ONTONAGON COUNTY, MI — The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has successfully acquired over 8,000 acres of mineral rights beneath Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park from the Keweenaw Land Association. The land exchange, which closed on October 11, 2024, is a major step toward protecting natural resources within the state park, Michigan’s largest.

The deal took nearly three years to finalize and involved a mineral-for-mineral exchange without any financial transaction. Keweenaw Land Association received 9,551 acres of mineral rights in parts of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, believed to contain valuable resources such as copper, gold, and nickel.

This exchange helps the DNR consolidate mineral and surface rights within the park, ensuring better management of the area’s natural resources. Keweenaw, in return, gains access to mineral-rich areas that could support sustainable mining in Michigan under the state’s regulatory framework.