Superior Watershed Partnership Purchases 266 Acres on Keweenaw Peninsula

A 226-acre pristine parcel of waterfront land in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has been conserved by the Superior Watershed Partnership and Land Conservancy, with the help of a $600,000 USDA Forest Service Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) grant.

The land is considered part of Michigan’s Northwoods. It is 99% forested and features mixed forest types. The parcel was historically used as corporate timberland and was at risk of development up to the time of the project. The land features over a half-mile of Lake Superior shoreline with rocky outcroppings and secluded coves, and is home to threatened or endangered species like the Canada lynx, gray wolf and northern long-eared bat.

“This acquisition serves as the keystone piece linking five other public access parcels in the contiguous Gratiot River Recreation Area, providing connectivity for the fishery,” says Neal Bungard, Community Forest program manager for the Forest Service’s Eastern Region.

The purchase of this land permanently links five local conservation areas, creating a contiguous 1,368-acre wilderness preserve protecting the lower Gratiot River watershed and 3.6 miles of Lake Superior coastline.

Visit superiorwatersheds.org and fs.usda.gov.