Michigan’s Budget Includes $2 Million to Conserve Wetlands, Critical for Vulnerable Birds, Communities

Michigan (July 3, 2026) – Michigan’s FY27 Budget includes $2 million for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to acquire and conserve wetlands throughout the state, a critical investment in the health of birds and communities across Michigan, and a $1 million increase from the previous year.   

“For birds like the Black Tern—a species that builds its floating nests on wetlands—there is nowhere else to go when wetlands are lost. This investment in wetlands conservation is an investment in the long-term survival of birds that need them,” said Brian Vigue, Policy Director of Freshwater for Audubon Great Lakes. “While funding fell short of the historic $3 million budgeted in fiscal year 2025, we are pleased to see that wetlands conservation continued to remain a priority for lawmakers, and doubled from the previous year.”  

The 2025 State of the Birds report, published by a coalition of science and conservation groups, shows that U.S. birds are declining sharply across a range of habitats. Michigan has lost 50 percent of its historic wetlands, and the Black Tern—a species that depends on wetland habitat—has lost nearly 99 percent of its state population since 1966 and was added to the state threatened and endangered species list in 2024.  

Wetland conservation is also an opportunity to address the growing issue of flooding. This spring, March and April marked the wettest two-month period on record across most of the state. With precipitation events on the rise, wetlands can provide a natural defense. Wetlands absorb and hold onto floodwater, releasing it slowly back into the environment when conditions improve. One acre of wetland, one foot deep, can store up to 1.5 million gallons of water. 

Across Michigan, Audubon Great Lakes is working to directly restore 12,500 acres of high-priority wetlands in areas such as Eastern Lake Michigan, St. Mary’s River and the Straits of Mackinac, Saginaw Bay, and Detroit River and the St. Clair Flats regions. Over the next decade, Audubon aims to positively impact 142,000 acres across the state in partnership with various stakeholders.    

“We thank Governor Whitmer and the Michigan Legislature for recognizing the incredible value that wetlands provide to birds and people, and passing a state budget that will help conserve these important natural resources across the state,” said Vigue.