Michigan's famed "Big Wild" just got a lot bigger, with thousands of acres of forest, lakes, and river frontage shifting into public ownership.
According to The Outdoor Wire, the Black River Ranch tract was acquired by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in early December through a funding package that combined private dollars with state and federal support.
What happened?
More than 14 miles of Stewart Creek, the Black River, and the East Branch of the Black River are now in public ownership through the purchase of land on the eastern side of Pigeon River Country State Forest, east of Vanderbilt in the northern Lower Peninsula.
Long recognized for its elk herd, trout streams, and sinkhole lakes, the region also gains three lakes through the deal, including the 150-acre Silver Lake, and Bugle Hill, which overlooks the Black River valley and nearby wild country.
Officials plan to mark the acquisition with a public event on July 17 beside Silver Lake. Speakers are expected from the state's Department of Natural Resources, the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, and the Little Traverse Conservancy before a ceremonial declaration signing.
The property is open to visitors on foot, while motorized access will remain prohibited until the state concludes a fuller assessment and public engagement process on how the land should be used.
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Why does it matter?
Keeping a connected block of woods, wetlands, lakes, and streams together can help preserve wildlife habitat, protect water quality, and reduce the threat of piecemeal development that can limit public access.
Public ownership can also create more opportunities for fishing, hiking, wildlife watching, and quiet recreation while supporting the outdoor economy that many northern Michigan towns rely on.
Meanwhile, cleaner streams and protected headwaters sustain the healthy ecosystems that anglers and local businesses depend on.
What's being done?
Funding for the purchase came from several sources, including more than $10.6 million from the federal Forest Legacy Program and more than $5.3 million from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund.
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The private side of the effort included support from The Nature Conservancy, Little Traverse Conservancy, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Acres for America program.
Statewide, Michigan's Forest Legacy Program now tops 238,000 protected forest acres.
"The purchase of the Black River Ranch property was a rare opportunity to bring one of the last remaining large, intact, private forested tracts in the Lower Peninsula into public ownership," said Jeff Stampfly, Michigan's state forester.
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