LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Wakefield Township leaders are urging lawmakers in Lansing to approve a $50 million grant they say could reshape the economy of Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula.
The funding, still under consideration in the state budget, would support development around the Copperwood Mine project, improve outdated infrastructure, and boost year-round tourism.
“This opportunity only comes around once in a generation,” said Mandy Lake, Wakefield Township Supervisor. “We’re lacking in jobs, our population is declining… Without mining and logging, I’m not quite sure how we’re going to sustain even the simplest of services.”
The funding proposal includes repairs to County Road 519, a key route to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. The road hasn’t been fully repaved in decades, and township officials say its poor condition discourages business and tourist traffic. It also serves as the only access point to Wakefield’s industrial park.
“We have an industrial park and logging operations and possibilities, but nobody wants to go because the road is so awful,” Lake said. “Without this grant helping us repave and upgrade it, I don’t really know what’s going to go on with our industrial park.”
The $50 million request is tied to both House and Senate proposals, either through the main budget or a supplemental spending bill, and lawmakers are still negotiating how and when to move it forward.
Proponents argue the investment is critical not just for the mine, but for stabilizing an economy that’s become increasingly fragile due to industry decline and inconsistent tourism seasons.
“We just saw last year small business loans having to be issued because there was a lack of snow,” Lake said. “Several restaurants closed again, and they’re not reopening.”
The grant would also help modernize the region’s electrical grid, support essential services, and create more good-paying jobs to keep families from moving away.
Lawmakers have until July 1 to pass a final state budget. Advocates say this project represents a rare chance to rebuild the Upper Peninsula’s economic foundation, and they’re hopeful Lansing will deliver.
