MI Forest Legacy Grant Program

The MI Forest Legacy Grant Program, managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, aims to protect vital forest lands from conversion into non-forest uses. It promotes conservation through funding for projects like fee transactions and conservation easements, ensuring long-term stewardship and public access. Eligible projects receive up to 75% federal funding, with landowners contributing the remainder. This initiative is crucial for maintaining sustainable forests and their ecological benefits.

The Forest Legacy Program protects critical forest lands
Protect your privately-owned forest from conversion to non-forest uses if it qualifies for the Forest Legacy Program. The goal is to protect important forest areas from development and fragmentation and ensure conservation of the important public benefits sustainable forests provide.
How it works
Projects are selected for funding through a nationally competitive process. The process of nominating, applying, being selected, receiving funding and completing all requirements for a project can take several years and requires a high degree of commitment from landowners and partners. In addition to gains associated with the sale or donation of property rights, many landowners may also benefit from reduced taxes.
A project can be:
A fee transaction (where the landowner sells the land to the state).A conservation easement (where the landowner chooses to forever restrict certain uses of the land). Conservation easements will restrict development, limit uses that impact the conservation values, and require compliance with a management plan to protect soil, water, biological diversity, recreation, timber, and more.

Eligibility

Eligibility:The rights of public access (non-motorized access at a minimum) must be conveyed to the state on all projects.If the conservation easement option is chosen, landowners must prepare and implement a resource management plan.The federal government funds up to 75 percent of project costs, 25 percent of the costs must come from private, state or local sources.For projects involving a conservation easement, an endowment must be established for long term monitoring and stewardship.