33,000 Acre Public Park Proposal in Keweenaw County

Some places are too awe-inspiring to not preserve for future generations. The tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula is definitely one such place. The Keweenaw Heartlands Park is the culmination of three months of thought and planning. Grant Township Supervisor Scott Wendt, said that if everything goes as planned, the nearly 33 thousand acres of forestland would become one of the Michigan’s largest parcels of public land.

The parcel will cost nearly 43 million Wendt said.  Right now the property is owned by the hedge fund, TRG. If the park opens with Wendt’s initial ideas, the heartlands would stay open all year round. With a mixture of developed, back-country and equestrian campgrounds. It could potentially stretch from Lac la Belle to Brockway Mountain.

Wendt said he envisions a park that would be operated by those who use it the most – local people and municipalities.

The biggest hurdle to the Keweenaw Heartlands Park is finding a way to pay for the land. A partnership between a bridge owner, like an environmental conservancy, and municipalities involved in operation, would allow more flexibility for funding options. Wendt admits it’s a large undertaking.  But he said the potential benefits to the county, small businesses, and people of the Keweenaw are unmistakable.