Nature Conservancy presents Michigan conservation priorities, proposes local recreation and forest authority for Keweenaw parcel

Rich Bowman, director of external affairs for The Nature Conservancy in Michigan, told the House Committee on Natural Resources and Tourism about the organization’s statewide work in forest stewardship, freshwater systems and agricultural partnerships.

Bowman said The Nature Conservancy (TNC) operates globally and has a Michigan unit that “operate[s] on a budget of about $8,000,000 a year” and “a little less than 50 staff.” He told the committee that TNC has protected roughly 436,000 acres in Michigan to date and that TNC owns and manages acreage it described as approximately 8,000 to 11,000 acres across 36 smaller nature preserves and several larger forest preserves. “Almost all of our land is open to the public,” Bowman said, noting a handful of exceptions where gifts came with restrictions or where seasonal hunting closures apply at preserves such as Erie Marsh Preserve.

Bowman described TNC’s program areas: freshwater work in the Great Lakes and coastal systems, resilient-forest programs, agriculture partnerships and climate-related projects. On agriculture, he said TNC is working on “pay-for-performance” models and cited a program with Star of the West Milling that markets sustainably grown wheat to manufacturers so growers can receive a premium. He also described a “feed and focus” partnership with the Michigan Milk Producers Association to reduce farm emissions and said TNC works with county drain commissioners to reduce water-quality impacts.

On forests, Bowman reviewed ownership patterns in Michigan and raised concern about recent sales of industrial forest holdings to private-equity and institutional investors. He said roughly 45% of forest land is nonindustrial private ownership and highlighted programs to help those landowners with management. He also described TNC’s work with the DNR and partners to restore whitefish spawning reefs in parts of Lake Michigan and a multiyear project to plant eggs in tributaries with tribal partners and the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission; Bowman said the “real test will be in about 4 years whether or not we have any returns from those fish.”

Bowman described a 2022 purchase by TNC of a Keweenaw Peninsula parcel that the community feared could be removed from public access if sold; TNC said it is temporarily holding the property and is working with the DNR and locals to form a recreation and forest authority modeled on existing recreational authorities. He told the committee that Representative Markkanen plans to introduce legislation to tweak the Michigan Recreational Authorities Act to allow that authority to include forest-management responsibilities and local elected board members.

Bowman also discussed solar siting and regenerative agriculture. He said TNC is not currently running programs on co-locating solar with cover crops statewide but cited an example of a Grand Rapids-area solar project where cover crops were grown beneath panels. He emphasized that solar development should be part of a broader land strategy: “If we just quit farming it and put solar on it, we've sold ourselves short,” he said, and urged requiring cover crops and decommissioning guarantees in development agreements.

Committee members asked questions about regenerative farming, tile drainage and solar siting; Bowman provided answers and offered to follow up with staff on technical details.

Bowman concluded by saying TNC supports “sustainable conservation funding” and highlighted the group’s interest in ensuring water utilities can bill and collect to maintain infrastructure. He offered to follow up with any committee members who wanted more detail.

The presentation was followed by a committee question-and-answer period in which multiple representatives sought more detail on forestry ownership, solar siting, and water and agricultural practices.