The menge creek project comprises 3,234 acres and will be CO-managed by the state and the keweenaw BAY indian community

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources received a $6.0 million Project Grant award dated August 26, 2025, under the Inflation Reduction Act - Forest Legacy Program (CFDA 10.734), administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. The award funds the Menge Creek Project, a 3,234-acre forest conservation initiative in rural Baraga County, Michigan, with an ultimate completion date of August 21, 2030. The project will be co-managed by the State and the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community to protect environmentally important forest lands threatened by conversion to non-forest uses.

The project delivers multiple public benefits including continuation of sustainable forest management operations that support nine jobs and provide economic benefit to the region, tribal access for traditional cultural use, preservation of a critical snowmobile trail link, and public access for hunting, fishing, and trapping. As a Forest Legacy Program award, the funding supports forest conservation through mechanisms such as conservation easements or fee simple acquisition, consistent with the program's mission to identify and protect forest areas at risk of conversion. The initiative aligns with Michigan's State Forest Action Plan and reflects the collaborative approach prioritized by the Forest Service through engagement with state agencies, tribal governments, and local stakeholders.

Public benefits of the project include continued forest management that supports 9 jobs and provides economic benefit to rural baraga county, tribal access for traditional cultural use, securing a critical snowmobile trail link, and public access for hunting, fishing and trapping.