By Jack Payne
Oh boy, you talk about a fire drill turning into a pile of spaghetti. Well, that is what I received when I got cute and tried running three poles in close proximity to each other.
Bluegills are notorious for swimming in circles, and when three rods are going off, and there's a potential double on one, well, lines get tangled. Lesson learned, you might ask, fish with two rods.
Most days, we fish two rods, each with two hooks and a Hali jig on the bottom of the rig. The Hali jig takes the place of a sinker. Hali jigs come in various sizes, and when drifting or slowly moving, staying vertical is helpful. Use a size that keeps you vertical.
The perch pounder rigs, which are essentially the same as Sabaki rigs, might be the best go-to panfish rig. Tip the fish skin lures with a minnow when crappie or perch are the target. Tip it with a wax worm when the bluegills are sought after.
You can make your own perch pounder very easily. Buy some Mylar or use a potato chip bag. You can buy Mylar by the sheet or in a tube. You can get as fancy as you wish, but keeping it simple, cut a diamond pattern.
Fold it over, then reopen it. Place a size 8 or 10 hook between the folds, add a drop of super glue, and call it a day. Very simple.
If you use the tube Mylar, then cut a length that will fit on the shank of a hook. Slide it over, tie off one end, or use a dab of glue, pinch it tight, hold for 20 seconds, and go catch some gills.
When slow trolling or drifting for crappies, you need a bait that will work at slow speeds. A marabou jig or a jig with rubber legs is tough to beat. Both will flutter and move, much like a live aquatic creature. Very thin rubber legs will dance and flutter at super-slow speeds.
Small plastics that are thin or designed to move slowly work well. The one-inch and the two-inch Charlie Brewer plastics come to mind. Remember that the plastic needs to move just a bit to be effective.
Glow-in-the-dark teardrops are used exclusively by a few of my buddies. A teardrop tipped with a wax worm or a piece of a worm. Nothing else, simple, basic, and a proven killer. My buddies tie on two teardrops and use either a small bell sinker or the Hali jig on the bottom.
I like using the old rubber foam spider. The Bully Spider, or the old simple spider that floats on the surface, has landed thousands of fish for my friends and for me.
Hi-visibility legs on a foam spider work well. Many of the store-bought spiders have long legs. Trim the legs so the gills will not nibble on them.
Summer fishing and lasting until Halloween is often as simple as finding the thermocline. The thermocline is the sweet spot in the water column where the temperature drop is the most rapid or noticeable. Most often, you can easily spot this on your graph, or you can use a simple temperature probe like the Fish Hawk. We are finding this at depths between 16 and 20 feet in our area lakes.
Perhaps the easiest way to fish is with the wind. Turn the boat sideways and let the wind push you along. Keep your speed between 0.3 and 0.5 mph. A drift sock will keep you in the sweet spot. On a windy day, throw out a drift sock. A drift sock acts like a brake and will slow you down perfectly.
Of course, a trolling motor works great, and you can putt ever so slowly. Catch a fish, hit the spot lock. We enjoy drifting with the wind when we can, but we never hesitate to use the trolling motor.
Slow drifting is perhaps the easiest way to reach the limit on summer panfish. Often, the perch will be sitting on a deep flat near the thermocline.
Kick back and relax this summer, and stop in and visit the folks at Bob's Gun and Tackle Shop.
Oh boy, you talk about a fire drill turning into a pile of spaghetti. Well, that is what I received when I got cute and tried running three poles in close proximity to each other.
Bluegills are notorious for swimming in circles, and when three rods are going off, and there's a potential double on one, well, lines get tangled. Lesson learned, you might ask, fish with two rods.
Most days, we fish two rods, each with two hooks and a Hali jig on the bottom of the rig. The Hali jig takes the place of a sinker. Hali jigs come in various sizes, and when drifting or slowly moving, staying vertical is helpful. Use a size that keeps you vertical.
The perch pounder rigs, which are essentially the same as Sabaki rigs, might be the best go-to panfish rig. Tip the fish skin lures with a minnow when crappie or perch are the target. Tip it with a wax worm when the bluegills are sought after.
You can make your own perch pounder very easily. Buy some Mylar or use a potato chip bag. You can buy Mylar by the sheet or in a tube. You can get as fancy as you wish, but keeping it simple, cut a diamond pattern.
Fold it over, then reopen it. Place a size 8 or 10 hook between the folds, add a drop of super glue, and call it a day. Very simple.
If you use the tube Mylar, then cut a length that will fit on the shank of a hook. Slide it over, tie off one end, or use a dab of glue, pinch it tight, hold for 20 seconds, and go catch some gills.
When slow trolling or drifting for crappies, you need a bait that will work at slow speeds. A marabou jig or a jig with rubber legs is tough to beat. Both will flutter and move, much like a live aquatic creature. Very thin rubber legs will dance and flutter at super-slow speeds.
Small plastics that are thin or designed to move slowly work well. The one-inch and the two-inch Charlie Brewer plastics come to mind. Remember that the plastic needs to move just a bit to be effective.
Glow-in-the-dark teardrops are used exclusively by a few of my buddies. A teardrop tipped with a wax worm or a piece of a worm. Nothing else, simple, basic, and a proven killer. My buddies tie on two teardrops and use either a small bell sinker or the Hali jig on the bottom.
I like using the old rubber foam spider. The Bully Spider, or the old simple spider that floats on the surface, has landed thousands of fish for my friends and for me.
Hi-visibility legs on a foam spider work well. Many of the store-bought spiders have long legs. Trim the legs so the gills will not nibble on them.
Summer fishing and lasting until Halloween is often as simple as finding the thermocline. The thermocline is the sweet spot in the water column where the temperature drop is the most rapid or noticeable. Most often, you can easily spot this on your graph, or you can use a simple temperature probe like the Fish Hawk. We are finding this at depths between 16 and 20 feet in our area lakes.
Perhaps the easiest way to fish is with the wind. Turn the boat sideways and let the wind push you along. Keep your speed between 0.3 and 0.5 mph. A drift sock will keep you in the sweet spot. On a windy day, throw out a drift sock. A drift sock acts like a brake and will slow you down perfectly.
Of course, a trolling motor works great, and you can putt ever so slowly. Catch a fish, hit the spot lock. We enjoy drifting with the wind when we can, but we never hesitate to use the trolling motor.
Slow drifting is perhaps the easiest way to reach the limit on summer panfish. Often, the perch will be sitting on a deep flat near the thermocline.
Kick back and relax this summer, and stop in and visit the folks at Bob's Gun and Tackle Shop.
DNR, EGLE Issue Line 5 Permits Despite ‘Significant Impacts’
(Ed. Note: This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. Visit the newsroom online: bridgemi.com.)
By Kelly House
Bridge Michigan
State agencies on July 15 issued key permits for the controversial Line 5 tunnel in the Straits of Mackinac, concluding the project’s benefits outweigh drawbacks that include disruption to Native American burial sites and harm to wetlands and rare species.
The permits issued by the departments of Natural Resources and Environment, Great Lakes and Energy also make way for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to sign off on the project, which supporters and foes alike expect to happen soon.
The project’s future remains unclear, however, as other permits remain tied up in state and federal court and one Great Lakes tribe promised a new lawsuit over the decision.
“Even in death we cannot know peace,” said Whitney Gravelle, president of the Bay Mills Indian Community, which has vowed to sue. “We must still be removed and dug up, and get out of the way for this country, for this state, for these corporations.”
Enbridge Energy spokesperson Ryan Duffy, meanwhile, hailed the approvals as a milestone for a project that will bring worthwhile safety improvements to the Straits while continuing to ensure “the uninterrupted flow of energy that supports Michigan and the region.”
EGLE said in a news release that, after 16 months of review, officials concluded “the public and private need for the proposed activity outweighed other public interest criteria.”
The EGLE permit, issued under Part 303 and Part 324 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, allows tunnel construction that would impact wetlands and the Great Lakes bottomlands, including filling, dredging, altering and placing structures in the water bodies.
About 1.53 acres of wetlands in Mackinac County would be impacted, along with 0.17 acres of Lake Michigan bottomlands in Emmet County where a water intake structure would be built to support tunnel construction.
Soon after EGLE’s announcement, the DNR announced it had granted a separate permit pertaining to the project’s impact on rare plants and animals, including the Houghton’s goldenrod, dwarf lake iris and several bat habitats.
Reached by Bridge Michigan, EGLE spokesperson Dale George said the agency does not have any additional comment on the permit issuance.
In a writeup explaining their decision, EGLE officials acknowledged the project will have “significant impacts,” including likely impacting threatened or endangered species, disrupting recreation and destroying burial grounds in the Straits, which is a sacred area to Great Lakes Native American tribes.
“The magnitude of impacts to recognized historic and cultural values of this proposed project exceeds that of any other that EGLE has reviewed,” stated the agency explanation.
But officials concluded the need for the project — namely, eliminating the “unacceptable” oil spill risk posed by the existing lakebottom pipelines — outweighed its drawbacks and that mitigation measures could help lessen those drawbacks.
Full details of those mitigation measures were not immediately available. The permit states Enbridge must submit mitigation plans to EGLE by year’s end. The company also must provide a $1.1 million surety bond or letter of credit to ensure mitigation measures will be carried out.
Duffy said Enbridge officials are reviewing permit conditions imposed by EGLE and the DNR “to assess any impacts on tunnel construction.”
The decision was met with outrage by Line 5 foes, who said they hold Gov. Gretchen Whitmer personally responsible.
Whitmer campaigned for office in 2018 on a promise to shut down Line 5.
“It’s incredibly disappointing that a governor who ran on a commitment to the climate and protecting the Great Lakes has now decided to instead endorse a Canadian industrial tunnel project that still threatens the Great Lakes and will contribute fossil fuels to the climate,” said David Holtz, coalition coordinator for the anti-Line 5 group Oil & Water Don’t Mix.
Tunnel supporters, including business groups and trade unions whose members would likely work on the massive construction project, cheered Wednesday’s decisions.
“It’s a step towards the kind of energy infrastructure project that means good jobs and affordable energy,” said Brent Pilarski, business manager for the Michigan Laborers District Council. “Michigan labor is ready to get to work.”
Enbridge is also seeking a permit to discharge millions of gallons of treated wastewater per day into Lake Michigan during tunnel construction, and EGLE is expected to rule on that request by Sept. 30.
The permit issuance includes a key Clean Water Act certification needed for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ anticipated approval of the tunnel project after years of deliberation.
Last year, the Corps narrowed and sped up its permit review, as it sought to carry out President Donald Trump’s pro-fossil fuel agenda. An agency analysis finalized in February raised few concerns about the tunnel project, concluding most impacts would be “short-term with the effects resolving once construction is completed.”
The review was originally supposed to consider climate impacts from a project that would secure decades of continued fossil fuel transports on Line 5, but those plans were axed following a series of Trump executive orders that directed the federal government to favor energy developments and downplay climate concerns.
The July 15 decision follows years of fierce public debate over the pipeline, which crosses Michigan as it shuttles 540,000 barrels per day of oil and natural gas liquids from Superior, Wis. to Ontario, Canada.
Enbridge first pitched its tunnel plan in response to public fears that the 73-year-old lakebottom pipeline could rupture and cause a catastrophic oil spill in the Great Lakes.
The plan calls for building a concrete-lined tunnel deep beneath the Straits, then decommissioning the 4-mile segment that currently runs through open water and instead routing it underground.
Officials with the company have long contended the tunnel would “make a safe pipeline safer.”
Opponents contend Line 5 should be permanently shut down. They argue the tunnel proposal would create new safety hazards while worsening climate pollution from burning fossil fuels, which is already dangerously heating the globe.
They also contend Enbridge has other ways to transport its petroleum, including unoccupied space on other Enridge-owned pipelines.
Beyond the permit issued last week and the Army Corps permit decision expected soon, Enbridge and pipeline foes are locked in legal battles that have the potential to make or break the tunnel project and decide the fate of the existing pipeline.
• The Michigan Supreme Court will soon rule on a lawsuit that alleges the Michigan Public Service Commission improperly issued a key tunnel permit in 2023.
• Meanwhile, the state is battling in court with Enbridge over Whitmer’s 2020 order to shut the existing pipeline down for fear that it could cause an oil spill in the Straits. A federal judge in December ruled that Michigan had no authority to order a shutdown, but the state has appealed the ruling.
• Separately, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has been seeking a shutdown since 2019 in a case that has pingponged from state to federal court and back again. The case now sits in the 30th Circuit Court in Ingham County, where deliberations are paused pending resolution of the case stemming from Whitmer’s shutdown order.
Fears about Line 5’s potential to rupture in the Straits first emerged after Enbridge’s Line 6B pipe caused a massive 2010 oil spill in the Kalamazoo River near Marshall. Since then, Line 5 has been repeatedly struck by ships’ anchors, further heightening concerns.
In response, Enbridge in 2018 struck a deal with then-Gov. Rick Snyder to build the proposed tunnel.
Originally described as a $500 million project that would be complete by 2024, the tunnel is now likely to cost Enbridge in the billions with construction running into 2030.
By Kelly House
Bridge Michigan
State agencies on July 15 issued key permits for the controversial Line 5 tunnel in the Straits of Mackinac, concluding the project’s benefits outweigh drawbacks that include disruption to Native American burial sites and harm to wetlands and rare species.
The permits issued by the departments of Natural Resources and Environment, Great Lakes and Energy also make way for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to sign off on the project, which supporters and foes alike expect to happen soon.
The project’s future remains unclear, however, as other permits remain tied up in state and federal court and one Great Lakes tribe promised a new lawsuit over the decision.
“Even in death we cannot know peace,” said Whitney Gravelle, president of the Bay Mills Indian Community, which has vowed to sue. “We must still be removed and dug up, and get out of the way for this country, for this state, for these corporations.”
Enbridge Energy spokesperson Ryan Duffy, meanwhile, hailed the approvals as a milestone for a project that will bring worthwhile safety improvements to the Straits while continuing to ensure “the uninterrupted flow of energy that supports Michigan and the region.”
EGLE said in a news release that, after 16 months of review, officials concluded “the public and private need for the proposed activity outweighed other public interest criteria.”
The EGLE permit, issued under Part 303 and Part 324 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, allows tunnel construction that would impact wetlands and the Great Lakes bottomlands, including filling, dredging, altering and placing structures in the water bodies.
About 1.53 acres of wetlands in Mackinac County would be impacted, along with 0.17 acres of Lake Michigan bottomlands in Emmet County where a water intake structure would be built to support tunnel construction.
Soon after EGLE’s announcement, the DNR announced it had granted a separate permit pertaining to the project’s impact on rare plants and animals, including the Houghton’s goldenrod, dwarf lake iris and several bat habitats.
Reached by Bridge Michigan, EGLE spokesperson Dale George said the agency does not have any additional comment on the permit issuance.
In a writeup explaining their decision, EGLE officials acknowledged the project will have “significant impacts,” including likely impacting threatened or endangered species, disrupting recreation and destroying burial grounds in the Straits, which is a sacred area to Great Lakes Native American tribes.
“The magnitude of impacts to recognized historic and cultural values of this proposed project exceeds that of any other that EGLE has reviewed,” stated the agency explanation.
But officials concluded the need for the project — namely, eliminating the “unacceptable” oil spill risk posed by the existing lakebottom pipelines — outweighed its drawbacks and that mitigation measures could help lessen those drawbacks.
Full details of those mitigation measures were not immediately available. The permit states Enbridge must submit mitigation plans to EGLE by year’s end. The company also must provide a $1.1 million surety bond or letter of credit to ensure mitigation measures will be carried out.
Duffy said Enbridge officials are reviewing permit conditions imposed by EGLE and the DNR “to assess any impacts on tunnel construction.”
The decision was met with outrage by Line 5 foes, who said they hold Gov. Gretchen Whitmer personally responsible.
Whitmer campaigned for office in 2018 on a promise to shut down Line 5.
“It’s incredibly disappointing that a governor who ran on a commitment to the climate and protecting the Great Lakes has now decided to instead endorse a Canadian industrial tunnel project that still threatens the Great Lakes and will contribute fossil fuels to the climate,” said David Holtz, coalition coordinator for the anti-Line 5 group Oil & Water Don’t Mix.
Tunnel supporters, including business groups and trade unions whose members would likely work on the massive construction project, cheered Wednesday’s decisions.
“It’s a step towards the kind of energy infrastructure project that means good jobs and affordable energy,” said Brent Pilarski, business manager for the Michigan Laborers District Council. “Michigan labor is ready to get to work.”
Enbridge is also seeking a permit to discharge millions of gallons of treated wastewater per day into Lake Michigan during tunnel construction, and EGLE is expected to rule on that request by Sept. 30.
The permit issuance includes a key Clean Water Act certification needed for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ anticipated approval of the tunnel project after years of deliberation.
Last year, the Corps narrowed and sped up its permit review, as it sought to carry out President Donald Trump’s pro-fossil fuel agenda. An agency analysis finalized in February raised few concerns about the tunnel project, concluding most impacts would be “short-term with the effects resolving once construction is completed.”
The review was originally supposed to consider climate impacts from a project that would secure decades of continued fossil fuel transports on Line 5, but those plans were axed following a series of Trump executive orders that directed the federal government to favor energy developments and downplay climate concerns.
The July 15 decision follows years of fierce public debate over the pipeline, which crosses Michigan as it shuttles 540,000 barrels per day of oil and natural gas liquids from Superior, Wis. to Ontario, Canada.
Enbridge first pitched its tunnel plan in response to public fears that the 73-year-old lakebottom pipeline could rupture and cause a catastrophic oil spill in the Great Lakes.
The plan calls for building a concrete-lined tunnel deep beneath the Straits, then decommissioning the 4-mile segment that currently runs through open water and instead routing it underground.
Officials with the company have long contended the tunnel would “make a safe pipeline safer.”
Opponents contend Line 5 should be permanently shut down. They argue the tunnel proposal would create new safety hazards while worsening climate pollution from burning fossil fuels, which is already dangerously heating the globe.
They also contend Enbridge has other ways to transport its petroleum, including unoccupied space on other Enridge-owned pipelines.
Beyond the permit issued last week and the Army Corps permit decision expected soon, Enbridge and pipeline foes are locked in legal battles that have the potential to make or break the tunnel project and decide the fate of the existing pipeline.
• The Michigan Supreme Court will soon rule on a lawsuit that alleges the Michigan Public Service Commission improperly issued a key tunnel permit in 2023.
• Meanwhile, the state is battling in court with Enbridge over Whitmer’s 2020 order to shut the existing pipeline down for fear that it could cause an oil spill in the Straits. A federal judge in December ruled that Michigan had no authority to order a shutdown, but the state has appealed the ruling.
• Separately, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has been seeking a shutdown since 2019 in a case that has pingponged from state to federal court and back again. The case now sits in the 30th Circuit Court in Ingham County, where deliberations are paused pending resolution of the case stemming from Whitmer’s shutdown order.
Fears about Line 5’s potential to rupture in the Straits first emerged after Enbridge’s Line 6B pipe caused a massive 2010 oil spill in the Kalamazoo River near Marshall. Since then, Line 5 has been repeatedly struck by ships’ anchors, further heightening concerns.
In response, Enbridge in 2018 struck a deal with then-Gov. Rick Snyder to build the proposed tunnel.
Originally described as a $500 million project that would be complete by 2024, the tunnel is now likely to cost Enbridge in the billions with construction running into 2030.
Department of Natural Resources Land Auctions Set for August
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is busy preparing 97 properties for sale via online auctions later this summer. River frontage, lake frontage and forested acreage surrounded by private ownership — these characteristics describe some of the parcels that will be available Aug. 4-28.
Kerry Heckman, DNR forest lands and special projects administrator, said though it might seem counter-intuitive for the DNR to make any land available for sale, it’s important to note that the public benefit of some properties is severely limited. That’s due to factors such as lack of legal public access, size limitations that prevent appropriate public use, and development on adjacent privately owned land that negatively affects public use such as hunting.
“More importantly, the proceeds from our surplus-land sales are deposited into the Land Exchange Facilitation Fund,” Heckman said. “Those dollars are specifically used to acquire other properties that are more usable by residents and visitors, protect important natural resources and provide accessible, quality recreation opportunities throughout the state.”
For all of those reasons, the DNR determines some properties to be more suitable for private ownership.
These surplus land sales are a regular part of the DNR’s public land strategy (one supported and further defined by the Michigan Legislature with the passage of Public Act 240 in 2018). And since such parcels were determined to be better suited for private ownership, they could prove to be the perfect fit for the right owners.
—————
Where are parcels located?
This year’s auctions include land parcels in more than two dozen counties throughout Lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Twelve online auctions will be offered in August, featuring available land parcels by county:
• Aug. 4 – Lapeer County
• Aug. 6 – Allegan and Berrien counties
• Aug. 7 – Livingston County
• Aug. 14 – Alger, Chippewa, Delta and Luce counties
• Aug. 18 – Baraga, Dickinson, Houghton and Menominee counties
• Aug. 19 – Crawford, Kalkaska, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego and Roscommon counties
• Aug. 20 – Antrim and Charlevoix counties
• Aug. 21 – Alpena, Cheboygan, Iosco and Presque Isle counties
• Aug. 25 – Oakland County
• Aug. 26 – Oceana County
• Aug. 27 – Lake County
• Aug. 28 – Jackson County
—————
How bidding works
Twelve online auctions will be offered between Aug. 4 and Aug. 28. Interested bidders may preregister and get more information about the online auction schedule at tax-sale.info.
Anyone interested in bidding on a property must register before the property’s auction date. Absentee bids can be made up to 30 days before an auction. The “interactive” bidding portion of an auction will open at 10 a.m. on that auction date. At that time, bidders will be able to see current high bids for each property. Bidders can continue to place bids on a property until 7 p.m. when bidding closes and the winning bidder is determined.
A detailed list of offered properties, including minimum bid, acreage, maps and location information, is available at Michigan. gov/LandForSale. Interested bidders are encouraged to review DNR Land Sales: Terms and Conditions online.
—————
Sale property details
Properties for sale range in size from under an acre to 120 acres. Many of the surplus properties highlighted in the auction are in Allegan, Baraga, Delta, Jackson, Kalkaska and Livingston counties. There are more than 20 properties available that are 40 acres or larger, mostly throughout the Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula.
Notable waterfront properties that are accessible in the Lower Peninsula include two properties in Lapeer County on Lake Nepessing (Lot #s 10075 and 10076), a Jackson County property with frontage on Little Pleasant Lake (Lot #10059) and three properties in Oakland County on Walled Lake (Lot #10089) and Buckhorn Lake (Lot #s 10092 and 10093).
Lot #10026 in Charlevoix County is accessible and offers views of Lake Michigan on Beaver Island. A notable waterfront property in the Upper Peninsula is in Delta County near Lake Michigan (Lot #10042).
In addition, notable large-acreage properties that are accessible include a 40-acre property in Antrim County along Fairmont Court (Lot #10014), a 40-acre Cheboygan County property along N. Old Mackinaw Road (Lot #10028), a 40-acre parcel in Delta County on Brampton 27.5 Road (Lot #10037), three 80-acre properties in Lake County on S. Forman Road (Lot #10073) and W. 32nd Street (Lot #s 10074 and 10075), and a 40-acre Otsego County property along Hayes Tower Road (Lot #10098).
Many of the sale parcels are forested and/or have road or river frontage but are better suited for private ownership.
—————
More on land review
Much of the property offered in these auctions is isolated from other DNR-managed public lands, which creates some management challenges. Other parcels are included because of their limited public recreation benefits. Most properties were designated as “surplus” during the DNR’s state land review, which aimed to examine isolated parcels that are 200 acres or smaller with a substantial private-public boundary. Certain properties, such as boating access sites and designated trails, were removed from the review, as they have been confirmed to positively contribute to quality outdoor recreation.
Knowing how much Michiganders value access to public lands and outdoor traditions and recreation, Scott Whitcomb, acting DNR Lands and Facilities chief, said the department sought and accepted public input from around the state during the land review process that helps determine which parcels eventually are offered at auction. Land review was conducted on a county-by-county basis throughout the entire state.
“First and foremost, these resources belong to the people of Michigan. When we’re making decisions about what happens with DNR-managed public lands, we seek out public involvement as early as possible, sometimes a year or two in advance, and through a variety of channels,” Whitcomb said. “That public feedback, the local stories about favorite places and the suggestions on how to improve challenging sites the DNR inherited — we make every effort to hear it all and then make decisions that best serve the resources, residents and future generations.”
Separate from the August online auctions, the DNR offers additional properties (listed for sale at their former minimum bid prices) that were not sold in previous auctions. These properties are available for immediate purchase only via the BuyNow list.
For more information about the sale of surplus, state-managed public land, contact Michael Michalek, resource specialist in the DNR's Real Estate Section, at (517) 331-8387.
Kerry Heckman, DNR forest lands and special projects administrator, said though it might seem counter-intuitive for the DNR to make any land available for sale, it’s important to note that the public benefit of some properties is severely limited. That’s due to factors such as lack of legal public access, size limitations that prevent appropriate public use, and development on adjacent privately owned land that negatively affects public use such as hunting.
“More importantly, the proceeds from our surplus-land sales are deposited into the Land Exchange Facilitation Fund,” Heckman said. “Those dollars are specifically used to acquire other properties that are more usable by residents and visitors, protect important natural resources and provide accessible, quality recreation opportunities throughout the state.”
For all of those reasons, the DNR determines some properties to be more suitable for private ownership.
These surplus land sales are a regular part of the DNR’s public land strategy (one supported and further defined by the Michigan Legislature with the passage of Public Act 240 in 2018). And since such parcels were determined to be better suited for private ownership, they could prove to be the perfect fit for the right owners.
—————
Where are parcels located?
This year’s auctions include land parcels in more than two dozen counties throughout Lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Twelve online auctions will be offered in August, featuring available land parcels by county:
• Aug. 4 – Lapeer County
• Aug. 6 – Allegan and Berrien counties
• Aug. 7 – Livingston County
• Aug. 14 – Alger, Chippewa, Delta and Luce counties
• Aug. 18 – Baraga, Dickinson, Houghton and Menominee counties
• Aug. 19 – Crawford, Kalkaska, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego and Roscommon counties
• Aug. 20 – Antrim and Charlevoix counties
• Aug. 21 – Alpena, Cheboygan, Iosco and Presque Isle counties
• Aug. 25 – Oakland County
• Aug. 26 – Oceana County
• Aug. 27 – Lake County
• Aug. 28 – Jackson County
—————
How bidding works
Twelve online auctions will be offered between Aug. 4 and Aug. 28. Interested bidders may preregister and get more information about the online auction schedule at tax-sale.info.
Anyone interested in bidding on a property must register before the property’s auction date. Absentee bids can be made up to 30 days before an auction. The “interactive” bidding portion of an auction will open at 10 a.m. on that auction date. At that time, bidders will be able to see current high bids for each property. Bidders can continue to place bids on a property until 7 p.m. when bidding closes and the winning bidder is determined.
A detailed list of offered properties, including minimum bid, acreage, maps and location information, is available at Michigan. gov/LandForSale. Interested bidders are encouraged to review DNR Land Sales: Terms and Conditions online.
—————
Sale property details
Properties for sale range in size from under an acre to 120 acres. Many of the surplus properties highlighted in the auction are in Allegan, Baraga, Delta, Jackson, Kalkaska and Livingston counties. There are more than 20 properties available that are 40 acres or larger, mostly throughout the Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula.
Notable waterfront properties that are accessible in the Lower Peninsula include two properties in Lapeer County on Lake Nepessing (Lot #s 10075 and 10076), a Jackson County property with frontage on Little Pleasant Lake (Lot #10059) and three properties in Oakland County on Walled Lake (Lot #10089) and Buckhorn Lake (Lot #s 10092 and 10093).
Lot #10026 in Charlevoix County is accessible and offers views of Lake Michigan on Beaver Island. A notable waterfront property in the Upper Peninsula is in Delta County near Lake Michigan (Lot #10042).
In addition, notable large-acreage properties that are accessible include a 40-acre property in Antrim County along Fairmont Court (Lot #10014), a 40-acre Cheboygan County property along N. Old Mackinaw Road (Lot #10028), a 40-acre parcel in Delta County on Brampton 27.5 Road (Lot #10037), three 80-acre properties in Lake County on S. Forman Road (Lot #10073) and W. 32nd Street (Lot #s 10074 and 10075), and a 40-acre Otsego County property along Hayes Tower Road (Lot #10098).
Many of the sale parcels are forested and/or have road or river frontage but are better suited for private ownership.
—————
More on land review
Much of the property offered in these auctions is isolated from other DNR-managed public lands, which creates some management challenges. Other parcels are included because of their limited public recreation benefits. Most properties were designated as “surplus” during the DNR’s state land review, which aimed to examine isolated parcels that are 200 acres or smaller with a substantial private-public boundary. Certain properties, such as boating access sites and designated trails, were removed from the review, as they have been confirmed to positively contribute to quality outdoor recreation.
Knowing how much Michiganders value access to public lands and outdoor traditions and recreation, Scott Whitcomb, acting DNR Lands and Facilities chief, said the department sought and accepted public input from around the state during the land review process that helps determine which parcels eventually are offered at auction. Land review was conducted on a county-by-county basis throughout the entire state.
“First and foremost, these resources belong to the people of Michigan. When we’re making decisions about what happens with DNR-managed public lands, we seek out public involvement as early as possible, sometimes a year or two in advance, and through a variety of channels,” Whitcomb said. “That public feedback, the local stories about favorite places and the suggestions on how to improve challenging sites the DNR inherited — we make every effort to hear it all and then make decisions that best serve the resources, residents and future generations.”
Separate from the August online auctions, the DNR offers additional properties (listed for sale at their former minimum bid prices) that were not sold in previous auctions. These properties are available for immediate purchase only via the BuyNow list.
For more information about the sale of surplus, state-managed public land, contact Michael Michalek, resource specialist in the DNR's Real Estate Section, at (517) 331-8387.
How to Manage Aphids in Your Garden the Rest of the Summer
By Melinda Myers
If you garden, you have likely encountered aphids on trees, shrubs or other garden plants in your landscape. Identifiable by their small teardrop-shaped bodies with cornicles, the two tail pipe-like structures that protrude from their back end. They come in a variety of colors, with or without wings, and some like the cabbage and wooly aphids are covered with a gray or white waxy substance.
These insects feed on leaves, stems, flowers and roots by sucking the plant sap through a needle-like mouthpart. Some aphid species transmit diseases including cauliflower, cucumber, lettuce, tobacco and turnip mosaic viruses, plum pox and potato virus Y.
Aphids, like whiteflies, scale and mealybugs, excrete a clear sticky substance called honeydew. It often covers the leaves, branches and objects beneath the plant. You may see ants, bees, yellow jackets, and flies feeding on the honeydew. Some species of ants protect the aphids from predators, move them to another plant when a new food source is needed and some create shelters or share their nest with the aphids.
As the population grows damaged plants may develop bent and twisted leaves. When large colonies of aphids are present the plant may be wilted, stunted or new growth distorted. A black substance called sooty mold may develop on the leaves. This fungus feeds on the honeydew not the plant. A thick layer of sooty mold can prevent light from reaching the leaves, causing them to turn yellow and drop. Managing the aphids will help manage this problem.
Before reaching for a chemical watch for nature’s pest managers to move in and take care of the problem. Predatory insects, like lady beetles, lacewings and hover fly larvae, eat aphids. One lady beetle can consume more than 5,000 aphids throughout all stages of its life.
If nature is not handling the problem, try spraying the infested plant with a strong blast of water. This knocks many of the aphids off the plant and may provide sufficient control. Follow this, if needed, with an organic product such as a lightweight horticulture oil or insecticidal soap. These insecticides must contact the insect to kill it. They block the spiracles, small air holes in the insects’ exoskeleton, causing asphyxiation.
The horticulture oil, like Year-Round Spray Oil, kills all stages of the insect it contacts but will not harm any beneficial insects that land on the treated plant. Repeat as needed and as always read and follow all label directions for these and any organic, natural or synthetic chemical.
Keep your plants healthy with proper care to reduce the risk and avoid overfertilization that promotes lush succulent growth, which is more susceptible to insect and disease problems.
—————
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 TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Her website is MelindaMyers.com.
If you garden, you have likely encountered aphids on trees, shrubs or other garden plants in your landscape. Identifiable by their small teardrop-shaped bodies with cornicles, the two tail pipe-like structures that protrude from their back end. They come in a variety of colors, with or without wings, and some like the cabbage and wooly aphids are covered with a gray or white waxy substance.
These insects feed on leaves, stems, flowers and roots by sucking the plant sap through a needle-like mouthpart. Some aphid species transmit diseases including cauliflower, cucumber, lettuce, tobacco and turnip mosaic viruses, plum pox and potato virus Y.
Aphids, like whiteflies, scale and mealybugs, excrete a clear sticky substance called honeydew. It often covers the leaves, branches and objects beneath the plant. You may see ants, bees, yellow jackets, and flies feeding on the honeydew. Some species of ants protect the aphids from predators, move them to another plant when a new food source is needed and some create shelters or share their nest with the aphids.
As the population grows damaged plants may develop bent and twisted leaves. When large colonies of aphids are present the plant may be wilted, stunted or new growth distorted. A black substance called sooty mold may develop on the leaves. This fungus feeds on the honeydew not the plant. A thick layer of sooty mold can prevent light from reaching the leaves, causing them to turn yellow and drop. Managing the aphids will help manage this problem.
Before reaching for a chemical watch for nature’s pest managers to move in and take care of the problem. Predatory insects, like lady beetles, lacewings and hover fly larvae, eat aphids. One lady beetle can consume more than 5,000 aphids throughout all stages of its life.
If nature is not handling the problem, try spraying the infested plant with a strong blast of water. This knocks many of the aphids off the plant and may provide sufficient control. Follow this, if needed, with an organic product such as a lightweight horticulture oil or insecticidal soap. These insecticides must contact the insect to kill it. They block the spiracles, small air holes in the insects’ exoskeleton, causing asphyxiation.
The horticulture oil, like Year-Round Spray Oil, kills all stages of the insect it contacts but will not harm any beneficial insects that land on the treated plant. Repeat as needed and as always read and follow all label directions for these and any organic, natural or synthetic chemical.
Keep your plants healthy with proper care to reduce the risk and avoid overfertilization that promotes lush succulent growth, which is more susceptible to insect and disease problems.
—————
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 TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Her website is MelindaMyers.com.
