Forests have long been central to this area's history and to the people who first lived here, and the Anishinaabek continue to engage with northern Michigan's forests for their natural and cultural significance. The Forest Heritage Trail runs from North Higgins Lake State Park to Hartwick Pines State Park through a region where large stands of white pine were cut down during the white pine logging era of 1860 to 1910, after which new stands of trees replaced the old growth forest. Early forestry efforts, including work by Dr. William J. Beal and at the Higgins Lake Nursery, helped begin reforestation, and Michigan now has 20 million acres of forest across public and private lands. Today these forests are managed sustainably so future Michiganders will have access to abundant natural resources, and the region's history can also be explored through the Higgins Lake Nursery and CCC Museum, the W.J. Beal Tree Plantation, and Hartwick Pines State Park and Logging Museum.