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Editor’s note: This artilce was submitted to the Daily Press by InvestUP
MARQUETTE -- New statewide polling conducted by EPIC-MRA shows a majority (71%) of voters across Michigan support the Copperwood Project in the Western Upper Peninsula. The polling demonstrates statewide support, especially in Northern, Western and Central Michigan as well as the Bay Region.
Among supporters, their strongest reasons for backing the project is because it has strong support from the local community, will follow Michigan's strict environmental mining regulations and will create hundreds of good-paying jobs and restore economic opportunity in a region that has experienced decades of economic decline.
"The Western Upper Peninsula has suffered industry closures, hospital closures, declining school populations and degrading regional infrastructure that have made it hard for the region to attract economic development opportunities and retain its workforce, especially younger generations," said InvestUP CEO Marty Fittante. "The Copperwood Project will bring goodpaying jobs and lasting economic opportunity to our local communities, while helping secure the copper America needs for advanced manufacturing and national security, all while safeguarding the very nature that makes the U.P. someplace special. That’s why projects like this are so important to the future of the U.P. and our country.”
Polling shows that while Michiganders appreciate the jobs and economic opportunities, 46% of respondents have some concern about the project's impact on the environment. After consideration of environmental factors, support for the project remained high, with 61% of
respondents in favor.
Protecting the environment has always been a top priority for the Copperwood Project. Michigan's mining regulations are strong and require rigorous environmental monitoring, strict water protections and monetary guarantees that ensure proper mine closure and reclamation. Before construction begins, the Copperwood Project is updating numerous environmental surveys to refresh and augment original baseline data for natural changes in the years since receiving its permits. The project will not draw water from Lake Superior but will collect rainwater for several years for use in initial operations. Discharged water will be treated to limit impact on protected aquatic species.
Twenty-two units of government, ranging from townships to county boards have issued resolutions of support, nearly 10 local institutions have submitted letters of support and dozens of community leaders have spoken publicly in support. This includes Wakefield Township, Ironwood Township and Gogebic County where the project resides. The Copperwood Project has also received continuous bipartisan support from local, state and federal leaders, including Senator Elissa Slotkin, Congressman Jack Bergman and all four Upper Peninsula state legislators.
Support for the Copperwood Project has remained consistent. Regional Glengarriff polls commissioned by InvestUP in the past several years have found a majority of residents in the Upper Peninsula support the Copperwood Project and mining industry. In 2021, 84% of Upper Peninsula residents polled strongly supported natural resource development like mining and forestry. In 2024, 69% of respondents said they strongly support the opening of the Copperwood Mine.
To learn more about the Copperwood Project, please visit copperwoodproject.com