Copperwood-related grant hangs in the balance as lawmakers negotiate 2025-26 Michigan state budget

• Funding would help pave the way for proposed copper mine in the western Upper Peninsula

• Advocates and opponents both pressuring state lawmakers as final decision looms on state budget and proposed grant

• Competing events held in Lansing and Wakefield, Michigan, as grant pros and cons are fiercely debated

Note: Detailed arguments for and against the proposed Copperwood project and the grant are presented in news releases from both sides (links in text).

A taxpayer-funded grant related to the proposed Copperwood mine in Gogebic County remains in play as state lawmakers scramble to complete a 2025-26 budget ahead of the Oct. 1 fiscal year end.

The $50 million grant to Wakefield Township would fund road improvements, power upgrades and enhanced telecommunications that would support the proposed Copperwood mine and make it more likely that Highland Copper could secure the estimated $425 million in private investment it needs to complete the project.

The grant, introduced as an earmark by Rep. Greg Markkanen (R-Hancock), was included in the budget passed by the Michigan House of Representatives but was left out of the Senate’s budget bill.

Closed-door negotiations are now underway between legislative leaders and the governor to reconcile the conflicting bills and get a state budget over the finish line. Advocates for and against the $50 million Wakefield Township grant are holding public events and issuing news releases to sway the small group of lawmakers who are in the room during budget negotiations, which are not open to the public.

Mine Benefits Touted by Backers at Sept. 15 Event

About 50 supporters of the mine and the proposed $50 million infrastructure grant gathered Sept. 15 at the Wakefield VFW to urge lawmakers to include the money in the upcoming state budget, according to WLUC-TV.

Elected officials, industry representatives, and labor and economic development leaders joined the meeting in person or virtually, according to a news release issued by InvestUP, which supports the mine and the proposed grant.

“The Western U.P. has always had the talent and work ethic. What we haven’t had is the investment needed to compete,” said InvestUP CEO Marty Fittante. “This grant changes that. It will create momentum that will ripple across industries. This is the kind of investment that rewrites the story of the region.”

The Western Upper Peninsula has faced decades of challenges, from industry and hospital closures to shrinking school populations and deteriorating infrastructure, which have made it difficult to retain workers and attract new families, according to the InvestUP news release. “The Copperwood Project represents a rare opportunity to reverse those trends, bringing with it hundreds of good-paying jobs and significant investment into local communities,” the news release stated.

Mine Critics Took Their Message to Lansing Sept. 9

About 200 mine opponents rallied in Lansing Sept. 9 to urge lawmakers to reject the proposed grant, according to a news release by event organizers.

"It was a powerful event," said Jane Fitkin of Citizens for a Safe and Clean Lake Superior. "We were able to connect with advocates around the state and make a lot of noise to get the attention of our lawmakers and urge them to do the right thing and reject the funding."

The Lansing rally was organized by Protect the Porkies, the lead mine opposition group, along with Citizens for a Safe and Clean Lake Superior, and the Economic Development Responsibility Alliance of Michigan.

More than 100 organizations have signed a letter to Michigan lawmakers opposing the $50 million grant proposal, according to mine opponents. An online petition against the Copperwood mine has received more than 467,000 signatures.

The mine has support from Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist, Congressman Jack Bergman, all four Upper Peninsula legislators—Sen. Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan), Rep. David Prestin (R-Cedar River), Rep. Karl Bohnak (R-Deerton) and Rep. Markkanen—and the Upper Peninsula Collaborative Development Council, according to the InvestUP news release, which also states that 12 units of government, ranging from townships to county boards, have issued resolutions of support, “nearly ten” local institutions have submitted letters of support, and dozens of community leaders and elected officials have spoken publicly in favor of the Copperwood project.