The following is a list of Michigan state game and wildlife areas found throughout the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. The state has a system of publicly owned lands managed primarily for

wildlife conservation Wildlife conservation refers to the practice of protecting wild species and their habitats in order to maintain healthy wildlife species or populations and to restore, protect or enhance natural ecosystems. Major threats to wildlife include habita ...

wildlife observation Wildlife observation is the practice of noting the occurrence or abundance of animal species at a specific location and time, either for research purposes or recreation. Common examples of this type of activity are bird watching and whale watching ...

, recreational activities, and

hunting Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

. Some areas provide opportunities for camping, hiking, cross-country skiing, fishing, bird watching, bicycling, boating, and off-road vehicle trails. Activities, as well as rules and regulations, vary among individual areas. The

Michigan Department of Natural Resources The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the agency of the state of Michigan charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, state forests, and recreation areas. It is governed by a director appointed by the Governor a ...

oversees the properties through subdivisions including the Forestry Division, Parks and Recreation Division, Grouse Enhanced Management System (GEMS), and the Wildlife Division. Local municipalities may also enforce their own rules and regulations, and some portions may be private property. Some units are managed cooperatively on the national level with the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with oth ...

, or

U.S. Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency in ...

. Depending on their purpose, the units are divided into four categories: state game areas, state wildlife management areas, state wildlife areas, and state wildlife research areas. GEMS and designated

waterfowl production area Waterfowl production areas (WPAs) are a small component of the National Wildlife Refuge System. There are over of this prime duck-producing land, mostly prairie potholes in the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Montana. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ...

s are categorized as state wildlife management areas. There are a total of 212 distinct units, which account for a total approximate land area of or . Some units encompass very large areas, with the largest being the

Allegan State Game Area Allegan State Game Area is a forest attracting campers, hikers, bikers snowmobilers, cross-country skiers, horse trail riders and hunters. It is located in west-central Allegan County, Michigan, with one gateway just west of the city of Allegan ...

at or . The smallest unit is the Mud Creek Flooding State Wildlife Management Area at only .

List

External links

Homepage
for the

State Wildlife/Game Areas (list)

Summary List of State Wildlife/Game Areas of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources
{{Protected areas of Michigan * * * State game areas

List

See also

External links