Lansing, Michigan – From the Keweenaw Peninsula to neighborhood parks in Detroit, Michigan’s next wave of outdoor investment will stretch across forests, waterfronts, trails and playgrounds. The scale is significant: 75 projects, $45 million in state grants and nearly $64 million more from local and matching sources.
Together, the projects represent a $108.9 million investment in public land and outdoor recreation, approved as part of Michigan’s balanced, bipartisan fiscal year 2027 budget.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said the funding will improve places where residents already hike, fish, bike and spend time outdoors while opening new areas for recreation.
“Michigan’s parks, trails, and public lands bring are some of the best places to spend time with family and friends, and these investments will help make them even better,” Whitmer said.
“I’m proud we got a balanced, bipartisan budget across the finish line that includes grant funding for 75 projects in communities across our state.”
Read also: Flint hosts Overdose Awareness Day on August 31 with national recovery speaker Tony Hoffman
The money comes through the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, which marks its 50th anniversary in 2026. Established in 1976, the restricted fund uses interest and earnings generated from revenues tied to state-owned oil, gas and minerals. It has awarded nearly $1.4 billion to state and local governments for land protection and outdoor recreation projects.
Some of the largest investments in the latest round are aimed at preserving major stretches of land.
The Department of Natural Resources will receive $6.5 million to acquire nearly 22,650 acres in the Keweenaw Peninsula. Another $1.5 million will support the acquisition of 460 acres next to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, including wooded hills, trout streams and wildlife habitat.
A separate $5 million acquisition will protect more than 1,400 acres of forestland, including Turtle Lake and nearly two miles of the Turtle Creek corridor in the Au Sable River watershed.
Local governments are also receiving funding for projects ranging from major trail connections to small waterfront parks. East Bay Township is set to receive $4.8 million for an easement protecting 333 acres at the Ridge Nature Preserve, while Saugatuck Township will receive $2.5 million to acquire 119 acres along the Kalamazoo River.
Read also: Mayor Neeley brings police, prosecutors and judges together in new Flint gun violence push
Development grants will bring visible changes to communities across the state. Numerous projects will receive up to $400,000 for accessible playgrounds, boardwalks, trailheads, bathrooms, pathways and waterfront improvements. Detroit, Saginaw, Holland, Fenton, Grayling, Port Huron and several townships and counties are among the recipients.
Accessibility is a recurring theme. Projects include universally accessible trails, playground equipment, fishing areas, parking lots and restrooms, expanding opportunities for people with different mobility needs to use public recreation spaces.
The investments also have an economic component. Michigan’s outdoor recreation industry supports about 126,000 jobs and more than $4.7 billion in wages and salaries. State officials say every dollar invested in land conservation produces an average of $4 in economic benefit.
State Budget Director Jen Flood said the projects will turn local plans into lasting public spaces.
“These grants will turn local visions into places where families can hike, fish, and connect with the outdoors,” Flood said.
The latest funding builds on nearly $600 million previously invested in Michigan parks and recreation areas under Whitmer, along with more than $275 million distributed through nearly 600 Natural Resources Trust Fund grants over eight funding cycles.
More information about the Trust Fund, previous awards and funded project locations is available at Michigan.gov/MNRTF.