in criminal fines that are put back into the Fish and Game Fund to help ensure a long-lasting resource for generations to come,” said Thayer.
Shikar-Safari Club International was founded in 1952 by a group of hunters interested in exchanging ideas about the sport and to enhance and preserve wildlife. Each year the club sponsors an award for the Wildlife Officer of the Year in all 50 states, 10 Canadian provinces and the territories of both nations, honoring an officer whose efforts that year demonstrate outstanding performance and achievement.
Michigan conservation officers are fully licensed law enforcement officers who provide natural resources protection, ensure recreational safety, and protect residents through general law enforcement and lifesaving operations in the communities they serve.
Learn more at Michigan.gov/ConservationOfficers.
