Join TNC at the Upcoming Heartlands Update on April 30th
Photo courtesy of The Nature Conservancy
We are thrilled to invite you to our next Keweenaw Heartlands Project update, Wednesday, April 30, at the Allouez Township Community Center from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. The Nature Conservancy in Michigan (TNC) and the Michigan Department of Nature Resources (MDNR) are holding the event to brief the community on the latest with the Keweenaw Heartlands project and answer questions.
The Allouez Township Community Center is located at 388 Bumbletown Road in Allouez.
During the meeting, TNC and MDNR will share updates on progress towards transition of the Keweenaw Heartlands into both DNR and local, public entity governance and management. We hope to see you there!
A Friendly Reminder
When accessing the Heartlands for snowmobile activities, please remember to stay on the designated trails only. With 29 miles of snowmobile trails on the Heartlands alone, there’s plenty of space to enjoy! We have had reports of individuals leaving the trail and riding beyond, both within the Heartlands and onto private property. For trail conditions and etiquette, check out the Keweenaw Snowmobile Club’s trail conditions webpage here.
Emergency & Essential Operations Center Update
Thank you to those who attended the joint meeting of the Keweenaw County Board of Commissioners and the Keweenaw County Road Commission regarding the potential for a future Keweenaw County Emergency & Essential Operations Center last month. A project planning team made up of the Keweenaw County Sheriff’s Office, Emergency Management Office, Treasurer’s Office, Road Commission, Keweenaw Community Foundation, and The Nature Conservancy presented an overview of the project’s development over the past year and because of a Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Opportunity Rural Readiness Grant. OHM Advisors presented the conceptual design for the building, created after significant public and stakeholder input. Next steps are to secure funding for construction, and if secured, more public meetings on this building will follow—stay tuned!
Question of the month: I heard about amendments to state legislation that would permit creation of a new, public entity that would govern and manage a portion of the Heartlands… is there an update on that?
The community, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), and TNC have been working together on a long-term plan for the Keweenaw Heartlands. This involves not only eventual transition out of TNC’s ownership and into public ownership, but also public governance and management of the land. Approximately 1/3 of the Heartlands footprint will be governed and managed by the MDNR, and 2/3 by a new local, public governance entity.
Because the entity as designed by the Keweenaw Heartlands Community Advisory Committee will be chartered by, but operate independently of, currently existing local governments, it will need to be established under state statute and in this case through amendment of existing law. The intent is for it to be established under a revised Michigan Recreational Authorities Act (MRAA). Amendments to the MRAA were introduced to the State of Michigan Legislature in November 2024 (view here and here), but they were not taken up before the legislative session adjourned. We anticipate the amendments will be re-introduced to the Michigan Legislature in March 2025 and adopted and signed into law by early summer.
In The News
Mining Gazette: New Keweenaw County service center discussed