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MOHAWK -- The Keweenaw Outdoor Recreation Coalition (KORC) will host a public candidates forum ahead of an election that will establish the first locally managed public community forest authority in Michigan history.
The forum is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 23, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the gymnasium of the Horizons Alternative High School in Mohawk. The event is designed to give Keweenaw County voters a direct opportunity to meet the candidates and ask questions before ballots are cast in November.
On Monday, the Keweenaw Community Foundation announced that 13 Keweenaw County residents filed official candidacy paperwork for the five open seats. The directors will run at-large, meaning any registered voter in Keweenaw County can cast ballots for up to five individual candidates, regardless of township boundaries.
Julia Petersen, the Keweenaw Heartlands project manager for The Nature Conservancy (TNC), highlighted the strong community turnout for the election during Wednesday’s regular meeting of the Keweenaw County Board of Commissioners.
"There are 13 individuals running for the board," Petersen said. "They are running for five at-large spots."
To establish a staggered governing body and prevent total leadership turnover in future election cycles, the ballot is structurally split between short- and long-term seats.
"Two of the spots on the board are two-year positions," Petersen explained. "We have seven people running for those." There are six people running for the three four-year positions, she added.
The official candidate field includes:
• Four-Year Term (Three open positions): Russ Bjorn, Peter Clevenstine, Gregg Patrick, Jon Schubbe, George Twardzik, and Joseph Vairus.
• Two-Year Term (Two open positions): Jeremy Bos, Braydon Cima, Richard Marsh, Hannah Rooks, Ramon Simonson, Kevin Tita, and James Vivian III.
Petersen further outlined to the county board how the massive tract of land will formally transition out of private custody into public hands.
"Where it landed is that 10,000 acres of the Keweenaw Heartlands closest to the point would eventually transition into ownership, management, and governance of the DNR," Petersen said. "The balance of the land, about 21,000 acres, would transition into local public management and governance."
Local governance took shape after the county board adopted Articles of Incorporation on June 1, 2026, following spring state legislation. This five-member board creates Michigan’s first locally owned community forest authority, enabled by the May 2026 passage of the Michigan Recreational and Natural Resources Authorities Act (MRNRAA) for small counties. The elected board will handle the long-term stewardship, financial solvency, and day-to-day operations of the 21,000-acre community forest tract, ensuring the land remains preserved and open to the public.