The Legacy of the Keweenaw Peninsula

If you haven’t visited Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, it’s something to behold. Imagine endless forests, rich in biodiversity and teeming with wildlife. It’s here, nestled along the shore of Lake Superior, you’ll find the Keweenaw Peninsula.

One of the most unfragmented, climate-resilient forested and freshwater areas of the central United States, the Keweenaw provides important habitat for Michigan’s gray wolves, bobcats, black bears, pine martens and migratory songbirds. But this land isn’t just valuable to nature.

For thousands of years, the Keweenaw Peninsula has provided for people. It is part of the historic lands of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, who, for generations, have used it for hunting, fishing, gathering and ceremonial purposes. For the local community, nature-based recreation plays an essential role in both the economy and way of life. 

In 2022, TNC completed a purchase of more than 32,000 acres in the Keweenaw—an area of land equivalent to more than 23,000 football fields lined neatly end to end. Protecting a piece of land so large and so very significant is not achieved alone. TNC is supporting the efforts of community leaders, the State of Michigan and the many people who love the Keweenaw to develop a lasting, community-based plan and model to care for these lands and waters for future generations.

As our state—and our planet—grapples with rapid climate change and biodiversity loss, we don’t just want to protect areas like the Keweenaw. We have to. Michigan is no stranger to species loss. Wolves nearly disappeared from the state in the 1970s, and other species have struggled to maintain a presence. By protecting the Keweenaw, we also preserve ecosystems, habitats and wildlife corridors that are necessary for biodiversity.

Protecting this area will also allow these forested lands to be managed for optimum carbon storage and climate resilience, all while providing a myriad of ways for people to connect with nature. These forests and fresh water have a big role to play in our future. 

Protecting the Peninsula

TNC’s work to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends is grounded in science and time-tested best practices. Land protection—through purchasing land, establishing conservation easements or assisting partners with their protection efforts—helps us achieve this mission. But land protection is just one strategy among many that TNC employs to benefit people and nature. 

Pathway to Conservation in the Keweenaw

TNC has been active in the Keweenaw Peninsula for decades. Our efforts are reflected in the three preserves we own and manage on the peninsula:

However, our impact goes far beyond our preserves. TNC has helped conserve approximately 15 miles of Lake Superior shoreline—practically the entire tip of the peninsula! This includes a collaboration with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources on a momentous project in the early 2000s, which protected more than 6,200 acres and five miles of the Montreal River. We continue to work with public and private partners on innovative protection solutions. 

The Future of the Keweenaw

The Keweenaw Peninsula has globally significant opportunities for nature-based carbon solutions and land and water protection, all contributing to the health of one of the world’s largest freshwater systems, the Great Lakes. It is also a focal point for issues faced by forests around the world, and by the communities that depend on them—from habitat fragmentation to economic instability.

TNC hopes to continue to support the Keweenaw community as it builds a future around the sustainable use and management of the rivers, lakes and forests of this globally unique landscape and the outdoor recreation and environmental services (like carbon sequestration) that it offers.

TNC has been talking with local leaders and interest groups to listen and learn more about their goals and plans, and to provide support where we can. This includes exploring potential forest protection projects and partnerships that could continue to provide for local sustainable timber and recreational economies.

The Keweenaw Peninsula represents an opportunity for both learning and impact: the solutions we develop together here could be shared with other communities pursuing a resilient, nature-based future, across the Great Lakes and beyond.