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Jan. 26, 2026
Contact: Bill Scullon, 906-250-6781 or John Pepin, 906- 226-1352
DNR announces $200,000 available for UP Deer Habitat Improvement Partnership grants
Program budget, maximum and minimum grant requests have increased
The application period for the Upper Peninsula’s Deer Habitat Improvement Partnership Initiative competitive grant program is now open.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources initiative is a cooperative grant program designed to enhance deer habitat on private lands in the U.P.
New for 2026 the total DHIPI program budget has increased to $200,000. The maximum and minimum grant requests have also increased respectively to a maximum of $25,000 and a minimum of $5,000. The required match remains at 25%.
Further, applicants can now bundle multiple project proposals under one application instead of applying separately for each proposal, provided they stay below the maximum grant value.
"Because of the past success of past partner projects, our budget doubled this year, enabling us to increase our influence to enhance deer habitat across the Upper Peninsula," said Bill Scullon, DNR Wildlife Division field operations manager and administrator for the grant initiative.
The initiative is supported by the state’s Deer Range Improvement Program, which is funded by a portion of deer hunting license revenue.
Now in its’ 18th year, nearly $1.3 million in deer hunting license dollars have been invested into Upper Peninsula deer habitat through the DHIPI program. An additional $950,000 of matching funds has been contributed through partners in over 162 projects to enhance thousands of acres of deer habitat in nearly all Upper Peninsula counties.
"There are three primary goals applicants should strive to meet," Scullon said. "The projects should produce tangible deer habitat improvements, build long-term partnerships between the DNR and outside organizations and showcase the benefits to the public."
Project applications must be received electronically or postmarked by Friday, March 6.
Successful applicants will be notified by Friday, March 27.
The complete grant application package is available on the DNR website at Michigan.gov/DNRGrants.
For more information or questions regarding eligibility, please contact Bill Scullon at 906-250-6781 or [email protected].
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