Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette Julia Petersen, Keweenaw Heartlands project manager for The Nature Conservancy in Michigan.

KEWEENAW COUNTY – On Thursday Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday signed a bipartisan bill to preserve, manage, and invest in public forests and recreational spaces. The bill will allow for a new recreational and natural resources authority.

A three-bill package, HB 4694, 4695 and 4798, sponsored by state Representative Gregory Markkanen (R-Hancock), help Michigan communities create local authorities to manage and protect forests and recreational areas, while also making them eligible for state funding to preserve land and outdoor access, according to a statement from the Governors.

The new legislation allows for the creation of the Keweenaw Heartlands Recreation and Natural Resources Authority Board, comprised of five publicly elected county residents. The board will begin this year and will require operational funds as it prepares for forest management by the end of 2027.

The Board will support Keweenaw County communities and their citizens in designing public forests whose governance and management meet their unique needs, says the Keweenaw Community Foundation.

The Michigan House passed the amendments in September, which then advanced to the Michigan Senate. With the new legislation, a local incorporation of a Keweenaw Heartlands Forest Authority is expected to follow, creating a public governing and management body for a future approximate 20,000-acre Keweenaw Heartlands Community Forest.

On April 20, a 12-page draft of the Articles of Incorporation of the Keweenaw Heartlands Recreational & Natural Resources Authority was published on the Keweenaw County website.

Keweenaw Heartlands Project Manager Julia Petersen was thankful to The Nature Conservancy of Michigan.

“We’re really appreciative of Senator (Ed) McBroom and Rep. (Greg) Markkanen,” she said. “They put in a significant effort.”

In a statement, Keweenaw County Board Chairman Don Piche said the Board is appreciative of the Legislature and Governor Whitmer for their efforts on the legislation and their support of Keweenaw County.

“We’re looking forward to working with our community members on next steps to create the Keweenaw Heartlands Community Forest,” he said.

“I’d like to express my deep gratitude on behalf of our community to our state legislature and our governor for getting this legislation passed,” said Robin Meneguzzo, chief executive officer of the Keweenaw Community Foundation. “Volunteers across our community and our partners have put in many hours, and now we are one step closer to realizing our shared vision of a public community forest in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula.”