Private landowners in the Upper Peninsula can now apply for a chance to receive a portion of $200,000 through a Michigan Department of Natural Resources grant program that seeks to improve wildlife habitats.
"This is a way for us to put some money towards building partnerships," Bill Scullon, field operations manager for the DNR, said. "[We're] working with the conservation communities to do positive deer habitat improvement work."
The Upper Peninsula Deer Habitat Involvement Partnership is in its 18th year, with more than 150 projects completed. The grants are meant to support various types of projects that plan to provide long-term habitat benefits for Michigan's wildlife.
Scullon said while the grants are for private landowners, the money must go through conservation organizations.
"It's a bit frustrating that they don't make it available [directly] to private landowners," said Jeff Ahonen, a private landowner in the western UP with 1,500 acres of land.
"Winters, as you know, in the UP can be harsh," he said. Ahonen said his land is in the wintering area and he would use the grants to put in food plots to help the deer through the winter.
"We don't fund the the building of ponds, we don't fund the planting of corn crops," Scullon said. "It's designed to provide fairly long-term habitat benefits."
He said they've mostly used the grant to build deer wintering complexes. Funding for the program is partially by the deer hunting license revenue.
Applications are open for the program until March 6.
We note the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is a sponsor of WCMU. We report on them as we do with any other organization.
