The Upper Peninsual Resource Conservation & Development Council (UP RC&D) is a non-profit whose mission is to provide leadership, technical assistance and program administration to help local leaders make their communities a better place to live, work and play.

• 1972--U.P. RC&D Area organized


• 1973--U.P. RC&D Area authorized by the USDA Secretary


• 1985--U.P. RC&D Council established as 501(c)(3)non-profit

• First RC&D non-profit council association in Michigan
• Sponsors are the 15 County Boards of Commissioners and the 14 Conservation Districts across the region including the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Conservation District
• Council members are appointed from local councils, Conservation Districts, County Commissioners and members-at-large to one of 3 regional councils. The U.P. Council consists of 2 elected members from each regional council plus a representative from the U.P. RC&D Forestry Committee and up to 3 member-at-large appointments from the regional councils
• To date, over 620 RC&D measures or projects have been submitted to the RC&D Councils for technical or financial assistance

• Seven community flood control projects, (the only ones in Michigan);
• Little Cedar River Agricultural Pollution Control and Mansfield Township Irrigation Water Supply, both the only ones of their type completed in Michigan;
• Hakola-Ross Agricultural Drainage District, the only agricultural drainage district in the U.P.;
• Numerous day use and community recreation facilities from soccer fields and county fairgrounds to ice arenas and parks have been completed with RC&D assistance;
• Water quality resource plans and projects such as the Dober Mine Acid Mine Water Clean-Up, the first state superfund-completed project in Michigan;
• Numerous water quality erosion control and site stabilization projects;
• Promotion and technical review of rural dry hydrants across the Upper Peninsula;
• Private forest land inventories in 4 counties;
• Demonstrations of forest management, native plants and agricultural practices;
• Forums and workshops on lease hunting opportunities;
• Water quality guidelines and plans and groundwater development or re-use plans on brownfields protection, including abandoned well sealing programs;
• Development and funding of the School Forest Newsletter;
• Development of planning grants and treatability studies for the Torch Lake Superfund sites;
• Technical assistance for the planning and construction of modern timber bridges;
• Fiscal agent and planning committee for the Tree of Hope – 2001 Capitol Tree Washington D.C.;
• Assisting in locating grant sources and review and writing assistance to local communities.