Graham Jaehing/DMG Senior Lands Programs Manager with the DNR, Patrick Mohney, discussed the DNR’s commitment to acquiring 10,000 acres of land on Keweenaw Point from The Nature Conservancy in Michigan during a public informational meeting in Allouez Township on Tuesday evening.

ALLOUEZ, Mich.– The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is continuing toward the purchase of 10,000 acres of land on Keweenaw Point that is currently owned by The Nature Conservancy in Michigan, according to a DNR official.

Patrick Mohney, Senior Lands Program Manager – DNR Office of Public Lands, said that the department is still in the process of obtaining the funds necessary for closing the sale.

“In order to put that deal together and meet our obligation and our commitment,” Mohney said, “we’ve pursued multiple funding sources to fundraise and bring funds to the table so that when we’re ready to do the real estate deal, and close the deal and transfer the lands to the state of Michigan, we will have those funds in hand in the department and do the transaction all at once.”

Among the sources are the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund; internal DNR funds derived from the sale of surplus state-owned lands; and various other grant opportunities not names.

Mohney, who spoke during a public informational meeting of TNC and the DNR at the Allouez Township Community Hall on Tuesday described the property the DNR is in the process of purchasing.

“The current DNR ownership on the tip of the Keweenaw (Peninsula) goes around the tip, right along the coast,” Mohney said. “There’s two large sections of land in this Keweenaw Heartlands Project that really tuck in nicely with the state’s current ownership”.

Mohney said that the acquisition of two parcels comprising approximately 10,000 acres, will assist in consolidating state land ownership in the area, provide connectivity and will provide more contiguous experience for any of the property’s users. The acquisition would expand the footprint adjacent to the Fort Wilkins Historic State Park, which owns about 700 acres.

Mohney said the DNR has been in discussion with TNC since the conservancy acquired the property in October 2022, to focus on strategy, what makes the most sense, and the 10,000 acres that make up the eastern shore area of Keweenaw Point. The target date to close the land purchase is early 2025.

“We are beginning a large planning process for this area, and that would tie in nicely with our planning process,” he said, “and we feel it would fit really well with the processes going on with the Keweenaw Heartlands Project. Moving forward, we’re in the early stages of putting together a planning process that will start with public engagement and input session in about May 2025.”