The state will purchase a conservation easement to protect one tract that encompass approximately 152,282 acres in alger, delta, marquette, and menominee counties of forested land within the upper…

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was awarded $50 million on 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 purchase of a conservation easement protecting approximately 152,282 acres of forested land in the Upper Peninsula across Alger, Delta, Marquette, and Menominee counties. This acquisition will preserve critical environmental resources including 231 miles of rivers and streams, 91 acres of lakes, over 11,500 acres of wetlands, and over 20,400 acres of deer winter complex habitat, while also protecting habitat for both federal and state-listed species.

The project is scheduled for completion by August 19, 2030, and represents a significant conservation investment aligned with Michigan's Forest Action Plan priorities and the Forest Legacy Program's objective to protect environmentally important forest areas threatened by conversion to non-forest uses. As a Forest Legacy Program participant, the DNR will maintain records of the conservation easement in perpetuity, ensuring the long-term protection of this critical forest land and associated natural resources within the Upper Peninsula Forest Legacy Area.

The state will purchase a conservation easement to protect one tract that encompass approximately 152,282 acres in alger, delta, marquette, and menominee counties of forested land within the upper peninsula forest legacy area. The project willprotect 231 miles of rivers and streams, 91 acres of lakes, over 11,500 acres of wetlands, over 20,400 acres of deer winter complex, and habitat for both federal & state listed species.