West Michigan Forestry Assistance Program
Michael Paling
Michael is the forester covering Oceana, Newaygo, and Muskegon counties. Michael has a bachelors degree in forestry from Michigan Tech and has been an FAP forester since graduating in May 2016.
The Forestry Assistance Program is a program that provides technical forest management assistance to private landowners. We provide landowners with free site visits to assess their environmental conditions and connect them with private and industrial sector professionals to perform management practices. The West Michigan Forestry Assistance Program covers 9 counties, which include Kent, Montcalm, Ionia, Barry, Allegan, Ottawa, Oceana, Newaygo, and Muskegon counties.
Meet the Foresters
Benjamin Savoie
Ben is the forester serving Allegan, Barry, and Ottawa counties. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Forestry from Michigan State University, with a Specialization in Resource Management. He has been working for the Conservation Districts since July 2016.
Nick Sanchez
Nick is the forester that covers Kent, Montcalm, and Ionia counties. He has a Forestry degree from MSU. Nick has been FAP'ing since Feb 2015. He enjoys tacos and travel.
