UPPER PENINSULA, Mich. (WJMN) – The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced it has awarded deer habitat improvement grants to 12 organizations in the Upper Peninsula.

A total of $100,000 is being awarded to organizations across 10 U.P. counties. The funds are awarded through a grant program known as the Deer Habitat Improvement Partnership Initiative, which is designed to enhance deer habitat on non-state lands.

“These grants will produce positive impacts in Marquette, Alger, Delta, Dickinson, Iron, Baraga, Ontonagon, Gogebic, Schoolcraft and Mackinac counties,” said Bill Scullon, DNR field operations manager and administrator for the grant initiative. “The planned match for the 12 grants is valued in excess of $79,000 (well in excess of the required 25%) further expanding the impact of the projects.”

The following organizations will be receiving grant funding:

  • Iron-Baraga Conservation District
  • Straits Area Sportsmen’s Club
  • Marquette County Conservation District
  • U.P. Whitetails – Northwest Territory Project – Shawn Cannon Forestry
  • U.P. Whitetails – Watson Power Line Project – Shawn Cannon Forestry
  • U.P. Whitetails – Wheeling Sportsmen Project – Shawn Cannon Forestry
  • U.P. Whitetails – Ottos Headquarters Project – Shawn Cannon Forestry
  • Gogebic Conservation District-Little Girls Point Deer Winter Complex
  • Alger Conservation District
  • Schoolcraft Conservation District
  • Camp Josh of Ontonagon County
  • UP Whitetails of Dickinson County

The DNR says that organizations with a formal mission to promote wildlife conservation and/or hunting are eligible for the grants. Examples include sportsmen’s clubs, conservation districts, land conservancies, industrial landowners with more than 10,000 acres, or private land affiliations where two or more unrelated persons jointly own 400 or more acres.

The projects set out with the goal to produce tangible deer habitat improvements, build long-term partnerships between the DNR and outside organizations, and showcase the project benefits to the public.

The grant funding is supported by the state’s Deer Range Improvement Program, which is funded by a portion of deer hunting license revenue. Since the grant program’s inception, the DNR says nearly $1 million has been made available to U.P. partners for more than 100 projects.

You can read more from the DNR about each project here.