Spanning 73,063 acres of Michigan’s rugged Upper Peninsula, the Michigamme Highlands conservation easement permanently protects one of the Great Lakes region’s most climate-resilient working forests — safeguarding Mount Arvon, critical wildlife habitat and public recreation for generations to come.
Learn more about Michigamme Highlands or read highlights of the Forest Legacy Program.
Protect your privately-owned forest from conversion to non-forest uses if it qualifies for the Forest Legacy Program. The goal is to protect important forest areas from development and fragmentation and ensure conservation of the important public benefits sustainable forests provide.
Michigan has had immense success with the Forest Legacy Program, completing 10 Forest Legacy projects and protecting over 238,000 acres. The Forest Legacy Program is administered by the US Forest Service with a focus on protecting environmentally important forests from being converted to a non-forest use.
This StoryMap highlights the project locations, partnerships and recreational opportunities of completed Forest Legacy projects.
Projects are selected for funding through a nationally competitive process. The process of nominating, applying, being selected, receiving funding and completing all requirements for a project can take several years and requires a high degree of commitment from landowners and partners. In addition to gains associated with the sale or donation of property rights, many landowners may also benefit from reduced taxes.
A project can be:
Project nominations can now be submitted through Friday, May 8. Nomination applications must be submitted by the deadline to be considered for the next round of funding. Further details can be found on the nomination application form below.
Located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, learn more about what Michigamme Highlands has to offer.
At 153,000 acres the Great Lakes Basin conservation easement project is the largest Forest Legacy project in Michigan to date.
Where ancient forests meet pristine trout streams, the 3,200-acre Menge Creek tract stands as a vital gateway protecting the heart of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
