Funding Options for Michigan's Natural Resources 

In partnership with the Land Policy Institute, Heart of the Lakes investigated the drivers of conservation spending in the United States, and compared Michigan to other states.

Michigan is among the national leaders in terms of amount and diversity of natural resource land cover, a legacy that has significant ecological and economic value. Yet, despite the value and richness of resources, Michigan was found to rank among the lowest in spending to protect these resources.

The purpose of the study is to delineate potential options that could help remedy Michigan’s conservation funding crisis, and to identity an option that either the Michigan Legislature or people of Michigan, via ballot, can approve to restore Michigan’s conservation leadership.

Download: Establishing a National Benchmark for State Funding of Natural Resources Conservation and Management (PDF 1.6 MB)

Download: Funding Options for Michigan's Natural Resources (PDF 76 KB)

Partnership Opportunities

Michigan Department of Agriculture
The Farmland and Open Space Preservation Act enables farm owners to enter into a development rights Agreement with the State that ensures that farmland is used for agriculture for a minimum of 10 years and ensures that the land is not developed in non-agricultural use.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources
In order to help protect some of Michigan’s most critical natural resources, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources offers several partnership opportunities to bolster local conservation efforts.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)
The conservation provisions in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill) will provide conservation opportunities for farmers and ranchers for years to come. The new provisions build on the conservation gains made by farmers and ranchers through the 1985, 1996 and 2002 Farm Bills. They simplify existing programs and create new programs to address high priority environmental goals.