Within Michigan 20 percent of the State's total land area is owned and managed as public land by either the Federal, State, or local governments. The purchase and sale of land by the State of Michigan is done by way of one of three Departments: the Department of Management and Budget, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Natural Resources. In general, the agency or department responsible for a particular facility or property is considered the landlord or owner. Therefore, most of Michigan's executive agencies are said to own and manage lands related to their program and space needs. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages 4.5 million acres, 12 percent of the total State land area, while the Federal government manages an additional 3.1 million acres, 8 percent of the total state land area, and 114,000 acres are managed by local units of government for recreation. In addition to DNR managed lands the State owns an additional 375,020 acres, including 180,000 acres managed by the Department of Transportation, and 155,000 acres managed by the Department of Military Affairs. The DNR manages the land with which it has been entrusted as State Forests, State Wildlife Areas, State Parks and Recreation Areas, Boating and Fishing Access Sites, or other public purposes.

State Forest Lands. The Department manages State Forest lands for timber and mineral production, fish and wildlife habitat, environmental quality and recreation. Today, Michigan has 3.9 million acres managed as State Forest lands, covering 43 counties. Fifty percent of Michigan's state forest land is in the Upper Peninsula and 50% is in northern lower Michigan. These lands, which are mostly forested, comprise 20% of the forested lands in the State. These lands produce an average of 59,000,000 cubic feet of timber valued at $21,000,000 which contributes $ 1.1 billion and some 4 1,000 jobs to Michigan's economy. In addition, these lands contain some 150 campgrounds,over 600 boating access sites,more than 10,000 miles of ORV, Snowmobile and non-motorized trails, and 7,000 miles of canoeable streams and 13,000 miles of trout waters.

State Wildlife Areas. The Department's Wildlife Division manages some 294,000 acres in 63 State Wildlife Areas - most in southern Michigan. Purchased primarily with State and Federal funds received from hunting licenses and the excise tax on firearms and ammunition, these areas provide a broad range of recreation opportunities in addition to hunting. Seventy-six percent of recreation activity in Wildlife Areas is non-hunting.

State Park and Recreation Areas. State Parks have been called the crown jewels of our public ownership. Within the State's 96 Park and Recreation Areas lie 260,000 acres of recreation land, 142 miles of Great Lake shoreline and 462 miles of inland lakes, rivers and streams.

Boating Access Sites. Parks and Recreation Division administers the Boating Access Site Program. Currently there are over 1,100 public boating access sites in the State, 700 of which are State-owned and operated by the Department. With over 500,000 trailerable boats under 16-feet in length and only 27,000 boat-trailer public access parking spaces, there is a continuing unmet need in Michigan for additional boating access.

Fishing Access Sites, Fish Habitat and Support Facilities. Fisheries Division seeks to protect and maintain healthy aquatic environments and fish communities, and provide diverse public fishing opportunities by acquiring land that provides sites for fish hatcheries, and sites for fishing access from shore or by small boat.

The State also holds title to 24 million acres of Great Lakes bottomlands which were transferred to the State from the federal government at Statehood. These lands are held as public trust lands and the State exercises both proprietary and regulatory authority over them.

Mineral Rights. The Department has jurisdiction over surface and mineral rights on 3.8 million acres of land, and mineral rights only on an additional 2.1 million acres. Minerals underlying the State's 24 million acres of Great Lakes bottomlands are also State-owned. The Department is empowered to lease State-owned mineral rights for oil, gas, and other mineral exploration and development purposes. Today, the Department administers 6,190 oil and gas leases, 30 metallic mineral leases, 74 underground gas storage leases and 7 nonmetallic mineral leases. In fiscal year 1998 these leasing programs earned $38.8 million in rental fees and royalties for the state. Most of the money was deposited in the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund to acquire recreational land acquisition and development for State and local outdoor recreational projects.