LANSING, MI— Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed bills creating a recreational forest authority board for the Keweenaw Heartlands.
The legislation was sponsored by Rep. Greg Markkanen. It only pertains to counties with fewer than 4,000 residents, which applies only to Keweenaw County.
Markkanen says the bills allow the Keweenaw Heartlands community to create a recreational forest authority board tailored to the unique economic, social, and cultural needs of the area. He says officials in the Keweenaw will be able to create a recreational authority to manage public forests with a focus on recreation and commercial natural resource goals.
Before the change in law, municipalities were required to prioritize forestry over recreation in their municipal-owned forests.
The creation of a recreational authority will also make the Keweenaw Heartlands project eligible for state funding regarding land preservation and outdoor access.
