The Michigan Department of Natural Resources today announced it will reduce in-person customer service operations at its Sault Ste. Marie Customer Service Center. Beginning Wednesday, July 1, the office will move from offering public walk-in hours five days a week (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) to three days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
The decision comes after careful consideration of operational capacity, walk-in traffic and limited staffing. Of the DNR's 13 customer service centers, in-person customer service activity is consistently lowest at the Sault Ste. Marie office. Shifting two days per week away from being available to handle unpredictable streams of walk-in customers means staff can use those two days to plan for and address other critical natural resources priorities.
"Face to face, on the phone or online, the DNR remains committed to providing our customers and the community with the best possible service," said Aaron Crawford, the DNR's northern Michigan administrative manager. "We welcome the public to visit the Sault Ste. Marie office during those walk-in hours, knowing that some things — such as obtaining assistance with a timber sale transaction or getting guidance on new hunting or fishing regulations — can take a little more time."
What do customers need to know?
After July 1, the Sault Ste. Marie office — located at 4131 M-129 — will be considered a DNR field office, open to the public Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Despite the office's reduction of in-person availability, area customers will have access to several options for help with their DNR needs and questions, including:
- Phone support at the Sault Ste. Marie Field Office (906-635-5281) 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- In-person assistance at the Newberry Customer Service Center in neighboring Luce County.
- Many online services, including purchasing a license or permit, reporting a harvest or checking drawing results through DNR eLicense or the Michigan DNR Hunt/Fish mobile app, available in the Apple Store and Google Play Store.
Office locations
The DNR offers 12 other customer service centers across the state:
- Lower Peninsula: Bay City, Cadillac, Detroit, Gaylord, Lansing, Plainwell, Roscommon and Traverse City.
- Upper Peninsula: Baraga, Escanaba, Marquette and Newberry.
The DNR customer service centers are open to the public for walk-in assistance Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but it's always recommended to call ahead to ensure availability.