The western Upper Peninsula is getting a $50 million state commitment to fund infrastructure for a proposed copper mine, reconstruct a crumbling county road and extend broadband service across Gogebic County.

The Michigan Strategic Fund Board voted 7-2 on Tuesday, Aug. 25, to approve two Strategic Site Readiness Program grants for the Copperwood Mine project in Wakefield and Ironwood townships. Copperwood Resources Inc., a subsidiary of British Columbia-based Highland Copper Company, will receive $44.97 million. The Gogebic County Road Commission will receive $5.03 million. The road commission grant passed 9-0.

The vote came after about two hours of public comment and multiple failed attempts to fund the project through the state Legislature, including after the Democratic-led Senate Appropriations Committee twice declined to advance the funding in 2024, and a 2025 earmark request was stripped during final budget negotiations, according to The Detroit News. The $50 million came from a $250 million Strategic Site Readiness Program appropriation the Legislature made in 2022, with this portion set aside for site-readiness projects with an identified end user. Because lawmakers had already allocated the funds to the Strategic Fund board, the grant didn't require a new committee vote.

"The Copperwood Mine will create at least 380 long-term, high-wage jobs in a community that is eager to welcome them, and in doing so, it helps to fortify an entire region's tax base," MEDC CEO Quentin Messer said in a state press release.

What the money buys

The grants fund reconstruction of County Road 519N, which carries a pavement condition rating of 2 out of 10. They also cover utility upgrades serving Ironwood, Wakefield, Bessemer and Erwin Township, plus expanded cellular and broadband service across portions of Gogebic County. The $425 million in private investment Highland Copper has pledged covers mine development, site preparation, infrastructure, equipment, environmental controls and operational facilities — the same site-readiness work the state grant partially reimburses.

The Gogebic County Road Commission separately received a $7.5 million Transportation Economic Development Fund grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation for the same road. Total road project cost: $12.57 million.

Gogebic County Road Commission manager Garth C. Stengard said in the state announcement that without the grant, the improvements to County Road 519N would not be possible, adding that the project ensures all-season access for industries such as lumber and timber and helps emergency personnel respond more quickly.

Jobs and wages

The project is expected to create at least 380 long-term positions paying $80,000 to $120,000 annually, roughly twice the regional median wage of $44,900, according to the state press release. About 300 construction jobs are also anticipated.

The grants are performance based. Highland Copper must cover costs first, then seek reimbursement. The company must also secure $150 million in additional private financing by March 31, 2028, and create the 380 jobs to access the funds, according to mining.com.au.

A coalition forms

One day before the vote, on Monday, Aug. 24, more than 130 local leaders, labor unions, businesses and residents launched a coalition called Our U.P., Our Future, with members in all 15 Upper Peninsula counties and all six state legislators who represent the region.

Dan Siirila, chairman of the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners, is among the coalition members. So are Ironwood Charter Township supervisor Jay Kangas, Wakefield Township supervisor Mandy Lake, Bessemer Township supervisor Dennis P. Aspinwall, Alan Tulppo of the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District, Dan Martinson of Ironwood Area Schools and George Dellich, owner of Club 28 Restaurant in Wakefield.

InvestUP CEO Marty Fittante said the western U.P. has suffered industry closures, declining population and crumbling infrastructure that made it difficult to attract development and keep families in the region.

The area has lost several major employers over the past three decades: the White Pine Mine in Ontonagon County closed in the mid-1990s, the Ontonagon Paper Mill shut down in 2010 and the Ojibway Correctional Facility in Marenisco closed in 2018.

Opposition and what's next

Not everyone celebrated. The group Protect the Porkies, which has gathered nearly 500,000 petition signatures against the project, said in a statement that the funding used a loophole to bypass opposition after the project was defeated three times through the legislative process. Opponents cite the mine's proximity to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park and Lake Superior, including a proposed 320-acre tailings basin. A June 2026 statewide poll conducted by EPIC-MRA and commissioned by InvestUP found 71% of Michigan voters support the project, though that dropped to 61% after respondents considered environmental concerns.

Copperwood must complete a feasibility study before a final construction decision. InvestUP's Fittante expects that study in the first quarter of 2027, according to WZMQ. If the project advances, construction could begin in 2028 with commercial copper production in 2030.