Michigan is one of six applicants to receive funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for conservation and connectivity work on rivers and streams in 14 counties. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced this week it’s receiving $5 million from the inaugural America the Beautiful Challenge, a $1 billion grant program launched in May to fund diverse, landscape-level conservation projects. Among the waterways to receive attention as a result of the funding is Hayden Creek in Van Buren County. That’s near Paw Paw. As part of the waterway work statewide, the DNR will partner with local organizations and tribes to reconnect nearly 200 upstream miles of rivers and streams, working toward improved climate resiliency and river connectivity. Among the groups the DNR is working with is the U.S. Forest Service.
