Keweenaw Heartlands: December Project Updates

Milestones met, progress underway, and more to come in 2026!

Back in February of 2025, we wrote about the two milestones anticipated for the Keweenaw Heartlands Project in the months ahead. Now, as we close out the year, we are excited to report that we hit both milestones, and together these are BIG progress on this project. 

First, Representative Markkanen introduced amendments to state legislation, a major step toward local, public governance and management of much of the Heartlands forest. In the fall, those amendments overwhelmingly passed the Michigan House, and they are now under consideration by the Michigan Senate. We expect more progress on this legislation to come in early 2026.

Second, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Kigme Fund each contributed $1 million toward establishment of an endowment for the Keweenaw Heartlands Community Forest. Altogether, this means that TNC and KCF successfully secured $2 million for the long-term care of this future community forest. That’s one big, important milestone reached! 

The above milestones were achieved because of the hard work, dedication, and support of many, and especially the 29 local and regional community members who serve on the Keweenaw Heartlands Community Advisory Committee. These individuals rolled up their sleeves to collectively put in over 1,700 hours of time toward designing and planning for the future of the Keweenaw Heartlands. They have committed to continuing their efforts in 2026, and we anticipate another year of major progress because of their willingness to do so. More to come on what’s next in the January 2026 edition of this monthly newsletter—stay tuned!

Question of the month: I’ve given to the Keweenaw Heartlands Forest Fund, I attend the public project update meetings, and I stay up-to-date by reading these monthly newsletters. What more can I do to support the Keweenaw Heartlands Project?

Encourage members of your social circle to sign up for these monthly Heartlands updates! They can do so by visiting the Keweenaw Heartlands webpage, scrolling halfway down the page, and entering their email address (or you could do it for them, with their permission of course). They’ll receive a monthly update email that keeps them informed, especially important since much progress will take place on the Keweenaw Heartlands Project in 2026!

In the News

The Mining Gazette: Heartlands Update: Legislation would shift local governance

WLUC-TV: $2M endowment fund established for Keweenaw Heartlands Project

WKAR News: $2 million stewardship fund created for Keweenaw Heartlands

MLive: Keweenaw Peninsula conservation project gets $2 million endowment

MLive: A massive wilderness project in the U.P. is changing how Michigan’s public forests are managed