Supposedly this is to meet their renewable energy goals, but their other issue is declining revenue from hunting and fishing licenses. As far as the hunting license revenue, they appear to have fewer hunters in the UP. And if you believe the reports, this is tied to the deer herd being decimated due to wolves still be protected in this state.
Environmentalist write their own jokes. In what world does removing forest help the environment?

Quote:

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Deforesting land for renewable energy has become the focus of recent scientific study. Evidence from both Harvard University and Chinese researchers shows the loss of carbon-dioxide gobbling forests for solar installations results in a net increase in greenhouse gas emissions the air pollution which fuels the accelerating climate crisis.

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https://www.mlive.com/environment/2025/01/michigan-plans-to-clear-400-acres-of-state-forest-near-gaylord-for-solar-farm.html

INSANITY: Michigan is clearing over 400 acres of a forest to create rows of Chinese-made solar panels that just occasionally generate electricity.

And it’s not even going to help the environment. A recent study found “the loss of carbon-dioxide gobbling forests for solar… pic.twitter.com/UXhQTUoR8v

— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) January 3, 2025

Solar energy in the hot zone known as Michigan

"... researchers shows the loss of carbon-dioxide gobbling forests for solar installations results in a net increase in greenhouse gas emissions the air pollution which fuels the accelerating climate crisis."

Anyone with a brain should know this is a stupid idea that goes against what it is supposed to be accomplishing. This isn't about reducing CO2 or climate change or saving the planet.

It is about controlling your life while at the same time making the preferred class rich.

It's graft on a global scale.

OK so trees eat CO2.

CO2 is bad because it causes Global Warming.

Solar Panels are "green"

So we're going to cut down a renewable resource to replace it with a more green alternative, in order to reduce CO2.

Please make it make sense.

So much madness.

i bet the person who made this decision still wears a mask while driving in their car alone.

They must virtue signal and push government money to industry friends who will undoubtedly give some of it to Democrats

Imagine how many solar panels you could erect in Brazil if you just cut down that pesky rainforest. Thats next…just wait for it,

Similar here in East Texas. Across the county road from my property, they cleared 2500 acres of ~40 year old trees. The land is owned by a power company and was mined for lignite in the '80s, then replanted in timber. They cleared the land with ICE powered equipment and burned what was not hauled out for timber. I occasionally saw bald eagles before they started, but none since. I wonder it will ever be a net positive for CO2 with the loss of trees. From the Forest Service-->a mature live tree can absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide, which is permanently stored in its fibers until the tree or wood experiences a physical event that releases it into the atmosphere, like fire or decomposition.

For those who consume the end product, it may feel green. For those of us living where it is produced it may be worse than the coal mining.

This is Brilliant, in a state where there is cloud cover 80% of the time.......

Detmersdislocatedshoulder said:

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i bet the person who made this decision still wears a mask while driving in their car alone.

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15 miles below the speed limit in the fast lane

You know the world is turning upside down when you've got a Republican referencing the Loraz in hopes of PROTECTING nature's habitats and wildlife when speaking out against Solar Panels. Now, I'm not sure if they'd do the same if the land were to be used for a "Drill, Baby, Drill" type of thing, but still, you gotta enjoy the moments when they present themselves.

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"Mind-numbing decisions like this are absolute proof that the DNR is completely rotten to its core," said Borton, R-Gaylord. "This deforestation will destroy habitats and effectively kill wildlife. Let me make that clear, the DNR is choosing to kill wildlife so they can build solar panels.

"We've all read the Lorax. If he thought like the DNR, he'd only be speaking for trees for as long as it took to fill his chainsaw with gas after the solar industry waved a fat wad of cash in his face."

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spud1910 said:

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Similar here in East Texas. Across the county road from my property, they cleared 2500 acres of ~40 year old trees. The land is owned by a power company and was mined for lignite in the '80s, then replanted in timber. They cleared the land with ICE powered equipment and burned what was not hauled out for timber. I occasionally saw bald eagles before they started, but none since. I wonder it will ever be a net positive for CO2 with the loss of trees. From the Forest Service-->a mature live tree can absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide, which is permanently stored in its fibers until the tree or wood experiences a physical event that releases it into the atmosphere, like fire or decomposition.

For those who consume the end product, it may feel green. For those of us living where it is produced it may be worse than the coal mining.

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Where in East Texas? 40 year old timber would be extremely valued by plywood and sawmill operations due to diameter and what we call "clear wood", which would have few knot defects, which would produce lots of A grade veneer faces and premium lumber

ABATTBQ87 said:

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spud1910 said:

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Similar here in East Texas. Across the county road from my property, they cleared 2500 acres of ~40 year old trees. The land is owned by a power company and was mined for lignite in the '80s, then replanted in timber. They cleared the land with ICE powered equipment and burned what was not hauled out for timber. I occasionally saw bald eagles before they started, but none since. I wonder it will ever be a net positive for CO2 with the loss of trees. From the Forest Service-->a mature live tree can absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide, which is permanently stored in its fibers until the tree or wood experiences a physical event that releases it into the atmosphere, like fire or decomposition.

For those who consume the end product, it may feel green. For those of us living where it is produced it may be worse than the coal mining.

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Where in East Texas? 40 year old timber would be extremely valued by plywood and sawmill operations due to diameter and what we call "clear wood", which would have few knot defects, which would produce lots of A grade veneer faces and premium lumber

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I am in Rusk County. But a lot of land was mined and planted in timber in the 70 and 80s in Rusk and Panola counties. Small areas were planted to replace what was mined, but most was planted with marketable timber and thinned over the years. This was hauled out for use as you describe. They burned tops and stumps.

Quote:

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Michigan to cut 400 acres of state forest for solar panels

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Illustrated here...

rocky the dog said:

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Quote:

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Michigan to cut 400 acres of state forest for solar panels

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Illustrated here...

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The irony in your last meme, Rocky, is that it's probably the same Energy company making money off both of them.

Just further proof the green movement is about green dollars, not green plants.

No Spin Ag said:

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rocky the dog said:

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Quote:

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Michigan to cut 400 acres of state forest for solar panels

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Illustrated here...

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The irony in your last meme, Rocky, is that it's probably the same Energy company making money off both of them.

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Exactly. The power company built the electrical generating plant in 1976. Mined thousands of acres and planted the trees. And are now getting federal grants to build solar farms on the land they took via emminent domain and minted.

Southeast Texas timber lands are also being converted to solar fields. Private lands and not state property as far as I know.
And the solar companies are getting property tax abatement from our school districts and counties for many years going forward…
Thanks to the Texas Legislature and all the school boards and county commissioners courts that approve these tax abatements

Lolzzzzz. Our slogan is "Pure Michigan".

The irony is too much

Could Trump federalize the land to save the forest? Imagine how that would play out in the media.

Stealing government money right out in the open

What it looked like vs now.

Solar panels where during peak energy need season it's dark for 16+ hours per day and the biggest need is at night

This makes as much sense as cutting down 100,000 trees to build a facility to take CO2 out of the atmosphere

Tramp96 said:

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Just further proof the green movement is about green dollars, not green plants.

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Yep. Someone is going to get a huge kickback out of this.

Do 400 acres of trees need to be cut down to drill an oil well?

Drill baby drill doesn't necessarily destroy 400 acres of old timber.

And it's a much more reliable source of fuel than solar panels in snowy michigan

MouthBQ98 said:

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They must virtue signal and push government money to industry friends who will undoubtedly give some of it to Democrats

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This is the real answer

A solar farm on the Michigan UP will produce negligible amounts of electricity in a year

But it will take your tax dollars and send them to friends and family of Democrat politicians who will dutifully launder some of it back to the approving Dem politicians through donations

All while claiming they're saving the world

Solar farms seem stupid to me because of the hail risks, but this is a small area of less than a square mile.

Cut Michigan from the larger power grid and see how their solar panels work for them. The country will not get fixed until voters truly feel the pain of their votes.

Rooftop solar, solar over parking lots... OK. I'm down for that in states with lots of sunshine.
Destroying habitat in states with marginal solar value is just asinine.
No doubt the pols who approved this had their palms greased by Chinese "dipolmats"

panhandlefarmer said:

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Solar farms seem stupid to me because of the hail risks, but this is a small area of less than a square mile.

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2500 acres here. And house insurance rates are going up due to the high rate of hail damage in the area per the insurance companies.

Highway6 said:

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This makes as much sense as cutting down 100,000 trees to build a facility to take CO2 out of the atmosphere

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Because is has never been about the environment, just a giant grift.

Gotta get that inflation reduction act money spent before it goes away!