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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.
Forest Legacy Program
The Forest legacy Program, in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture, is designed to step in where local government efforts (zoning efforts and performance standards) are not sufficient to fully protect significant forest land.

The Forest Legacy Program is an entirely voluntary program focused on acquisition of conservation easements that restrict development and require sustainable forestry practices, all without removing the property from private ownership. 

Landowner Incentive Program
The Landowner Incentive Program provides advice, management plans, and funding for individuals and organizations throughout the state with the goal of creating and managing habitats for rare or declining species.

Commercial Forest Act
The Commercial Forest Program provides a property tax reduction incentive to private landowners to encourage them to retain and manage forestland for long-term timber production. The landowners pay a reduced property tax while counties where the land is listed are paid $1.20 by the state of Michigan per acre annually. In return, landowners retain and manage their forestland as commercial forests through planting , natural reproduction or other silvicultural  practices.

Forest Stewardship Program
The Forest Stewardship Program in Michigan provides assistance to Private Forest Owners and Citizens for having comprehensive forest management plans prepares, for Outreach and Education projects related to sustainable forest management, and supports projects that will benefit private forest owners, such as the Working Forest Carbon Trading project.  


Heart of the Lakes strengthens the collective efforts of organizations dedicated to the conservation of Michigan’s environmentally and economically significant land and water. We provide leadership, innovative ideas, and advocate for smart public policy for the benefit of our communities and for generations to come.
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Heart of the Lakes
PO Box 1128
Bay City, MI  48706
Heart of the Lakes is a statewide organization that concentrates and strengthens the efforts of Michigan’s land conservation community. Founded by Michigan’s land conservancies, Heart of the Lakes does what no individual organization can do on its own-- unites them under the common goal of protecting Michigan’s land. 

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Heart of the Lakes
P.O. Box 1128 Bay City, MI  48706
989-292-3582

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