Non-Timber Forest Products in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
USDA Forest Service
Northeastern Research Station
Burlington, Vermont
What is the role of non-timber forest products in household livelihoods of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula?
A year of fieldwork in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula revealed that non-timber
forest products (NTFP) such as boughs, mushrooms, bark, and berries continue to
be an important part of many people’s livelihoods in this heavily forested
northern region. Interviews with gatherers identified 138 products from more
than 80 botanical species. These products have medicinal, food, floral, and
ceremonial uses. They provide for gatherer households’ needs through both
nonmarket and market means. Most gatherers have multigenerational ties to the
region’s forests and acquired the ecological knowledge and skills needed for
successful gathering from older family members. The role of NTFP as a
livelihood strategy varies over time, becoming most important when formal
employment and income are not adequate to meet household needs.
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This site is based on:
Emery, Marla R. 1998. Invisible
Livelihoods: Non-Timber Forest Products in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. New
Brunswick: Rutgers University.
A complete copy may be ordered from UMI:http://wwwlib.umi.com/dxweb/search
(order # 9915435)
Special thanks to the Hiawatha National Forest and the Northern Global Change Program for their co-sponsorship of the research.
Last modified 08/07/2001