LANSING, MI — Michigan lawmakers cut regular state funding to restore, enhance and acquire wetlands by $2 million in the new 2026 budget.

Next year’s $81 billion budget included only $1 million for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to acquire and restore wetland areas that provide wildlife habitat, flood control and water filtration.

The reduction follows dedicated line-items for wetland protection of $2 million in 2024 and $3 million in 2025, according to the DNR.

That money built on a $10 million 2023 supplemental appropriation set aside for Great Lakes watershed restoration projects in areas such as the Lake Erie and Saginaw Bay watersheds, where nutrient reduction, flood control and habitat connectivity are high priorities .

“The return on investment for wetlands conserva

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