This short video highlights the Trust Fund’s statewide reach and legacy.
March 3, 2026
Contact: Clay Summers, 517-388-0295 or Jon Mayes, 517-284-5954 (DNR Grants Management)
To date, the Trust Fund has provided nearly $1.4 billion for land improvements and acquisitions across Michigan’s 83 counties
The award-winning Ocqueoc Falls Trailhead and Scenic Overlook in Presque Isle County, offering the first universally accessible waterfall in the U.S.
Milliken State Park and Harbor, the Detroit Riverwalk and the Outdoor Adventure Center, a trio of dazzling destinations that annually draw millions of visitors to downtown Detroit.
The manually propelled raft at Kitch-iti-kipi (“Big Spring”) at Palms Book State Park in Schoolcraft County, allowing visitors to cross and view the 200-foot-wide, 40-foot-deep natural spring and underlying limestone.
Those are a few marquee examples of the outdoor places and recreation spaces supported by grants from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, which has been enshrined for permanent protection within Michigan’s Constitution. Established in 1976, the fund provides grants to state and local governments to purchase land for conservation or recreation, and for development of public outdoor recreation facilities.
The fund is financed through interest earnings on royalties from state-owned oil, gas and mineral leases and administered by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
In addition to those larger projects, the Trust Fund makes possible a variety of efforts to bring quality outdoor recreation opportunities to cities, townships and villages throughout Michigan: everything from pier harbor upgrades, shoreline beach expansion and trail connections to community skate parks, athletic fields and picnic pavilions.
Rotary Island Park, Sault Ste. Marie
“It’s an honor to serve as part of this board because we know the Trust Fund plays a massive role in helping communities create their vision for outdoor gathering spaces that support physical and mental health, anchor neighborhoods and help drive local economies and tourism,” said Chris MacInnes, chair of the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Board. “Clean, safe, welcoming outdoor spaces enhance the image of Michigan and residents’ quality of life, and that’s an investment worth protecting.”
Celebration starts at mParks
The anniversary highlights get underway March 3-5 during the 2026 mParks Conference and Trade Show in Lansing. This year’s conference is built around the theme “Rethink. Reinvent. Reignite. Inspiring Parks. Empowering People.”
Tuesday’s opening session — Celebrating 50 Years of the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund and the mParks Awards — honors the Trust Fund’s legacy of conservation, partnership and investment that has transformed Michigan’s parks, trails and public spaces for generations, and will offer a series of panel discussions exploring the visionaries, projects and partnerships that have shaped Michigan’s outdoor heritage.
Sparks Foundation County Park, Jackson County
Looking ahead
Beyond the mParks conference this week, the year will bring other opportunities to learn more about the Trust Fund during meetings of the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Board and associated partner events/activities. Currently, the schedule includes stops in:
Flint (April 14-15)
Detroit (June 9-10)
Marquette (Aug. 11-12)
Traverse City (Sept. 29-30)
Final events and activities in each city, and other potential opportunities to engage, are being finalized. Follow the Trust Fund webpage for updates.
More on the Trust Fund
This “Showcasing the DNR” story from 2016, at an earlier milestone of the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, digs into the history and origins of the Trust Fund, as well as the creativity, tenacity and vision of the team that nurtured it from idea into existence.
To date, the Trust Fund has provided nearly $1.4 billion, across more than 3,000 allocations, to state and local units of government. Trust Fund-supported projects and lands can be found in each of Michigan’s 83 counties.
Michigan’s Dragon trail loop at Hardy Dam, Mecosta Township
“When it comes to outdoor recreation, space to spread out and opportunities to connect with our state’s outdoor heritage, Michiganders know we’ve got something pretty special here,” said DNR Director Scott Bowen. “The brilliance of an idea like the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund is that it ensures that money generated from nonrenewable resources, like oil and gas, is invested into permanent, renewable public assets such as parks, trails and conservation areas.”
Visit Michigan.gov/MNRTF for more on the Trust Fund. Additional 50th-anniversary details and resources, including an interactive map highlighting locations and details of Trust Fund-supported projects, will be added throughout the year.
Those are a few marquee examples of the outdoor places and recreation spaces supported by grants from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, which has been enshrined for permanent protection within Michigan’s Constitution. Established in 1976, the fund provides grants to state and local governments to purchase land for conservation or recreation, and for development of public outdoor recreation facilities.
