New Paw Paw state game area will benefit hunters, anglers

Hunters and anglers in southwest Michigan will no longer have to drive far to conveniently access public land.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has introduced a new state game area in Van Buren County, land that will be managed for wildlife habitat, protecting vulnerable species and enhancing public access to hunting lands and waterways in southwest Michigan.

"We are thrilled for this land purchase, as it reinforces our dedication and the dedication of our partners to wildlife conservation and better, broader access to public recreation,” says Mark Mills, southwest regional manager for the DNR Wildlife Division.

What’s happening: The new 350-acre Paw Paw River State Game Area in Waverly Township includes 1.2 miles of frontage along the Paw Paw River, a waterway that stretches 68 miles from the village of Paw Paw to eventually join the St. Joseph River near Benton Harbor. The new game area is an important addition of hunting and fishing land in southern Michigan, the most populated part of the state; Van Buren County has only .02 acres of public hunting land per capita.

Michigan Department of Natural ResourcesIn 2023, 4,463 deer were harvested in Van Buren County, slightly more than half with antlers. Just 23 miles from Kalamazoo and 30 miles from Benton Harbor, the new Paw Paw River State Game Area will provide opportunities to local hunters and trappers where other public access is limited. The area offers good hunting for deer, turkey and waterfowl says Don Poppe, DNR wildlife biologist in Van Buren County.

Anglers, canoers and kayakers will also benefit from river access and fishing for smallmouth bass, walleye and northern pike, as well as seasonal runs of coho and Chinook salmon and steelhead.

The back story: The property was previously enrolled in the Commercial Forest Program, which allowed public hunting, trapping and fishing. Under DNR ownership, the state game area will also offer improved access and parking. In addition to roadside parking along 42nd Avenue, a new parking lot is being added along the west side of the property. Work is underway to install property boundary signs.

The DNR partnered with the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy, which helped facilitate the land acquisition process with the previous landowners, who wanted the land to remain protected from development. The new game area shares a half-mile boundary with two conservation easements, totaling 398 acres, owned by the conservancy. Together, the properties protect nearly 800 hundreds of acres of contiguous habitat for wildlife and plant species to flourish.

Kaleigh Winkler, land protection director for the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy, says the establishment of this new state game area adds to conservancy's protection efforts in a high-priority protection area. 

Why this land matters: The new state game area land is primarily floodplain forest, a crucial habitat type formed where land and water ecosystems meet, and a priority habitat in Michigan’s Wildlife Action Plan. The movement of water over floodplain forests creates diverse pockets of habitat for a variety of animals and plants. During the spring, flooding from the raised river thaws soils faster, allowing insects to hatch earlier, which in turn creates an available food source for migrating songbirds. The snaking river provides several channel cutoffs and oxbows that create critical habitat for fish, amphibians, reptiles and waterfowl.

“These places are the foundational building blocks of the food web,” says Kristin Wildman, field operations manager for the DNR Wildlife Division’s southwest region.

Floodplain forests create natural corridors for wildlife to travel and plants to spread, especially critical in more fragmented landscapes like southern Michigan. Crossing developments such as roads or infrastructure is dangerous— often impossible — for slower-moving species such as turtles, snakes or salamanders.

"These floodplain and riparian areas continue to be irreplaceable corridors that act to conserve biodiversity by allowing safe passage,” Poppe says.

The forests are also uniquely valuable to people; they improve water quality by filtering out pollutants and sediment, storing water during flooding events and recharging aquifers with groundwater.

Who paid: The property was purchased with a $900,000 Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant that supports projects providing for natural resource protection and outdoor recreation. 

What's next: The area is open to the public now, with no time restrictions or entrance fee. The property can be accessed by river or land, with parking available along the roadside of 42nd Avenue. Access road conditions vary depending on the weather. Visitors should review land use rules for state-managed land.

Rosemary Parker has worked as a writer and editor for more than 40 years. She is a regular contributor to Rural Innovation Exchange and other Issue Media Group publications.