The Pigeon River Country Association...
Our Past
The Pigeon River Country Association began in 1971 when a group of local citizens, sportsmen, and environmental activists banded together to save the last great tract of undeveloped land in Michigan's lower peninsula. This land, which Ernest Hemingway called the "pine barrens east of Vanderbilt" and what Michigan pioneer conservationist P.S. Lovejoy liked to call "The Big Wild", is home to a large herd of wild elk and forms a major part of the watershed of three of Michigan's premier trout streams, the Sturgeon, the Pigeon, and the Black. The forest was left a shambles by early logging and the fires that followed, and continues to face threats from oil and gas development, overuse and dangerous dam infrastructure. The efforts of this grass-roots association, working in concert with other concerned organizations, resulted in the official establishment of the Pigeon River Country Forest as a special management unit of over 100 square miles in four counties administered by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources according to a unique Concept of Management. The association's efforts, backed by lawsuits and court decisions, also led to the precedent-setting Hydrocarbon Development Plan that has served as a model for responsible oil and gas drilling and production practices that are now being implemented throughout the rest the state of Michigan. Our Mission "The purpose of the Pigeon River Country Association shall be: To protect the unique wilderness characteristics of the Pigeon River Country and to insure that the Pigeon River Country retains the aesthetic, wildlife, recreational and educational values that presently exist, both for the present and future generations." Today, we see this original mission as ever more necessary as recreational and industrial pressure on the forest increase. This at a time when government staffing has decreased. We wish to note particularly that the Association is not an advocate for any particular recreational interest, industry, or even citizen advocacy group, but that our primary interest is for the health and integrity of the forest itself. |
Activities Even today the Association continues to remain active, first of all by trying to make sure that these agreements and precedents which have been reached are kept and by assisting the forest managers in every way we can. Our activities include making sure that a representative of the Association serves on the Pigeon River Country Advisory Council and its various committees, funding a university-level intern to assist the forest manager each summer, recruiting weekend volunteers to staff the forest headquarters and the Discovery Center, publishing a quarterly newsletter apprising members of forest issues, and volunteering on conservation projects like wildlife surveys, trail repair and maintenance. In these ways we hope to continue to serve the needs of the forest as well as of the public which continues to value it as a very special place. We invite you to join us, both by your financial support and if you wish, by volunteering your time and efforts in some of the activities listed above. Membership Any person interested in helping protect the Pigeon River Country and its resources and wildlife is invited to join us. Individual memberships are $20 per year, or family memberships are $25 per year (federal tax deductible). Members will receive a quarterly newsletter and are invited to the annual open membership meeting, held at the Discovery Center building, We gather on the third Saturday in July and have a lively meeting. We hear reports from the PRCA intern, various members of the DNR staff, the PRCA treasurer and we offer a public comment time so attendees can aire their comments, concerns and opinions of what is happening in the Pigeon River Country State Forest. You can become a member by sending your check payable to P.R.C.A. at: The Pigeon River Country Association, P.O. Box 122, Gaylord MI, 49734-0122, or clicking the link below. |
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