Michigan’s Biggest Wilderness Park Hides a Multi-Million-Dollar Secret

Photo byPorcupine Mountain State Park - Copyright 2011 State of Michigan

Michigan's latest mineral rights swap could protect park resources while advancing mineral exploration in the Upper Peninsula.

Major Land Exchange Bolsters Conservation, Mineral Prospects

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has finalized a critical land exchange with the Keweenaw Land Association, Limited, consolidating more than 8,000 acres of mineral rights under Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. This strategic trade not only ensures better protection of park lands but also grants Keweenaw access to areas rich in copper, nickel, and gold potential across the Upper Peninsula.

The deal, which closed on October 11, 2024, took nearly three years to arrange and represents a landmark effort to align conservation priorities with economic development in Michigan’s north.

“This is a very important transaction for both parties,” said Ron Olson, chief of the DNR’s Parks and Recreation Division. “It allows us to better protect park resources while offering Keweenaw access to valuable mineral deposits.”

Key Details of the Exchange: No Cash, Just Minerals

Photo byPorcupine Mountain State Park - State of Michigan

The DNR secured 8,392 acres of mineral rights beneath the Porcupine Mountains, covering parcels in Ontonagon and Gogebic counties. In exchange, Keweenaw acquired 9,551 acres of mineral rights spread across Baraga, Dickinson, Gogebic, Iron, Menominee, and Ontonagon counties.

This was a straight swap of mineral rights, with no money exchanged. The Keweenaw Land Association gains valuable mineral prospects in areas thought to contain critical resources, while the DNR achieves a long-standing goal to reunite surface and mineral rights within state park boundaries.

Additionally, the DNR acquired mineral rights beneath a 40-acre former mine in Dickinson County, now serving as a critical bat hibernaculum.

History of Severed Mineral Rights in Porcupine Mountains

The roots of this exchange trace back to the 1940s and 1950s, when Michigan acquired land for the Porcupine Mountains to preserve its old-growth forests. At the time, the state purchased surface rights but allowed sellers to retain mineral rights, a practice that left many parcels with “severed” mineral ownership.

Over the decades, the DNR has pursued mineral rights to consolidate ownership across public lands, making parks easier to manage and safeguard from extractive activities.

“This exchange brings us closer to full ownership of both surface and mineral rights in the Porcupine Mountains,” said Matt Fry, DNR Minerals Management Section manager. “However, many state properties still have severed rights, and we’ll continue working toward reunification when it’s prudent.”

The Porcupine Mountains are not entirely free from potential mining impacts. The Copperwood project—a mining operation outside the park’s boundaries—retains the legal right to access subsurface minerals, though it cannot disturb surface lands within the park. This deal does not affect that project.

Environmental Responsibility and Economic Potential in Focus

Keweenaw Land Association’s president, Tim Lynott, emphasized the company’s commitment to responsible resource development.

“The Porcupine Mountain State Park is a crown jewel in Michigan’s park system, and we are proud to support its sustainable future,” Lynott said. “At the same time, this deal consolidates key mineral assets in regions that could play a role in securing Michigan’s standing as a source of critical minerals, with environmental safeguards in place.”

Keweenaw, headquartered in Ironwood, manages over 1.1 million acres of mineral rights throughout the western Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin. The company has long cooperated with the DNR on mineral leases, trail management, and forest stewardship projects.

Severed Rights Remain a Challenge Elsewhere

Although this exchange is a victory for conservation, Craig Lake State Park in Baraga County—Michigan’s most remote state park—continues to face issues with severed mineral rights. Reuniting such parcels will remain a priority for the DNR, but the process is complex and time-consuming.

“This is one step forward, but we still have work to do,” Fry noted, acknowledging that several other state parks are similarly affected by severed mineral ownership.

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