DNR wildlife habitat improvement grants

The Michigan DNR is accepting grant applications for Upper Peninsula projects to improve the living environment for different kinds of wildlife.

The DNR has $50,000 available for deer habitat improvement grants in the U.P. It also has two new statewide programs. $650,000 are available for game species habitat improvements, and the DNR has a million dollars for aquatic habitat improvements statewide.

“These habitat improvement grants are available to nonprofit groups, for-profit groups and also individual private property owners,” DNR communications representative Debbie Munson Badini said. “Depending on what your goal is, you should check out these grants and see which one you would qualify for.”

The grant money can be used on any land not owned by the state of Michigan. Aside from the scope of the work in the project, one other factor is strongly considered.

“Anything that involves the public, as far as getting them involved in the improvement process for habitat or property that will be open to the public for hunting and fishing, those are the kinds of projects that are going to receive maybe a little bit more attention,” Munson Badini said.

The application deadlines for all three grant programs are in March. The DNR has more information about how to apply at www.michigan.gov/dnr-grants.