Responsible Recreation in the Keweenaw Heartlands (and beyond!)
With the return of sunshine and warmer temperatures, we are preparing for the annual increase in visitors to the Heartlands. Please read below for notes on responsible and respectful recreation while enjoying the Keweenaw Heartlands.
For starters, have a plan and make sure you tell someone where you are going. Cell phone service is spotty throughout the area, with no service in many places, and because many areas are remote, emergency services can take time. Bring plenty of water, food, and sunscreen. If you’re accessing designated bike trails, be sure to wear a helmet. Pack out whatever you pack in and leave no trace.
To access the 29 miles of designated trails on the Heartlands, as well as the broader trail system, don’t forget to first purchase your ORV license and your trail permit and be sure to carry both with you. Your trail permit purchase helps to maintain the Keweenaw’s awesome trails!
Campfires are not permitted in the Heartlands. Do not build them: protect our forests and wildlife! No camping is allowed on TNC lands, including the Heartlands. Camp at designated local campgrounds or on Michigan Department of Natural Resources owned land with a dispersed camping permit.
While there aren’t many gates on the Heartlands, the ones that are there are protecting something important, keeping you safe, and preventing trespass onto the private property of others. Please respect gates, signs, and private property that neighbors the Heartlands.
Above all, no matter how you “Love the Keweenaw”, remember to protect this beautiful resource, be considerate of community members and other visitors, and be safe.
Recap: April 30th Keweenaw Heartlands Project Update Meeting
On Wednesday, April 30, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Michigan held a Keweenaw Heartlands Project Update to share the latest project developments with the community. TNC was joined by representatives from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR).
At the meeting, TNC and community members provided updates on work underway to build out a local, public governance model for the future, local portion of the forest (approximately ~21,000 acres). TNC also outlined their intent to nominate those ~21,000 acres of the Heartlands for Forest Legacy Program funding. The nomination is submitted to the MDNR, and if selected as a priority project for the State of Michigan, it then moves on to consideration at the federal level. This process may take up to two to three years.
Meanwhile, representatives from the MDNR informed the community that they are making steady progress on the Keweenaw Point State Lands—which amount to approximately 10,000 acres of the Keweenaw Heartlands—at the tip of the peninsula. The land MDNR plans on purchasing is south and east of Fort Wilkins Historic State Park and connects to over 8,000 acres of forestland the MDNR currently owns and manages. The MDNR also noted that work on General Management Plans for both the Keweenaw Point State Lands and Fort Wilkins State Historic Park continues, with intent to provide drafts for review by the community in summer to fall 2025. Learn more about these plans by visiting: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/managing-resources/prd/parks/mgt-plans.
Would you like to view the public update meeting slides or watch the video of the meeting?
You can do so by clicking here for the slides or here for the video. As always, please direct questions to julia.petersen@tnc.org.
Question of the month: I heard about amendments to state legislation that would allow the community to create a new, public entity to govern and manage a portion of the Heartlands. Do you have 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 of the Heartlands 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, but they were not taken up before the legislative session adjourned. We anticipate the amendments to be re-introduced to the Michigan Legislature spring to summer of 2025.
In the News
The Daily Mining Gazette: Keweenaw Heartlands Update – Planning for a public community forest
WLUC-TV: Keweenaw Heartlands update sheds light on ‘local forest’ authority board