Three Western U.P. Counties to Get Fed Forest Money

Three Western Upper Peninsula Counties will receive a portion of more than three million dollars coming to Michigan through the U-S Forest Service’s Secure Rural Schools Program. Gogebic County will get the largest portion… nearly 457-thousand dollars. Ontonagon County will get more than 448-thousand dollars… and Baraga County will receive 85-thousand dollars. The money can be used for schools or roads. Ontonagon and Gogebic Counties must also use a portion for projects that protect or restore forestland and wildlife habitat. The cash comes from the fees collected by the government from logging and timber sales from the Ottawa National Forest… and other national forests throughout the state. It’s part of the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program for federal land that’s administered by the Department of Agriculture.