Michigan State University Extension
Ag Experiment Station Special Reports - 03279582
07/28/98

Natural Resources and Communities


January 1995     Special Report 82                          

Status and Potential of Michigan Natural Resources          

Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station,Michigan State     
University                                                  

SPECIAL REPORT                                              

Natural Resources and Communities                           
Maureen H. McDonough, Department of Forestry, MSU           
Julia D. Parker, Department of Forestry, MSU                

Introduction                                                

"It is not easy for us moderns to realize our dependence    
on the earth....What do you eat, morning, noon and night?   
Natural resources....What do you wear, day in and day       
out? Natural resources....What do you work with, no         
matter what your work might be? Natural resources....What   
do you live in and work in? Wood, iron, rock, clay, sand,   
in a thousand different shapes but always natural           
resources."                                                 
     Gifford Pinchot,    Breaking New Ground, 1907.         

Michigan communities are linked to natural resources in     
many ways. Discussions of these links generally focus on    
employment as natural resources flow into communities and   
create jobs. The question asked is to what degree a         
community is tied economically (e.g. employment) to a       
particular natural resource. Defining resource dependency   
in this way limits understanding of the range of            
relationships between natural resources and human           
communities. The focus on employment leaves out             
consideration of the social and cultural bonds in           
communities that depend directly on a resource-extractive   
industry (Kusel and Fortmann, 1991). The challenges for     
these communities when the resource base changes are not    
limited to finding new employment opportunities, but        
include the impacts on community structure, culture and     
organizational variables that exist in the community        
because of its resource dependency. Communities can also    
be dependent upon natural resources without direct          
employment ties. Concentrating solely on employment         
ignores the resource dependency of all people and all       
communities. The relationship between natural resources     
and communities is complex.                                 

The purposes of this report are to examine what we know     
about the relationships between communities and natural     
resources in Michigan and to highlight what we still need   
to know to help communities make transitions as the         
natural resource base changes over time.                    

Michigan's Natural Resources                                

The state of Michigan has ample natural resources.          
Michigan has minerals, forests, lakes and lakeshores, and   
agricultural land that can support industries and           
communities. Michigan has a diversified mining resource     
base, providing metallic and non-metallic minerals, as      
well as construction materials, oil and gas. The forest     
resource base consists of both public and privately owned   
land. According to the most recent forest inventory,        
Michigan has 18.6 million acres of forestland. Michigan's   
water resources, one of the most distinguishing features    
of the state, include four Great Lakes, more than 3,200     
miles of Great Lakes shoreline and more than 10,000         
inland lakes. The state has 6.2 million acres of            
harvested cropland used to produce a wide variety of        
products, including soybeans, oats, alfalfa, wheat,         
fruits and vegetables. With four Great Lakes and 7.6        
million acres of state and federal land for public          
use_including the Ottawa National Forest, the Hiawatha      
National Forest, the Huron-Manistee National Forest, Isle   
Royale National Park, Sleeping Bear Dunes National          
Lakeshore, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and 67 state   
parks_tourism is important to many communities. For         
further information on Michigan's mineral, water, land,     
and forest resources, and tourism in Michigan, see          
SAPMINR Special Reports 81, 79, 80, 71 and 76,              
respectively.                                               

Michigan's Population                                       

The population of Michigan is most concentrated in the      
southern Lower Peninsula, followed by the northern Lower    
Peninsula, with the Upper Peninsula the least populated     
(Figure 1). This transition in population density           
corresponds with the magnitude of natural resource bases    
regionally in the state. Large tracts of state and          
federal land, industrial timberland and mining operations   
are concentrated in the northern Lower Peninsula and the    
Upper Peninsula. Agricultural, timber, mining and tourism   
communities occur more frequently in areas with lower       
population densities. Communities in the southern Lower     
Peninsula are more likely to depend indirectly on natural   
resources.                                                  

The population of Michigan is concentrated in urban and     
suburban communities in the southern Lower Peninsula        
(Figure 2). Seventy percent of the Michigan population is   
concentrated in urban areas. According to the 1990 U.S.     
Census, the state has 12 metropolitan statistical areas     
(MSAs), all located in the southern Lower Peninsula. Of     
the 30 percent of the Michigan population living in rural   
areas, only 1.3 percent are farm residents. The rest        
(28.7 percent) are non-farm residents.                      

What is a Community?                                        

Communities are defined in many ways. A group of people     
may be linked by virtue of living in the same geographic    
area and sharing the same habitat. These communities of     
place are the way we often think of communities and why     
we most commonly think of rural communities when we think   
about communities and natural resources (Tonnies, 1957;     
Anderson and Carter, 1978; USDA, 1993). Rural communities   
are geographically located in the midst of the natural      
resource base. But human communities are not simply         
aggregates of individuals living in the same geographic     
location. Communities are social systems made up of a set   
of interlocking social institutions such as schools,        
government, and formal and informal organizations.          
Changes in access to natural resources reverberate          
through the system through the interconnected pieces. Not   
all communities will respond in the same way to change.     
The structure of the community and the relationships        
between people and institutions can help or hinder the      
community's ability to respond to changing conditions.      
This is especially true for communities dependent on        
natural resources-the flow of the resource to the           
community can either shift gradually over time or be        
disrupted quite abruptly.                                   

Within geographic communities and within communities        
defined by social institutions can also be found            
communities of association, which share common goals,       
values and beliefs (Tonnies, 1957). These communities of    
association can be differentially affected by changes in    
the quality of or access to natural resources (Carroll      
and Lee, 1990). Communities and groups within a community   
vary in their ability to respond to changes in natural      
resources. Some groups in a community may be relatively     
unaffected by these changes, while others may be            
devastated (Peluso, Humphrey and Fortmann, 1994). The       
complexity of relationships between Michigan communities    
and natural resources is defined by the existence of both   
interrelated social institutions in communities and         
communities of affiliation.                                 

Communities and Resource Dependency                         

Though discussions of community dependence on natural       
resources have traditionally focused on employment in an    
extractive industry, such as timber or mining, resource     
dependency actually occurs along a spectrum ranging from    
direct to indirect dependence. Peluso, Humphrey and         
Fortmann (1994) define a natural resource-dependent         
community as a place where a natural resource accounts      
for a substantial part of the local economy or attracts     
population. Communities directly dependent on the           
resource include those where the economy is based on        
extraction of a resource such as timber or fish, those      
where industry requires a natural resource such as clean    
water to produce something else, those where natural        
resources are used to attract tourism and those where       
people come to live because of the aesthetic resource       
provided by natural resources. The last category includes   
communities with significant numbers of seasonal or         
retirement homes. Communities can be economically           
dependent on natural resources without any resource-based   
production of material goods (Kusel and Fortmann, 1991;     
Peluso, Humphrey and Fortmann, 1994).                       

Michigan developed on a foundation of timber harvesting,    
mining and fishing throughout the state. Some Michigan      
communities continue to depend on extractive industries     
such as timber. Other Michigan communities depend on a      
combination of extraction and tourism or on tourism         
alone. Additional communities in northern Michigan are      
affected by increases in seasonal homes. Still others are   
in transition from dependence on one resource base to       
another. Michigan has many communities in gradual           
transition from timber and mining to tourism and beyond.    

To have a complete understanding of natural resources and   
Michigan communities, we need to add another category to    
the types of communities described above. These are         
communities that depend indirectly on natural resources.    
The idea that all people and communities are dependent on   
natural resources is often dismissed by suggesting that,    
though we all accept that aesthetic and spiritual           
benefits accrue to individuals through contact with         
nature, this is actually incidental to resource             
dependency from an employment or even a community           
well-being standpoint. This dismissal ignores the ways      
that communities and natural resources interact that are    
not directly extractive but that do have important          
economic implications. Natural resources in urban           
communities provide important health and environmental      
benefits. These benefits have economic implications for     
property values and reduced health care costs. In           
addition, people living in urban areas use products from    
natural resource areas in other parts of the state.         
Natural resource amenities throughout the state have        
created a spectrum of resource dependency in both urban     
and rural areas. Four communities in Michigan-Ironwood,     
Traverse City, Roscommon and Jackson-are used in this       
report as examples along the resource dependency            
continuum.                                                  

Direct Dependence in Michigan Communities                   

Dependence on natural resources varies in type of           
association with the resource base, degree of dependence    
and manifestations of the dependency. Michigan              
communities are associated with natural resource bases in   
a variety of ways, including association with forest        
products or timber production, fisheries, mining, and       
recreation and tourism industries. Traditionally,           
assessment of resource dependency has been limited to       
dependence on extractive industries such as logging and     
mining. In Michigan, however, many communities that         
depend on extractive resource industries also depend on     
tourism. The availability of a large natural resource       
base creates an opportunity for the development of both     
types of industry. It is largely a matter of degree when    
we term communities dependent on or associated with         
extraction to be dependent on tourism.                      

Degree of dependence ranges from direct to indirect. All    
communities rely on natural resource bases to some          
extent. Direct dependence on natural resources primarily    
means the association of communities with large-scale       
natural resource bases that provide employment.             
Dependence on natural resources varies greatly throughout   
the state because of the location of large-scale natural    
resource units such as state, federal or industrial         
landholdings, the location and diversification of           
industry and employment, and the size and level of          
isolation of the community.                                 

Manifestation of direct dependence varies in communities    
in Michigan because of the economic and social influences   
of extractive and tourism industries. According to          
Machlis and Force (1988), resources create social meaning   
for a community and provide "an escape, sanctuary or        
spiritual rejuvenation" in addition to economic impacts.    
Employment is one manifestation of natural resource-based   
dependence that is both economic and social. In directly    
dependent communities, the natural resource-based           
employment level exceeds the state or national average in   
that industry (such as forestry, mining, fisheries or       
tourism).                                                   

Natural resource bases can provide primary or secondary     
employment. Primary employment means that the industry      
employs a large percentage (more than 10 percent) of the    
working population. Without this industry, the community    
would suffer significant increases in unemployment and      
severe economic problems. This can lead to further          
sociological problems within the community (Force and       
Machlis, 1994). Once a primary employer leaves a            
community, the income levels, tax revenues, business        
receipts and employment rate suffer.                        

Secondary employment contributes to the community but is    
not as influential on culture or the overall employment,    
income and tax revenue levels. If secondary employers       
leave an area, employees can often be assimilated into      
the existing employment structure. However, a large         
number of secondary employers leaving the community can     
have a great impact (Parker, 1990).                         

Employment in natural resource-based industries not only    
results in economic dependence, but also creates            
sociological impacts within the community. Community        
culture is affected in particular Michigan communities by   
the existence of logging and wood processing industries,    
agriculture, mining, recreation and tourism. Occupational   
bases in communities affect the entire community culture,   
whether or not all members of the community are involved    
with the particular occupation. Communities can have an     
occupation as a focus of their identity. This is            
documented in the Pacific Northwest by the existence of     
"timber towns" and in the Appalachian region by the         
existence of "mining towns" (Machlis and Force, 1988).      
Sociological effects of resource dependency also include    
changing demographics, political and infrastructure         
pressures, and conflict among community groups.             

Income level is also related to direct dependence.          
Especially for isolated communities, natural                
resource-based industry has a great effect on local         
income levels. Extractive industries have higher wage       
levels than tourism but over a potentially shorter time     
period (Freudenberg, 1992).                                 

Extraction communities often have an imbalance in the       
community power structure (Freudenberg, 1992).              
Freudenberg suggests that communities not only become       
dependent, but become addicted to extractive industries.    
Thus, those individuals controlling the extractive          
industry wield a great deal of power in the community.      
Furthermore, extraction communities in transition from      
extraction to tourism or other diversification feel the     
pull of old industries and new industries, of permanent     
residents and seasonal residents, and of extraction         
workers and service-sector workers (Frankena, 1989; Lee,    
1991).                                                      

The effects of the resource base on tourism communities     
are different from the effects on extractive communities.   
Though usually separated from large metropolitan centers,   
tourism communities can be either rural or urban            
communities, depending on the level of development and      
the population density of the community. Tourism money      
can be an important source of revenue for these             
communities. But increases in tourism can create a          
serious dilemma for communities. For example, some          
Michigan tourism communities_including those along Lake     
Michigan, such as Traverse City, Mackinaw City and Grand    
Haven-have large changes in their seasonal population       
(Stynes and Olivio, 1990). During the tourism season        
these communities become congested with traffic and         
additional residents.                                       

In a series of articles in the Lansing State Journal        
(1991), Traverse City residents discussed some of the       
pros and cons of tourism. One resident was quoted as        
saying, "We anxiously await their (seasonal tourists)       
arrival, and we anxiously await their departure."           
Problems in these communities include increased             
development, rapidly increasing property values and         
property taxes, and "thousands of low-paying service jobs   
that begin and end with the three-month summer season."     
Though these impacts have not been studied extensively in   
Michigan communities, they are well documented in other     
areas.                                                      

Changes in population levels are both permanent and         
seasonal. Permanent demographic effects resulting from      
the presence of natural resources can be seen in the        
number of seasonal and retirement homes owned. Much of      
the change in population in tourism communities of          
northern lower Michigan is due to the existence of          
seasonal homes. Michigan ranks second in the United         
States in the number of seasonal residences (Spotts,        
1991). In many northern Michigan communities, seasonal      
homes account for between 30 percent and 60 percent of      
all housing (Stynes and Olivio, 1990).                      

Seasonal homes not only have demographic impacts but also   
affect the political structure and the social               
relationships in a community. These include population      
growth and change in rural areas, increased pressure on     
institutions and public services, and the potential clash   
of cultures as urban residents move to rural areas          
(DeJong and Humphreys, 1976; and Price and Clay, 1980, in   
Stewart, 1994). An influx of seasonal residents may         
stress a community structure by creating an increased       
demand for roads, highways, public services such as fire    
and police protection, and medical services. The number     
of seasonal residences in an area is often a precursor to   
a demographic change not only in numbers but also in age    
groups. The influx of elderly persons associated with       
seasonal and retirement homes creates changes in demand     
for government services and changes in the community tax    
base. Tax bases may change from income to property with a   
larger elderly population.                                  

Understanding the influence of many factors on Michigan     
communities_occupational communities, demographic fluxes,   
political structures, resource utilization, and             
industries based on tourism and extraction_is an            
important part of understanding our direct dependence on    
natural resources. Another important component to           
understanding natural resources and communities in          
Michigan is the indirect dependence of all Michigan         
communities on natural resources.                           

Indirect Dependence: Natural Resources and Urban            
Communities                                                 

Though we often do not think of natural resources in        
association with urban areas, natural resources are an      
important part of our cities and towns. These resources     
include rivers, lakes, parks and trees. Much of the focus   
on urban natural resources in recent times has been on      
the urban "forest." The urban forest includes street        
trees as well as trees in parks and cemeteries and on       
private land. The most recent national survey estimates     
that there are approximately 60 million street trees in     
the United States (Kielbaso, 1990). These street trees      
represent $30 billion dollars of standing tree stock. In    
addition, there are approximately 10 private trees for      
every street tree (Kielbaso, 1990). Studies have shown      
that real estate agents and home buyers assign between 10   
and 23 percent of the value of a residence to the trees     
on the property (Dwyer, 1991; Dwyer, McPherson, Schroeder   
and Rowntree, 1992). The federal government has invested    
heavily in urban and community forestry in the past three   
years. The 1990 Farm Bill provided funding to each state    
through the U.S. Forest Service State and Private           
Forestry Program. Michigan receives approximately           
$300,000 per year in urban and community forestry funds     
from the Farm Bill. Another $350,000 in tree planting       
funds is received by Michigan urban communities through     
the Small Business Administration. Each state has a state   
urban forestry coordinator. In addition, a growing number   
of non-governmental organizations are involved in           
replanting the urban forest. In Michigan, these include     
such groups as Global Releaf and the Greening of Detroit.   
There is a significant economic investment in urban         
trees.                                                      

Literature about the values associated with urban trees     
is plentiful. Generally, these are grouped into             
psychological, aesthetic, social and environmental          
values. Psychological and aesthetic values of urban trees   
should not be underestimated. There is a growing body of    
literature on the restorative value of trees. Surgery       
patients who could see a grove of trees out their window    
recuperated faster than patients who could see only brick   
walls (Ullrich, 1979). Prisoners with views of trees used   
prison health facilities less (Moore, 1982). Workers with   
views of trees out the office window reported lower job     
stress and fewer headaches (Kaplan, Talbot and Kaplan,      
1988). Urban residents with views of trees out their        
window reported significantly higher levels of              
satisfaction with their neighborhoods (Kaplan, 1985).       

Social values associated with urban trees include           
community cooperation and identity, which develop when      
people come together to plant trees. In urban areas,        
trees can become social centers where people gather in      
the summer (McDonough and Vachta, 1994). Environmental      
values include climate control, reduction in air and        
noise pollution, and improvements in soil and water         
quality. The built environment of cities tend to be         
"urban heat islands." Trees help moderate the temperature   
in cities through the process of evapotranspiration.        
Individual trees also provide shade that reduces the        
amount of solar radiation absorbed by pavement and          
buildings. Properly planted trees can thus reduce the       
cost of cooling buildings (Akbari, Rosenfeld and Taha,      
1990; Dwyer, McPherson, Schroeder and Rowntree, 1992). In   
the winter, trees prevent the loss of radiant energy and    
reduce heating costs. Recent studies in Chicago indicate    
that a combination of trees and buildings reduced           
windspeeds by an average of 46 to 85 percent, compared      
with an open field (McPherson, Nowak and Rowntree, 1994).   

Trees are considered fairly effective at removing certain   
air pollutants. These materials often harm urban trees,     
however. Trees remove carbon dioxide through                
photosynthesis, and some estimates are that urban trees     
are about 10 times as effective as forest trees at          
lowering carbon dioxide because of their proximity to the   
sources of pollution. This is accomplished both through     
photosynthesis and the reduction in the use of fossil       
fuels due to reductions in heating and cooling demands      
(Dwyer, McPherson, Schroeder and Rowntree, 1992). Trees     
are also used to reduce noise pollution from highways.      

Finally, urban trees improve soil and water quality by      
holding soil in place and preventing the accelerated silt   
accumulation in urban streams associated with runoff from   
the built environment. Cities such as Baltimore on the      
Chesapeake Bay are paying considerable attention to trees   
in the urban watershed (Grove, Vachta, McDonough and        
Burch, 1993).                                               

Clearly, the urban forest is crucial in many ways for       
urban residents. Do we have enough urban trees in           
Michigan? Michigan did not participate in the 1989          
National Street Tree Survey. The Michigan Department of     
Natural Resources (MDNR) uses the results from the          
national study to estimate the state of Michigan's urban    
forests, however, by assuming that the urban forest of      
Michigan is in similar condition to that of other states    
(for example, Minnesota) (Boucher, personal                 
communica-tion, 1994). The summary statistics for the       
national study and for Minnesota indicate similar           
potential for planting more urban trees. In both cases,     
approximately 50 percent of the space available for         
street trees is empty, meaning that, given adequate         
resources, cities could double the number of urban trees    
currently planted (AFA, 1989; Kielbaso, 1990).              

In Michigan's cities, the potential for planting more       
urban trees increases if vacant lots are taken into         
consideration. Detroit serves as a primary example of the   
problem and the potential. Between 1965 and 1990, Detroit   
experienced a drop in population of 600,000 people. In      
the decade between 1980 and 1990, 45,000 families moved     
out of Detroit. This trend of urban depopulation left a     
large number of homes vacant in the city. The problem       
became so severe that a widespread demolition project was   
instituted to remove dangerous and abandoned buildings.     
Detroit consequently lost 60,385 housing units and gained   
at least 65,000 vacant lots. Depopulation has continued     
and the city has just begun a new round of demolitions.     
Budgetary constraints have prevented adequate maintenance   
of the vacant lots, which, despite their use as illegal     
waste dumps, often become playgrounds for local children.   
The state urban and community forestry coordinator for      
the MDNR reports that Pontiac, Flint, Saginaw and Grand     
Rapids all have similar vacant land issues (Boucher,        
personal communication, 1994). The potential for            
increased numbers of urban trees in Michigan, with all      
their attendant benefits, is significant.                   

A special note should be made about the potential for       
small-scale local economic development of vacant urban      
land through tree planting. These areas offer communities   
the potential to develop Christmas tree plantations,        
community woodlots, community nurseries and agroforestry    
projects, in addition to the more traditional parks         
and/or other aesthetic resources. The Urban Resources       
Initiative (URI) in the Department of Forestry at           
Michigan State University is exploring these                
possibilities in a pilot project in low-income              
neighborhoods in Detroit. Additional benefits credited to   
these efforts by residents participating in the URI         
project are continued community participation, increased    
block club memberships, improved intergenerational          
cooperation and increased appreciation for natural          
resources. Many of the block clubs participating in the     
URI have also reported that they are becoming leaders in    
their neighborhoods_other block clubs are asking for        
assistance and information in developing vacant lot         
reclamation projects.                                       

The above discussion has focused on the need to expand      
the urban forest in Michigan. In addition, we need to       
focus on the decline in the quality of the existing urban   
forest. A survey of 20 cities in the United States,         
including Detroit, found that the urban forest is           
declining at an alarming rate. Cities are removing more     
trees than they are planting, and tree maintenance is       
declining because of increased costs and city budget        
reductions (Moll, 1987; Kielbaso, 1990). Because of the     
significance of trees to the quality of urban               
environments, this is an area that needs attention.         

Emerging Issues                                             

Several issues emerge from this examination of the          
relationship between natural resources and Michigan         
communities. First, better information is needed on the     
distribution of resource dependence across the state. The   
focus should be on communities in transition. How many      
Michigan communities continue to be directly dependent on   
timber and mining? How many are making a transition to      
tourism? How many are moving from direct to indirect        
dependence on natural resources by developing               
non-resource-based economies?                               

The second issue flows directly from the first. What is     
the impact on communities of changes in resource            
availability and transition from one form of resource       
dependency to another? The report of the Forest Ecosystem   
Management Assessment Team (FEMAT, 1993) on federal         
management of old growth forests in the Pacific Northwest   
offers a model for looking at these questions in            
Michigan. FEMAT suggests that impacts are a combination     
of the consequences to the community of the change and      
the ability of communities to adapt to change.              
Communities vary widely across these variables. If we are   
to assist Michigan communities in adapting to inevitable    
changes in the flow of natural resources, we must take a    
careful look at the relationship between resources and      
community well-being, including non-extractive resource     
dependencies such as seasonal homes and tourism. What are   
the impacts on northern Michigan communities of decreases   
in timber harvests and increases in seasonal or             
retirement homes? This information is not available for     
Michigan communities.                                       

In the future, analysis of resource availability,           
industry and impacts needs to be conducted on the           
community level. Statewide information is available, but    
the impacts of the management and utilization of natural    
resources are felt largely at the community level in        
Michigan.                                                   

A third issue is the maintenance and expansion of urban     
natural resources. It is costly for the state to allow      
the health of urban ecosystems to decline. The fact that    
most of Michigan's citizens live in urban areas also        
makes this an equity issue. Significant natural resource    
research and management efforts need to be directed at      
improving the quality of the urban ecosystem.               

Conclusion                                                  

Resource dependency of Michigan communities is a complex    
issue. In this paper, we have outlined the direct and       
indirect dependence of Michigan communities. The            
existence of a vast resource base in the state-including    
Great Lakes, forestland, mineral deposits and natural       
amenities within and around communities-creates a           
significant level of resource dependency. Communities can   
be primarily dependent through occupational, cultural,      
demographic and economic ties to resources. Indirect        
dependence can result from psychological, social and        
environmental ties to natural resources in and around       
communities. All Michigan communities are dependent on      
natural resources. The needs and priorities of              
communities must be accounted for if Michigan's natural     
resources are to meet their potential. Resources are only   
resources because people and communities make them so.      




Figure 1. Population densities in Michigan,  by   region.   

     So. Lower No. Lower Upper Pen.                         



Figure 2. Population of Michigan, by type of community.     

Non-farm residents (28.7%)                                  

Farm residents (1.3%)                                       

Urban and suburban residents (70.0%)                        



IRONWOOD - COMMUNITY PROFILE                                
Ironwood, Michigan, is a community historically dependent   
on extractive industries, including mining and timber       
harvesting. Now this community combines tourism, mining,    
timber harvesting and wood products production for its      
livelihood and remains primarily dependent on its           
resource base.                                              

-  Location - western end of the Upper Peninsula.           
-  Population - 6,843.                                      
-  Median household income - $16,857.                       
-  EXTRACTIVE AND TOURISM INDUSTRIES, PRIMARY               
     DEPENDENCE.                                            

NATURAL RESOURCE BASE:                                      
-  This region includes 2,799,700 acres of                  
    forestland.                                             
-  6.7% state, 25.9% federal, 2.2% municipal,               
    30.4% industrial and 34.2% private forests.             
-  Ottawa National Forest and Sylvania National             
    Wilderness Area.                                        
-  Presque Isle River.                                      
-  Industry and employment in the region rests              
    largely on forest products, mines and tourism.          
-  13% work in extractive industries. (U.S. Bureau          
    of Labor Statistics does not include public             
    employment on an industry basis.)                       
-  Mining industry - the Copper Range/Metal                 
    Mining in White Pine employs 1,075 people in            
    the region.                                             
-  Three logging companies.                                 
-  Nine wood products production companies                  
    including veneer, lumber, hardwood flooring             
    and plywood production.                                 
-  19% work in hotel and amusement services.                

MAJOR RESOURCE-BASED TOURIST ATTRACTIONS OF THE AREA:       
- Ski hills, snowmobile trails and park land;               
   Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park;               
   130 miles of snowmobile trails; Lake Gogebic             
   State Park; four ski resorts; harbor facilities          
   on the Black River and access to Lake Superior.          


Sources: Gogebic County Economic Development                
         Commission; Department of Labor, Bureau of         
         Labor Statistics, 1992.                            



TRAVERSE CITY - COMMUNITY PROFILE                           
This area combines resource-based tourism with outdoor      
recreation and resort development to create one of the      
most heavily visited tourism spots in the state.            
-  Location - the Leelanau Peninsula and Grand              
    Traverse Bay in the northern Lower Peninsula.           
-  Median household income - $27,373.                       
-  TOURISM, PRIMARY DEPENDENCE.                             

NATURAL RESOURCE BASE:                                      
-  The Grand Traverse Bay.                                  
-  Lake Michigan.                                           
-  Many inland lakes.                                       
-  Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore.                        
-  Pere Marquette State Forest.                             
-  Changes in population are significant.                   
-  Summer population increases by 200%.                     
-  Over 30 hotels, motels or resorts with almost            
    1,500 units, including Grand Traverse Resort.           
-  Six ski and recreation resorts, which include            
    an additional 1,900 units.                              
-  Second home or vacation home ownership.                  
-  Retirement community.                                    

EMPLOYMENT:                                                 
-  31.6% service sector.                                    
-  3.6% hotel and motel.                                    
-  15% manufacturing.                                       
-  Grand Traverse Resort is the largest employer            
    in the area - 650 employees off season, 900             
    in season.                                              

Sources: U.S. Census, 1990; Traverse City Chamber of        
         Commerce.                                          


ROSCOMMON COUNTY - COMMUNITY PROFILE                        

This rural area is not densely populated and is being       
affected greatly by the influx of seasonal residents and    
retired individuals locating in the area.                   

-  Location - northern central Lower Peninsula.             
-  Population - 19,776.                                     
-  Median household income - $17,047.                       
-  Total housing - 19,881.                                  
-  Seasonal housing - 10,580 (53% of total).                
-  SHIFT FROM AGRICULTURAL BASE TO TOURISM                  
    BASE, PRIMARY DEPENDENCE.                               

NATURAL RESOURCE BASE:                                      
-  Higgins Lake.                                            
-  Houghton Lake.                                           
-  Public and private forests.                              

Age distribution, state of Michigan vs. Roscommon County:   




JACKSON - COMMUNITY PROFILE                                 
This city exemplifies an urban area with indirect           
dependence on natural resources. In Jackson, natural        
resources are necessary for psychological, recreational,    
economic and environmental benefits.                        

-  Location - southern Lower Peninsula.                     
-  Population - 39,739.                                     
-  Median household income - $20,830.                       
-  INDIRECT DEPENDENCE.                                     

NATURAL RESOURCE BASE:                                      
-  Urban forest.                                            
-  Surrounding agricultural land.                           
-  19 county parks, from 3 to 457 acres; these parks        
    include both developed and undeveloped park land.       
-  Dahlem Environmental Education Center.                   

PRINCIPAL EMPLOYERS:                                        
-  Michigan Department of Corrections.                      
-  Consumers Power.                                         
-  W. A. Foote Memorial Hospital.                           
-  Aeroquip Corporation.                                    



References                                                  

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Status and Potential of Michigan Natural Resources List     
of Reports                                                  

Acknowledgements                                            

Overview Reports                                            
SR 67 --SAPMINR Highlights                                  
SR 68 --Michigan Natural Resources Policy                   
SR 69 --Demographic, Social and Economic Trends             
SR 70 --Integrated Natural Resource Systems                 

The authors would like to thank the following individuals   
for their thorough reviews and helpful comments.            
Frank Fear, Resource Development                            
Craig Harris, Sociology                                     
Karen Potter-Witter, Forestry                               
Folu Ogundimu, Journalism                                   
Cathy Bristow, Entomology                                   
Gail Richmond, Teacher Education                            

Focus Reports                                               
SR 71 --Timber and Timberland Resources                     
SR 72 --Lumber, Furniture, Composition Panels and           
Other Solidwood Products                                    
SR 73 --Pulp, Paper, Allied Products and Wood Energy        
SR 74 --Fisheries                                           
SR 75 --Wildlife                                            
SR 76 --Tourism                                             
SR 77 --Boating and Underwater Recreation                   
SR 78 --Camping, Trails and Dispersed Recreation            
SR 79 --Water Resources                                     
SR 80 --Land Resources                                      
SR 81 --Nonrenewable Resources                              
SR 82 --Natural Resources and Communities                   

Reports on the Status and Potential of Michigan Natural     
Resources                                                   

This special report is one of a series (listed below)       
prepared for a project of the Michigan Agricultural         
Experiment Station (MAES) called the "Status and            
Potential of Michigan Natural Resources" (SAPMINR).         

The project was designed to take an inventory of the        
current status of Michigan natural resources, identify      
emerging trends, and appraise future opportunities. The     
purpose was to assist MAES in establishing priorities and   
planning programs.                                          

Both overview and focused topic assessments have been       
made. The overview reports provide background information   
on the political, economic, and social environments         
influencing Michigan natural resources. The focus reports   
examine specific resources, including timberland            
resources, fisheries and wildlife resources, parks and      
recreational resources, and land and water resources.       

The SAPMINR project began in early 1993. At that time,      
interdisciplinary teams of MSU faculty members, graduate    
students, federal and state government officials, and       
others collaborated to develop preliminary reports. In      
March 1994, a SAPMINR conference took place during MSU's    
Agriculture and Natural Resources Week. The objective of    
the conference was to provide a public forum for            
discussion of the preliminary reports. Based on             
interaction with conference participants, the authors       
prepared the final drafts of the special reports (SR).      

This report should not be considered final. Efforts to      
analyze the past and forecast the future are ongoing.       
Even so, this report is a base for dialogue on both the     
status and potential of Michigan natural resources.         

To receive any of the reports listed below, contact: MSU    
Bulletin Office, Room 103 Agriculture Hall, Michigan        
State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1039.              


The Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station is an equal    
opportunity employer and complies with Title VI of the      
Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education      
Amendments of 1972.                                         

printed on recycled paper using soy based ink               

New_1:95_.75M_TCM_CW                                        


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