Camp Grayling Permit Application Awaits Review by Department of Natural Resources

Policy Intern • April 16, 2024

The Michigan Army National Guard has just submitted a land use permit application regarding Camp Grayling military training to the Department of Natural Resources for review.

In April of 2023, the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) proposed a 20-year lease of over 160,000 acres of state forest land. After multiple community input sessions and a lengthy review, the DNR rejected this proposal.

Most lands within the proposed 160,000-acre lease violated buffer zones, or land ineligible for lease for other reasons. The remaining 52,000 acres that fell outside of these excluded areas could be eligible for military training activities on a short-term basis. 

Michigan United Conservation Clubs opposed the original lease proposal and has multiple policies reaffirming the organization’s opposition to the expansion. MUCC is committed to minimizing environmental impact and maximizing recreational opportunity and is opposed to any future expansion of Camp Grayling.

In place of the proposed lease, the DNR and the DMVA came to an agreement under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU allows the DMVA to apply for limited land use permits which the DNR evaluates for recreational, economic, and environmental impacts. The permits would allow the DMVA to conduct low-impact military training on approved acreage if approved. 

This type of permit applications are not normally made public, but the DNR posted the proposal in the interest of transparency. 

Specifying in the MOU that only “low impact” activities are allowed excludes the use of live fire and tanks and prohibits permanent fencing or structures.

Conditions within the memorandum require recreational access to be available at all times. Additionally, the DNR doubled the size of buffer zones around protected lakes and streams in the MOU from the initial 1,500 feet to 3,000 feet. 

Under the new MOU, the National Guard has submitted a permit application that would allow up to two vehicles and 8 individuals to conduct low-impact military training at one time. The training would be allowed on eligible state forest lands between April 20 and October 31, 2024. 

The proposed land use was requested to train soldiers to utilize electronic sensing systems. The permit application is currently under review by DNR staff, who have assured the public that recreational opportunities, fisheries, wildlife, and forest management activities will be taken into consideration throughout the process. 

To ensure our natural resources remain protected and managed thoughtfully in perpetuity, join Michigan United Conservation Clubs today: http://bit.ly/JoinMUCC .

Recent Posts

By Olivia Triltsch April 24, 2025
Historically, Michigan experienced a lumber era in which the state was a leading producer for 50 years starting in 1860.
By Katelyn Helsel April 23, 2025
Rochester Hills, MI — On the Ground, MUCC’s volunteer stewardship program, celebrated its 250th habitat improvement project in Oakland County this past weekend. In partnership with Metro-West Steelheaders and the Clinton River Watershed Council , 62 volunteers removed more than 460 pounds of trash from the Clinton River watershed and surrounding areas, restoring more than 80 acres of fish and wildlife habitat. Volunteers focused on picking up trash and other debris in the river near Yates Park and along various walking trails near the Yates Cider Mill. Many different items were collected, including a couple of tires, fishing line, old cans, a sign, and even a car bumper. “We definitely wanted to clean up as much trash as possible because that's going to help the watershed as a whole, and it’s going to clean up the river for both humans aesthetically, and also the animals that live in it, and create safer drinking water” said Olivia Triltsch, MUCC’s Habitat Program and Partnerships Coordinator.
By Olivia Triltsch April 17, 2025
In addition to their impact on water quality, these three orders of insects are an important part of the diet of game fish, making anglers, especially fly fishermen, interested in the conservation of these small animals.
More Posts