Black Creek Lake State Forest Campground (Mich.) undergoes cleanup

The Department of Natural Resources announced recently that some of the campsites at Black Creek State Forest Campground (SFC) will be closed due to hazardous tree conditions. Black Creek SFC is located in Midland County, three miles northwest of Sanford.

Recent work completed by DNR Forest Management Division staff has made some areas safe for camping, but work still needs to be done. Currently 12 of the 24 sites are open and available for camping.

“We recently removed hazards from two of the loops. A large white pine tree was struck by lightning this spring. We removed the hazardous white pine as well as several other trees that posed a hazard to campers in these loops,” said Jason Hartman, manager of the DNR Gladwin Management Unit.

A timber sale is being planned to remove the hazard trees in the largest loop during the winter. The winter season provides a larger window to complete tree removal when it doesn’t interfere with the camping season. The frozen conditions also minimize damage to the campground.

“There are several more oak trees in the third loop of the campground. We had to consider the most appropriate areas to work at this time of year and focus our efforts in these difficult economic times,” Hartman explained.

Oak wilt, a serious disease of red oak trees in Michigan, is a growing concern in Midland County and one that is contributing to the problem at Black Creek SFC. There is no effective treatment for oak wilt-infected trees. Diseased trees die quickly, often within a few weeks of showing symptoms. These trees can create serious hazards in recreation areas if not removed promptly. Treatments exist that help prevent the movement of the disease to healthy trees, but they are costly and can temporarily disrupt recreational activities. Campers can help stop the spread of oak wilt to new areas by avoiding damage to the bark of healthy red oak trees and by only using locally-provided firewood.

For more information regarding oak wilt, check out the Michigan DNR 2010 Forest Health Highlights at www.michigan.gov/foresthealth.